The program of harness racing at Running Aces on Friday, Sept. 20 featured five $20,270 Minnesota-sired consolation events, with driver Dean Magee and trainer Adam Hauser dominating the proceedings.
Magee and Hauser swept the first three consolation races of the night, including two wins for the ownership team of Carol and Tyson Paris.
My Man Mahomes (pictured above) scored the biggest touchdown of his young trotting career in the freshman consolation for both fillies and colts.
Magee went right to the front and they never looked back, maintaining a comfortable lead throughout and then drawing clear for a 2-3/4 length victory in a career best 2:02.1 mile over Battle Princess (Chad Svendsen) and Flashing Tens (James Gould).
A son of Bat Wing, My Man Mahomes ($4.60) now shows four wins from 19 career starts for team Paris and Hauser.
Hauser and Magee also sent out Mamas Sunshine as the favourite in the freshman filly pace consolation and the daughter of Special Forces also delivered a gate-to-wire performance in a career best 1:58.4 holding gamely to win by a neck over Easy Arm Photo (James Kennedy) with Miss Street Dancer (Nick Roland) home third.
She returned $3.20.
Magee and Hauser completed a triple when Lovely Normajean ($2.80) led every step in the sophomore filly pace in a career best 1:56.4, getting home a half-length better than Fiftyshadesofcray (Roland) with Overthemoonforyou (Jeff Hunt) getting third.
A daughter of Fancy Schmansy, Lovely Normajean is owned by Cara Hauser.
El Travino delivered a huge win as the heavy favourite in the freshman colt pace with a 10-1/2 tally in a career best 1:57 mile over Ten K Obo (Svendsen) and Kid Crackin (Hunt).
Brady Jenson was the winning trainer/driver of the son of Western Trademark for lessee Brandon Jenson. El Travino returned $2.20.
Dance Traveler (Mooney Svendsen, $11.80) posted a big mid-race move to close in on longshot leader Sign Of The Times (Chad Svendsen) and he then surged past late to post a three-length victory in 1:54.4 while Jeremys Alibi (Luke Plano) rallied for third in the older male pace consolation.
The winner is a son of Up Front Brad and is owned by QKS Racing and Marianne Foreman and is trained by Quentin Schneider.
JK My Girl (Roland, $21) rallied from mid-pack and surged late in the lane to get up by a half-length in the $20,946 Mares Open Handicap Pace in 1:53.1 over Fox Valley Leah (Todd Warren) and Better Double Flip (Jenson).
The winner is owned Erika Huffman and is trained by Bob Lems.
Warrawee Whisper ($10.80) delivered a big performance in the Open trot event which was contested at a 1-1/4 mile distance.
Trainer/driver Brady Jenson got away third with the six-year-old son of Trixton before making an early move to the top just past the quarter mile.
Once on the lead they were never in doubt and they coasted home to win by 1-3/4 lengths in a time of 2:25.2 for a new track record for the distance. This year's Wiseman Memorial winner All Champy (Mooney Svendsen) was home second and race favourite Majestic J (Elson Miller) checked in third.
The winner is owned by Jenson and Ken Stauffer.
Live harness racing returns to Running Aces on Saturday, Sept. 21 for 'Minnesota Night of Champions' which will close out the 2024 live racing season. The program consists of 12 championship races going for $65,000 USD each.
There will be Senators, Commissioners and other state and local dignitaries on hand to help celebrate the winners and present trophies.
Running Aces adds $7,500 instant guarantee for Saturday early pick-four
Running Aces, in conjunction with the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program, has added a $7,500 ‘instant guarantee’ for the early 50-cent pick-4 wager on Saturday night.
The early pick-4 gets underway in the second race and has a carryover of $2,231.64. There are mandatory payouts in all pools including the 20-cent pick-5 which starts in the eighth race, the $3,000 guaranteed late pick-4 starting in race nine and the 50-cent Hi-5 wager in Race 12.
First post time on Saturday is 6 p.m. (CDT).
(Running Aces)