Plano 5 wins; Alilthundadownunda scores 14th

Columbus, MN – Harness racing driver Luke Plano dominated the Thursday night (September 9) program at Running Aces, with five wins on the card including three feature events.

Plano worked out a perfect trip for Hottieonthehorizon ($10.80) in the $13,800 Mares Open Handicap Pace to surge past Rockin With Lou (Dean Magee) in the lane and post a 1-3/4 length tally in 1:52 with Anna B (Brady Jenson) a fast closing third.

It was a new lifetime mark for the five year old daughter of Vertical Horizon, who now shows 23 career wins for owners Leslie Godlien and Rick Lancaster. Nick Roland is the winning trainer.

Plano also piloted Alilthundadownunda (Malak Uswaad N) to his 14th win of the season which places him at the top of the current list of sophomores in Harness Racing in North America by wins.

Plano floated the star Nick Roland trainee away from the gate in sixth from post six before launching to the front with a quick move near the quarter pole in the $17,250 Minnesota-sired ‘A’ pace.

Once on the lead it was lights out for the rest of the field. Alilthundadownunda turned on the speed in the final half mile (:56.4) and sprinted home in :27.1 to give his competition no chance to get close. He checked in 2-1/2 lengths in front of Maze (Rick Magee) in 1:54.4 with SD Watch Me Now (Brian Detgen) back in third.

The victory also pushed his seasonal earnings over the century mark, to $100,425 for owners/breeders Set The Pace Racing.

ALILTHUNDADOWNUNDA REPLAY

Park With Me Nancy (Luke Plano, $2.10) made it 4 wins in a row with another dominating performance in the $14,375 Minnesota-sired freshman filly pace in 1:58.3 for the daughter of Wind Me Up‘s seventh career win for owners/breeders Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte and trainer Justin Anfinson.

The winning connections also picked up second with Anotherblazinwoman (Adam Hauser) and fourth with Give Me This Dance (Brian Detgen).

Muffin Top (Brian Detgen, $20.80) posted a career best win in 1:57 from off the pace in the $11,500 Minnesota-Sired ‘B’ pace for her third career score for owner/breeder Wendy Haberburg.

Fiffer Feffer Fef (Jacob Cutting, $20.00) made it two wins in a row with a career best victory in 1:56.3 over Antetokounmpo (Rick Magee) and Rosco P Coletrain (Dean Magee) in the $14,375 Minnesota-sired freshman male pace for owner Merlin Van Oterloo and trainer Brett Ballinger.

In addition to Luke Plano’s five win night, Nick Roland also posted a training triple, and there were also doubles posted by driver Jacob Cutting and trainer Justin Anfinson.

Live Racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday (September 12) with first post at 6:05 pm (CDT).

For full race results, click here.

by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces