from the Iowa Harness Horse Association

What Cheer, IA — Pacer SB Angelindisguise took control of a field of seven of the top Iowa-Registered 3-year-old colts matching the Keokuk County Fair track record in a 1:56 performance on Sunday (Sept. 2).

The division included included four of the top five colts leading in the 2018 points standings: SB Angelindisguise, Minnie Vinnie, WaWaWaWhat and R Bazingga.

Photo courtesy of Iowa Harness Horse Association

A 1:56 performance earnedSB Angelindisguise a place in the record books at the Keokuk County Fairgrounds.

“I didn’t try to train him because he doesn’t need much work,” said Mark Mintun, owner, trainer and driver of SB Angelindisguise of preparing the horse for this weekend. “He likes to be fresh and that’s how I race him.”

In Iowa the first five post positions are on the gate with post positions six through eight starting in the second tier. The draw tipped to SB Angelindisguise’s favor with post position four in the front row and his greatest competitor, Minnie Vinnie, trapped on the rail in post position six, with a horse in front of him and another to his right.

“I drew the outside and the good colt drew the back tier so it was pretty clear what I needed to do,” said Mintun referring to premier pacer Minnie Vinnie. “That was make the front, maybe get an easy quarter, and wait for him to come – because I knew he was coming. When he did it was quite a horse race for the last half of the mile.”

Mintun and SB Angelindisguise left the gate well traveling three-wide around the first turn until taking the top on the backstretch. Minnie Vinnie and driver Will Roland settled into fourth with all seven horses passing the quarter single file in :29.1.

Minnie Vinnie tipped out the first time past the grandstand passing the half parked in third, with SB Angelindisguise still leading the pack in 1:00. Minnie Vinnie steadily ate up ground until Mintun and Roland were wheel-to-wheel going down the backstretch and passed the quarter together in 1:28.

The two matched each other stride-for-stride until SB Angelindisguise started to inch ahead in the final turn. Driver Mintun was even with Minnie Vinnie’s nose at the top of the homestretch.

“Sometimes when he grabs the bit he wants to do what he wants to do, so you just have to let him be him,” said Mintun. “He’s fine if you do that.”

Minnie Vinnie continued to grind but SB Angelindisguise took the bit and pulled away to win in 1:56.

The bay gelding is owned by Mintun of Perry, Iowa, his sister Stevie Gould of Humboldt, Iowa, and Bigshow Racing Stable in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He trains out of the Humboldt County Fairgrounds.

“He’s a pretty easy horse to be around,” said Mintun. “He doesn’t need much work.”

Mintun had his eye on SB Angelindisguise when he picked up a catch drive on the colt as a 2-year-old.

“The first time I drove him last year I got in a race that went to that half in six or seven and then came a back half in 58 with a last quarter in 27.3 or 27.4,” recalled Mintun. “I think he went from fifth to second in the last quarter and paced it in 27.2 on a county fair track. I knew right then I wanted him.”

Mintun said it took him the whole winter to buy the colt from the Jenson Racing Stable. He was impressed with the groundwork they put into developing him as a 2-year-old.

“I picked him up in the first of March,” said Mintun. “I changed a couple things and he’s really fit in my program well. My program is: not much training, a lot of jogging and I race them tight. That’s the way I do it.”

Mintun plans to finish up the year racing in Iowa then head out to Saratoga to compete in a series there.

SB Angelindisguise is by Sneaky B Skipalong out of the Presidential Ball mare Angel Falls. The Keokuk County Fair track record was last broken in 2017 when another Sneaky B Skipalong progeny, Alright Guy, clocked a 1:56 mile.

Iowa-registered 3-year-olds will hit the track at What Cheer on Sunday (Sept. 9) next weekend then head to Humboldt for the final two weekends of racing. Post time for all race days will be 12:30 p.m.