$780,000 Night of Champions closes Aces meet

Columbus, MN – SB Bodacious (Voracious Hanover) posted the fastest mile of the night (1:51.4) with a dominating 5-1/4 length score in the $65,000 Minnesota-sired older male harness racing pace on the Saturday (September 16) Night of Champions program at Running Aces. The closing night card featured $780,000 in purses with 12 races, each with a purse of $65,000.

Owner/trainer/driver Rick Magee was content to settle away in third early while Bunkerhill Phill (Kevin Wallis) and Handsome Harvey (Luke Plano) traded turns on the front while posting a :27.1 opening quarter. Magee activated SB Bodacious just after the :56 half mile and they quickly swept up to the leader and pushed past for the front near the 1:23.3 three-quarter mile checkpoint.

As they turned in for home, SB Bodacious took off for the wire and left his rivals reeling. Alilthundadownunda (Nick Roland) lacked racing room until the stretch and shook free late to rally and capture second money after a photo with Bunkerhill Phil, but neither had a chance to catch SB Bodacious who had built up an insurmountable lead. 107-1 longshot SB Prince Archie (Gerald Longo) picked up the pieces in fourth.
The winning margin was 5-1/4 lengths and the mile time of 1:51.4 was the fastest of the night.

It was career win number 24 for 7-year-old SB Bodacious ($15.20) who also eclipsed the $300,000 mark ($313,693) in career earnings with the victory. Mikaela Del Giudice is the assistant trainer for SB Bodacious and the winning breeder is Fredrick Hoffsaes.

SB BODACIOUS REPLAY

Iron Sharpens Iron (Banker Volo) delivered another knockout punch in the $65,000 sophomore male trot Championship, going gate-to-wire for driver Luke Plano and opening up at every call before checking in 14-1/4 lengths ahead of his rivals in 1:55.4.

Wisco Wild Card (Jacob Cutting) was the best of the rest throughout and collected the place spot over Whata Tettegouche (Roland) and Ice Splitter (Warren).

Iron Sharpens Iron ($2.40) now shows 19 wins in 24 career starts for owners Jeralene Roland, Devon Arp and the late Alfredo Villarereal and trainer Dan Roland. Justin Van Otterloo is the assistant for DanJer Farms.

IRON SHARPENS IRON REPLAY

DP Freedoms Chrome (For You Almostfree) lowered his own track record to 1:58.1 and remained undefeated in 10 career starts with a 4-3/4 length triumph in the $65,000 freshman male trot championship.

Banker’s Quest (Mooney Svendsen) set the early tempo while driver James Gould sat the pocket with the big favorite DP Freedoms Chrome. They went for the lead as they headed down the backstretch and never looked back from there, opening up around the far turn while Insurrectionist moved into the second spot and finished well clear of Banker’s Quest while Magical Zamboni (Roland) arrived home in fourth.

DP Freedoms Chrome ($2.10) was bred by David Borntrager and is owned by Aimes Racing and is trained by Elvin Zimmerman. He now shows career earnings of $78,500.

DP FREEDOMS CHROME REPLAY

Bringoverthemoney (Mooney Svendsen, $2.20) delivered a big performance as the big favorite in the $65,000 Championship for older male trotters, delivering a devastating 15-1/2 length blow to his rivals in 1:54.3 to capture his fourth straight Night Of Champions victory. He was never in doubt throughout the mile. 72-1 longshot Poko Loki rallied late to nose out SD Eliminator for second money.

The sharp son of Money Talks is owned by Joshua Horvat and trained by his breeder Katie Horvat. He now shows 36 career wins and has earned $363,525 to date.

Apple Juice (Cutting, $4.00) posted a gate-to-wire victory by 1-1/4 lengths over big rival Déjà Vu Babyboo (Dean Magee) while Moonlit Night was third best in the 1:54.3 mile.

Scott Banitt is the winning owner/trainer and breeder. Apple Juice (Fancy Schmancy) now shows eight career wins and earnings of $103,117.

Gotubydashorthairs (Roland, $2.20) posted her usual late sweeping rally to capture the $65,000 sophomore filly pace by one length in 1:56.4 for her ninth career win. Fillister Photo (Chad Svendsen) was promoted to second and Quite The Flirt (Dean Magee) was promoted to third after Made Of Misschief was disqualified from second for striking the wheel of Wavzeka near the top of the stretch.

The winner is a very impressive daughter of Wind me Up, owned by her breeder Mark Anderson and trained by Gordon Graham. She now sports seasonal and career earnings of $126,087.

Dougsmonkeybusiness (Cutting, $14.80) posted a very impressive gate-to-wire effort in the $65,000 sophomore male pace Championship in 1:55 for his seventh career tally. He was never in question in the effort while race favorite I’m A Skoldier (Mooney Svendsen) was second best off a pocket-trip and EX Why Zee (Brady Jenson) was third best after a first-over journey.

The winner is also a son of Wind me Up and is owned by trainer Rick Bertrand as well as Doug Flores who are also the winning breeders. Dougsmonkeybusines now has career earnings of $117,630.

Give Me This Dance (Warren, $2.60) posted her 22nd career win in the $65,000 Championship for older pacing mares, going gate-to-wire from post four over Wish I Had Thyme and Kitty Wampus with a winning margin of 2-1/4 lengths in 1:56.

The winner is also by Wind Me Up and is owned by her breeders Alan & Cheryl Sandbulte and is trained by Justin Anfinson.

Susie’s Sister and Teachmehowtotory put on quite a show in the $65,000 older trotting mares Championship, hitting the wire together in a thrilling finish. The photo-finish camera was thrown into overdrive and could not split the two after the 1:57.4, creating the first dead-heat ever in a Minnesota Night Of Champions contest.

For Susie’s Sister (Wallis, $2.10) it was career win number 33 for owners Lynchris, breeders A piece of The Action and trainer Jenni King. She now shows earnings of $306,346 to date.

For Teachmehowtotory (Roland, $3.40) it was her second-straight and third-overall Championship win, and career win number twenty for owners Set The Pace Racing, breeder Glen Sauder and trainer Nick Roland. She now shows career earnings of $252,585.

Wisco Tootsie (Rick Magee, $2.60) smartly converted a pocket trip into a Championship win in 2:01 for her eighth career score. She rallied past longtime leader Al-Mar Richs Jetta (Brandon Jenson) late in the lane to post a ¾-length winning margin while Stressful held off Flash Of Glory for third.

Wisco Tootsie is a daughter of Southwind Flash who now shows $102,923 in career earnings for owner The Sandstone Social Club and trainer Dan Roland. The winning breeder is Harlan Nolt.

Baby Flash (Chad Svendsen, $3.40) delivered another big performance for her thirteenth career win in 15 starts. The daughter of Southwind Flash took the lead midway through the contest and drew away late to post a 4-3/4 triumph in a career best 2:01.2 in the $65,000 freshman filly trot. Banker’s Grace (Rick Magee) was home second over Spicymoneymaker and Al-Mar Puredelight.

Baby Flash has now earned $92,474 for owners Rick Huffman, Keith Wilson and Brenda Lovetinsky. Huffman is also the winning trainer. The winning breeder is Dennis Bontrager.

Fast Larry (Brady Jenson, $2.20) lived up to his name in the $65,000 freshman male pacing Championship, posting his third straight win in a career-best 1:54.4 mile.

He got rolling just past the quarter mile and was on top before the half and then proceeded to draw away from the filed in the final stages to post an 8-3/4 length victory over 62-1 longshot Celebrity Status (Roland) and 83-1 longshot All Star Wonder (Dean Magee) while El Parrandero Q was home in fourth.

The winners is by Art’s Chip and is owned by his breeder Gary Carlson and is also trained by Jenson.

Live Racing will return to Running Aces in May of 2024.

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

by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces