Humboldt, IA — Iowa-Registered 2 and 3-year-olds invaded the “Humboldt Half” on Saturday (Sept. 7) and Sunday (Sept. 8) at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds in Humboldt, Iowa. With the 2019 Iowa-Registered finals two weeks away, competitors looks to accumulate points to make their way into the big finale.

Two-year-olds took center stage on Saturday. A pair of wire-to-wire drives clenched victories in both divisions of 2-year-old pacing fillies. Jennie Ann, with driver/trainer/owner, Rob Anderson in the bike, took a new lifetime mark. Pacing in 2:02.2, Jennie Ann scored her seventh win this season. The second division went to It’s Pacific Time. As Chad Svendson drove the It’s That Time filly across the wire in 2:02.4. She picked up her second win in a row and has also won seven races this season.

Passion In Paris (Adam Hauser) won the first division of 2-year-old trotting fillies. Getting the pocket trip behind Lucky Playmate (Chad Svendson), Hauser patiently waited until the stretch to ask his filly to trot, gaining her first lifetime win, by a head in 2:10.4. The 2-year-old trotting filly, Battle Queen took charge of her division. Driver Gary Liles took advantage of an untimely break by SV Tellmeimyours (Adam Hauser) to take over just past the quarter. The Yadi filly trotted home in 2:08.3, making this her sixth win in a row and 10 wins for driver/trainer/owner Liles.

Two seven-horse fields made up both divisions of 2-year-old pacing colts/geldings. In the first division, Duane Roland sat behind Always Hot Speed (Chad Svendson) and Alright Frankie (Will Roland) with his colt, It’s A Marcs World. When Waco Sassy Kid (Brett Erickson) pulled to challenge the leaders, horses were stretched three-wide across the track at the top of the lane, giving It’s A Marcs World an opening at the rail. Winning in 2:03.2, the Marced Card colt set a new lifetime mark. The second division belonged to Slippin The Clutch. The Millionaire Cam colt showed that he can come off the pace for the win. Getting away fifth, driver Will Roland waited with Slippin The Clutch until the three-quarter pole to overtake the field. Winning easily in 2:02.4, his fourth win in a row, Slippin The Clutch now has eight wins this season and remains on top of the leaderboard.

New lifetime marks highlighted the 2-year-old trotting colts/geldings divisions. Sitting fourth behind Prince Banker (Mark Mintun), Muscles-N-Tuff waited for his chance. When Mintun pulled at the three-quarter pole, driver Adam Hauser kept Muscles-N-Tuff in his back, ready to make the three wide move at the top of the stretch. Coming home with a driving double, Hauser crossed the wire in 2:08.1, a new lifetime mark for the Dredd gelding. Driver/trainer/owner Thomas Shipley wasted no time in taking the lead and the win in the second division with McRocket Man. As a Facebook Live favorite, Shipley cut the fractions with McRocket Man, capturing the win in 2:06.2, lowering the Macduffie gelding’s lifetime mark by nine seconds.

Two more 2-year-old pacers took their first lifetime wins in the non-winners divisions. Fox River Maple (Jason Ludwig) won in 2:10 and Swift Richess (Duane Roland) paced her mile in 2:12.2

As 3-year-old Iowa-Registered horses took over the half on Sunday, driver Rob Anderson looked to repeat winning the first race of the day. CR Blaze easily won the first division of 3-year-old trotting fillies. Anderson cut the fractions with the Amigo Ranger filly, crossing the wire in 2:04.

In the second division, Bankn-On-Emily was not to be outdone. With her wire-to-wire win, the Thomas Shipley trained Macduffie filly trotted to a new lifetime mark of 2:01.4 for driver Royal Roland. Both stay on top of the leaderboard for 3-year-old trotting fillies.

Three-year-old pacing fillies also had two divisions. Always B Hanny, driven by Mark Mintun, made her trip to the winner’s circle, crossing the wire in 2:01.3, for her second win of the season. Heavy Handed Hanna continued her winning streak as she paced in 2:02.1, her third win in a row for driver Will Roland.

In the first division of 3-year-old trotting colts/geldings, Cracker Box wasted no time, with a gate-to-wire win. Driver Gary Liles and his Honeydont Hanover gelding trotted to the win in 2:04.1, a new lifetime mark. Driver Will Roland captured his second win on the card with Red Neck Sioux, in the second division. As the gate folded, the Amigo Ranger gelding trotted to the top but Roland smartly allowed Ricky Be Sharp (Lorenza Gooch) to take the front. Sitting in the pocket, Roland pulled before the stretch, crossing the wire, in 2:05.4. This was the horse’s first lifetime win.

Dance Traveler finished second in the first division of 3-year-old pacing colts/geldings but benefitted from an objection and was placed first for driver Mark Mintun. Will Roland picked up a driving triple in the second division with Frisky Pedro. Taking over the lead from Fred And Roz (Mark Mintun), the Millionaire Cam colt, trained by Curtis Carey, picked up the win in 2:02.4. It was his third win of the season.

To end the card, Black River Spirit took a new lifetime mark for driver/trainer/owner Frank Chitwood. The Matty McGee gelding won the 3-year-old non-winners pace in 2:03.1 by an impressive 11 lengths.

The “chase for a place” in the championship continues next weekend at Humboldt. Two and 3-year-olds will compete on Saturday (Sept. 14) and Sunday (Sept. 15), post time both days will be 12:30 p.m. (CDT).