Crazy Cute upsets and equals track record

Columbus, MN –  The featured event on the Thursday night (June 5) harness racing program at Running Aces was the $14,750 Mares Open Handicap Pace and it offered a very talented field of nine who provided fans with a thrilling contest.

Twist Little Girl N (Bryan Quevedo) blasted off the gate from post seven as did Majors Miracle (Dean Magee) from post five and those two traded blows through a fast :26.2 opening stanza.

Twist Little Girl N settled on top near the three-eighths pole and Majors Miracle was relegated to the pocket as Crazy Cute (Mooney Svendsen) traveled third. Better Watch It (Rick Magee) came first-up at the :54.1 half mile checkpoint and Southern Sugar (Gerald Longo) and Fillister Photo (Billy Man) followed cover.

Twist Little Girl N still had the advantage as they clicked off three panels in 1:22.2 while Kele Kele (Brady Jenson) made a 3-wide bid from mid pack.

In the lane Twist Little Girl N came under attack from all sides as Majors Miracle charged from the pocket and Crazy Cute (Art Major) dived inside.

Crazy Cute ($60.80) was fastest to the wire, getting home 3/4 of a length ahead of Majors Miracle while Fillister Photo rallied late to edge out Twist Little Girl N for the show spot. The timer flashed 1:51 for a final time, which equalled the track record for aged pacing mares.

CRAZY CUTE REPLAY

The winner, who had been dismissed by the public at 29-1, is a 9-year-old daughter of Art Major. She now shows 4 wins this season and 32 career wins for owners Stephen Chambers and Kathie Plested, who also trains.

Linked To Chaos (Easy Again) posted a career best gate-to-wire effort to capture the $17,000 Minnesota-sired sophomore fillies ‘A’ pace in 1:57.

Driver Brian Detgen sent her away quickly from post one and they secured the lead with a quick :27.2 opening panel and led comfortably throughout, holding firm in the lane over Skooch’s Valentine (Jessie Pacheco) and Karpathian Queen (Chad Svendsen)

Linked To Chaos ($24.20) is owned by her breeder Jay De Long and is trained by Justin Anfinson.

Ty he other Minnesota-sired events went to Blazin For Life (Brady Jenson, $11.60) in 1:55.3 for two in a row in the $17,000 colts ‘A’ division, and High Country Baby (Nick Roland, $4.00) in 1:57.3 in the $8,500 mixed ‘B’ division.

Brian Detgen led all drivers on Thursday with 3 wins while both trainers Maria Alvarez and Justin Anfinson each had 3 winners and driver Dean Magee also posted a double.

Live Racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday night (June 8) for a 12-race program that will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT)

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces