Premier Desirey upsets with big late finish

Columbus, MN – It was ladies’ night on the harness racing racetrack at Running Aces on Thursday (August 28) with top distaffers taking center stage in the ,$15,500 featured Mares Open Handicap pace.

Last week’s winner Lloyd’s Loves was the public choice at 2-5 and Scorecard Dandy was sent off as the 4-1 second pick in the seven horse contest.

Stablemates Twist Little Girl N (Mooney Svendsen) and Lloyd’s Loves (Billy Mann) were the fastest off the car and battled early for the top with Twist Little Girl N posting the opening fraction in a fast :26.3 before Lloyd’s Loves made a quarter pole move to take over the top.

Scorecard Dandy (Dean Magee) set up shop in third and Premier Desirey (Brady Jenson) traveled in fourth while Lloyd’s Loves throttled the speed down for a :29.4 second quarter breather.

Down the backstretch the lineup remained the same in the top four and Lloyd’s Loves kicked up the tempo to register a :28.2 third panel and keep firm control.

In the lane Twist Little Girl N vacated the pocket to come after Lloyd’s Loves and Scorecard Dandy also tipped out and that allowed Jenson and Premier Desirey (Real Desire) to get rolling on the inside of the leader.

A three-way battle ensued in the final stages and Lloyd’s Loves fought gamely but Premier Desirey ($24.60) was full of pace and surged past late for a three-quarter length tally in 1:52.3 while Twist Little Girl N was third best.

PREMIER DESIREY REPLAY

The winner is an 8-year-old daughter of Real Desire and is owned by Harold Herrera and trained by Bob Johnson along with assistant Jose Herrera. It was her seventh win of the season and 14th career tally.

Glittering Hope (Williams Hernandez, $14.40) posted an impressive gate-to-wire score in the $9,000 sophomore Open pace in 1:54 for her sixth win of the season.

Hernandez sent the daughter of Bettor’s Wish right to the front from post two and they held court throughout the mile and held gamely against a late challenge from heavy favorite The Blood Bay Colt (Dean Magee) to win by a neck. The Minnesota Kid (Luke Plano) rounded out the trifecta.

The winner is owned by Friendship Stables and is trained by Maria Alvarez.

Drivers Mooney Svendsen, Williams Hernandez and Brady Jenson and trainers Kathie Plested, Maria Alvarez and Bob Lems all had doubles on the program.

Live Racing action returns to Running Aces on Sunday night (August 31) for Pepsi Family Night with a special visit from Keith Gisser and the Herps Alive Foundation with their live and interactive reptile display. Post time on Sunday is 6 p.m. (CDT).

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

by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces