COLUMBUS,MN– The Saturday night opener was the $11,000 Open Handicap Trot, and Flameon was looking for his 6TH straight win, and was sent off as the overwhelming 1-5 choice.
The ultra-sharp 6 year old gelding left sharply from the outside post 5, and never looked back, strolling through fractions of 28.3, 58.4, and 128.3 before widening his lead in the stretch with a 29.2 final panel, posting a 1:58 final time over the sloppy track.
He paid $2.40 on the win ticket. He is owned and trained by Mark Anderson, of California, and driven by Dean Magee.
Cruzin Coco ( by Voracious Hanover ) scored her second straight Aces win, taking the $7,000 3 year old Minnesota-Sired Filly Pace in race 2, posting a 2-length score in 1:58.2 with Rick Magee aboard, paying $4.20
Bunkerhill Bill ( G.Longo ) captured his 2ND straight local win in the $9,000 upper-level conditioned pace in 1:54.4 in race 3 for Owner/Trainer Gene Miller of Michigan, paying $6.00 to his backers.
Swagasaurus Rex ( by Voracious Hanover ) was very sharp in capturing the $7,000 3 year old Minnesota-Sired colt pace in race 4, sitting the pocket early, driver Rick Magee waited until just past the ¾ pole to make his move, and Swagasaurus Rex responded gamely, pacing away from his rivals to score by 3 lengths in 1:57.4, paying $5.80 for the win, and completing a double on the card for Rick Magee.
Defending Champion driver Nick Roland swept the final 4 races on the Saturday card, starting in race 7 with Gotta Dream Big ( $17.80 ) for Trainer Sean Lancaster and owner Al Bird, of British Columbia posting a lifetime mark of 1:54.3 despite a sloppy track, then in race 8 he steered Holla at Ur Boy ( $14.80 ) to victory for Lloyd & Judith Schneiderman of South Dakota in 1:58.0.
He completed the hat-trick with his own charge trotter Lo Rail Crossing in race 9 ( $8.40 ) for owner Lorenza Gooch of Texas, in 1:59.4, and topped off the Four-Bagger with another from his own barn in race 10, Headsup Yankee in 1:55.3 ( $3.20 ) for the Set the Pace LLC group of Minnesota.
The next card of live Harness Racing at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack will go to post on Sunday night, May 29 at 6:00 pm CDT, with a carryover in the .50 cent Jackpot Pick-6 wager of $1,121.93.
By Darin Gagne, for Running Aces