Always Be Lucy steals the show

Columbus, MN – One of the featured harness racing events on the Tuesday afternoon program at Running Aces was the $10,000 Mares Open Pace, with a talented field of eight distaffers going into battle.

 

The talk of the tote-board (6-5) was Amasa Arion (Rick Magee) who drew post seven and was up in class after a decisive win in conditioned company last out. Last Flight In (Chris Scicluna) was well supported at the windows (2-1) from post eight and Always Be Lucy (Nick Roland) took some action as well and was sent off at 7-2 from post four.

 

Amasa Arion blasted fastest from the gate and took immediate control while registering a very fast early pace in :26.4 with Always Be Lucy leaving fast and easing into the pocket in front of Pull The Shade (Brady Jenson) and Last Flight In.

 

Rick Magee slowed things down just a bit in the next panel to turn in a half mile in :55 seconds while keeping the field lined up behind his mare. There were no challengers for Amasa Arion as they rounded for home and stopped the timer in 1:23 with a 2 length cushion, but as they turned into the lane Always Be Lucy was inching closer in the pocket.

 

In deep stretch it was Always Be Lucy ($9.40) pacing strongest to the wire, just enough so to get up right on the line by a neck over Amasa Arion in 1:52., establishing a new lifetime mark. Last Flight In was home third over Pull The Shade who took fourth. The winner is a five years old daughter of Always A Virgin, owned by Karma Racing Inc. and trained by Don Harmon. Tuesday's victory was career win number fourteen and boosted her earnings to $97,486.

 

The $10,000 Open Handicap Pace for horses and geldings was also a featured event on Tuesday, and saw heavy-favorite and part of an entry (with Hoo Nien A) Keep On Rocking A (Pat Berry, $2.40) score for the second straight week in the top pace, leading every step and fighting gamely through the lane to keep a neck in front of Heza Real Diamond (Nick Roland) at the wire in a sharp 1:51.2 mile. It was the fifth win from 8 starts in 2020 for Keep On Rocking A, who is owned and trained by Chris Scicluna and now has career earnings of $248,742.

 

Other impressive winners on Tuesday included last year's three year old Minnesota-Sired pacing colt of the year SB Bodacious (Rick Magee, $8.20) who powered to the front early and never looked back to score a one-length tally in 1:52.4, while perennial top Minnesota aged pacer Stuckey Dote (Rick Magee, $2.80) picked up his first Aces win of 2020 in 1:52.4 as well. Haulin'Oats (Nick Roland, $3.60) became the first horse to win three races this year at Running Aces – with his third consecutive dominating performance, stopping the timer today in 1:55.1.

 

Rick Magee led all drivers at Running Aces on Tuesday, with 3 wins, while Nick Roland scored a double. On the training side both Rick Bertrand and Don Harmon had two winners on the day.

 

Live Racing returns to Running Aces with a special Friday card on July 3 at 1:00 pm (CDT). There is no live racing on Saturday July 4. Friday's program will feature a carryover in the 20 cent Pick-5 Jackpot Wager of $3,509.87.