On the Sunday harness racing card at Running Aces, Easy Again posted an easy win to score his first victory of the season, in a very nice $7,700 conditioned pacing event. Driver Rick Magee had every confidence in his charge and did not hesitate to send Easy Again ($3.80) quickly off the gate from post 8 in the 9 horse contest, they easily cleared to the lead at the quarter pole in 28.1 and controlled things from there through very sensible fractions of 57.0 and 1:24.4 before blasting off and drawing away from his rivals with a 27.1 final quarter to register a 4 ¼ length score in 1:52. Easy Again is an 8 year old ridgling by Dragon Again, who now sports a resume of 35 lifetime wins and $915,113, he is owned by Dr. Ken and Jana Lee Rucker and Dr. Ken Rucker does the training.
Moon Is On Fire ($23.00) was very sharp in victory in the $6,000 second leg of the Minnehaha Fillies and Mares Claiming Pacing series, settling into the 3-hole early, Trainer/Driver Luke Plano smartly picked up second-over cover past the half and continued to advance, getting up by a neck at the wire to win in 1:54.4 over race-favorite Cheryls Surprise (Steve Wiseman). Moon is on Fire is owned by Dave haness. The series final will be held on Sunday, June 18.
In other Series action, E L Peacemaker ($5.80) made it three in a row in capturing the $7,000 first division of thesecond leg of the Norrine C pacing series for fillies and mares, doing so in gate-to-wire fashion in 1:55.1, a lifetime best mile with Steve Wiseman in the sulky for trainer Brett Ballinger and owner Russell Crotchett.
In tonight’s other $7,000 split of The Norrine C , it was dominated by PennysFromHeaven ($6.20) a 3 year old filly by Rock N Roll Heaven who dominated with a sweeping move to pull away from her rivals in the stretch and register a 1:55.1 tally with an eye opening final quarter of 26.4 with Nick Roland in the bike for trainer Justin Anfinson and owner Tom Tetrick. The Norrine C series final will also be held on Sunday, June 18.
Nick Roland led all drivers on Sunday with a Grand Slam of 4 winners on the 12 race card, and Steve Wiseman and Tim Maier each had driving doubles on the night.
The next card of live Harness Racing at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack will go to post on Tuesday night, June 13 at 7:00 pm CDT, with a carryover in the .20 cent Jackpot Pick-5 wager of $10,774.91.
By Darin Gagne, Running Aces Track Announcer