Minnesota-breds prep for Night of Champions

Columbus, MN – Harness racing drivers Brady Jenson and Luke Plano each scored driving triples on the Thursday night (September 8) program at Running Aces, and each posted wins in the final round of Minnesota-sired action ahead of next week’s Night of Champions.

Jenson got the ball rolling in the first race of the night with a very sharp gate-to-wire score aboard heavy favorite Lovin On You (Easy Again) who was never in doubt while posting his third win of the season to take the $16,500 Minnesota-sired sophomore boys’ pace in a career best 1:54.

Lovin On You ($2.60) was six lengths clear of Antetokounmpo (Rick Magee) in second, while Perfect Force was third best.

The winner is owned by Jay De Long and trained by Justin Anfinson.

LOVIN ON YOU REPLAY

Plano piloted King Of Aces (Three of Clubs) to his second straight win in the $16,500 freshman male pace in 1:55.3 for a new career mark.

King Of Aces sat fifth the entire way while Polar Storm (Chip Lackey) and Kawabunga (Chad Svendsen) went to the front.

Plano angled through traffic at the top of the lane and King Of Aces ($12.60) responded with an impressive late kick to surge past the leader, while Ex Why Zee (Rick Magee) flew home from the back of the pack to just-miss second in his first career start.

The winner races from the Williams Hernandez stable and is owned and trained by Maria Alvarez.

KING OF ACES REPLAY

Give Me This Dance (Wind Me Up) and driver Dean Magee converted a perfect pocket trip to score her twelfth win of the year by 4 lengths in 1:53.4 over stablemate Anotherblazinwoman (Plano) and Kitty Wampus (Mooney Svendsen) in the $16,500 sophomore filly pace.

With the victory, Give Me This Dance ($3.40) also eclipsed the $100k mark in seasonal earnings for owners Alan & Cheryl Sandbulte and trainer Justin Anfinson.

GIVE ME THIS DANCE REPLAY

Quite The Flirt (Wind Me Up, $6.20) scored her first career win in the $16,500 freshman filly pace with a nice late rally with Plano in the bike.

Plano guided her away in fourth and waited patiently while Anotherflashywoman and Wavzeka made the pace. Rounding for home, they tipped to the outside and she easily took control in the lane and drew clear to score by two lengths in 1:59.1.

Wavzeka held second while Stevies Girl rallied late for third.

The winner is owned by her breeder, Van Otterloo Stables and is trained by Bob Lems.

QUITE THE FLIRT REPLAY

Sneaky Hill (Racing Hill, $4.00) rallied from off the pace to score his sixth straight win, taking an $11,800 conditioned pace in a career best 1:52.3 for owner/trainer/driver Brady Jenson.

Lucky Lil Lady (Plano) was second best and Hurry Home (Dean Magee) checked in third.

One sharp handicapper was able to be the lone winner in the 20-cent Pick-5 Jackpot wager to scoop up a payout of $34,910.40.

The decisive moment in the sequence was when 99 percent of the tickets were eliminated in the third leg (race 8) as 38-1 shot Go Away N Play (Chad Svendsen) closed sharply from the back of the pack to get up by a head over 3-1 shot Changing Colors (Mooney Svendsen).

The $2 Svendsen Exacta (9/2) returned a season’s highest $1,635 and the 50-cent Trifecta (9/2/5) with 5-1 shot Easy Three in third paid a season’s highest $3,153.85.

Live Racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday night (September 11) to kick-off the final week of the 2022 racing season. After Sunday, there is racing on Tuesday night (September 13) and Friday and Saturday nights (September 16 & 17).

Post Time at Running Aces is 7 p.m. (CDT).

For complete race results, click here.

by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces