Alilthundadownunda stole the show at Running Aces on Tuesday, Sept. 2 with a sharp first-over performance to capture the $23,288 Open Handicap Pace.
Brian Detgen was in the bike behind the seven-year-old gelding and opted to float away in fifth position early from post two while Im A Skoldier (Luke Plano), PD The Big Easy (Brandon Jenson) and Speaking Volumes (Rick Magee) battled furiously for the top positions through a fast :26.4 opening panel.
After being caught three-wide throughout the first quarter, Speaking Volumes landed on top and posted the middle fractions in :56.1 and 1:24.2 with PD The Big Easy tracking closely in the pocket.
Detgen got rolling with Aliulthundadownunda as they headed for the far turn and Macs Marvel (Williams Hernandez) chased his cover. Speaking Volumes led into the lane but was under siege from all sides with PD The Big Easy looming inside and Alilthundadownunda charging outside.
It was a thrilling battle to the wire, which resulted in Alilthundadownunda surging by to win by a half-length in 1:52.4 while favourite Speaking Volumes held second over PD The Big Easy. The winner paid $23.40 for the 10-1 upset.
Sired by Malak Uswaad N out of Wild About Eagle, Aliulthundadownunda is owned by his breeder Set The Pace Racing and is trained by Nick Roland. He is a 46-time career winner, with five of those wins in 2025, and has banked $554,617.
Wild About Me ($3.20) posted a new career mark of 1:54.4 in the $20,548 Minnesota-sired freshman male ‘A’ pace, winning over stablemate Luke Skyrocker (Luke Plano) and Set Free (Rick Magee). Brady Jenson was the winning driver and worked out a perfect trip for Wild About Me, who rode the pocket into deep stretch and surged inside late to draw away by two lengths.
Wild About Me, sired by Wind Me Up, is a half brother to Alilthundadownunda as both are out of the The Panderosa mare Wild About Eagle. Now three-for five in his young career, Wild About Me is also owned by Set The Pace Racing and trained by Roland.
In the $23,973 Minnesota-sired freshman male trot, SV Rough And Tough ($4.20) made an early move to the top for driver Dean Magee and never looked back en route to his fifth win from 11 career starts, stopping the timer in a career-best 2:00.3 over HM Magical Money (Luke Plano) and My Little Maverick (Rick Magee). The winner is a son of Tom Ridge out of Sierra Glide and is owned by Larry Mather and trained by Jason Telfer.
Starstruck Fool ($7.40) posted her sixth career win with a gate-to-wire effort, finishing in front by just over two lengths in 1:57.3 in the filly ‘A’ pace for owners Jeri and Briar Roland and trainer Lino Pacheco. Scott Cisco drove the grey Karpathian Kid-Lovin A Fool filly, who has finished no worse than second in eight races.
The other freshman winners included SV Shining Star (Rick Magee, $23.40) in 2:02.2, Im Easy Peasy (Billy Mann, $2.40) in 1:59.1 and Letitia (Dean Magee, $5.20) in 1:59.4.
Live harness racing returns to Running Aces on Thursday, Sept. 4 with an 11-race program that will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Running Aces)