Running Aces is gearing up for the 2026 edition of the Ron Banks Memorial Free-for-All Mares Pace, which will kick off with elimination races on Sunday, June 21 going for $17,500 USD in each division, and the final will be contested one week later on Sunday, June 28 for a purse of $35,000 USD.
Ron Banks, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 73, was a well respected owner, trainer, breeder and race announcer in Minnesota as well as across the upper-Midwest region and also served as a longtime board member of Minnesota Harness Racing Inc. He was one of the people that worked hard to get a pari-mutuel harness racing track going in Minnesota in the early 2000s with his efforts and others eventually led to the opening of Running Aces in 2008. Banks is fondly remembered at Running Aces with this event each June.
The nominees for the 2026 Ron Banks Memorial in alphabetical order (with listed with trainer) are: Crazy Cute (Kathie Plested), Divine Art (Gerald Longo), Evas Star (Brady Jenson), Fox Valley Groupie (Brett Ballinger), Graceful Horizon (Nick Roland), Heart Song (Kathie Plested), Im Fancy Like (Brett Ballinger), JK My Girl (Robert Lems), K T Part E (Brady Jenson), Kele Kele (Brady Jenson), Miss Fancy Nancy (Brady Jenson), More Gooda N (Harold Herrera), Mother Mary (Mikaela Del Giudice), Premier Desirey (Harold Herrera), Teelatini (Justin Anfinson), Twist Little Girl N (Nick Roland) and Wish I Had Thyme (Alexia Kehl).
The 2026 season at Running Aces is now in full swing and features live racing every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday night through late September.
(Running Aces; photo of 2025 Ron Banks Memorial winner Ideal Skies)