Columbus, MN – The featured event on the Tuesday night (June 10) harness racing card at Running Aces was the $14,750 Open Handicap pace, which went to post with a six pack of accomplished contenders.
The public honed in on Mac’s Marvel (Luke Plano) as their top choice at just over even money from post one while War Machine, who was a last out winner in the Open was sent off as the 9-5 second choice from post six.
War Machine was sent hard from the gate by driver Dean Magee and won the early battle for the lead, relegating fellow leaver Don’t Judge A Book (Billy Mann) to the pocket while Alilthundadownunda (Nick Roland) secured the third spot early through the :27.1 opening stanza.
Plano tipped out from fourth just after the (:56) half mile clocking and quickly drew alongside the leader as they paced down the backside, with both Bettors Donttell and Sign Of The Times both trying the outer flow.
War Machine posted a third panel in :27.4 to maintain control but was under heavy pressure from Mac’s Marvel as they rounded for the stretch.
Through the lane, Mac’s Marvel gained the lead and charged strongly to the finish to win by 1-1/2 lengths while Alilthundadownunda closed ground late and picked up second over War Machine in the 1:52.2 mile.
The winner is a 6-year-old son of Captaintreacherous and is owned by Friendship Stables and trained by Maria Alvarez for the Williams Hernandez stable.
Mac’s Marvel now shows five wins this season and 24 career wins with earnings of $307,569.
Plano led the night with three driving wins as well as a training double while Rick Magee and Brady Jenson each had driving doubles, and Jenson and Maria Alvarez also had training doubles.
Live racing returns to Running Aces on Thursday night (June 12) with an 11-race program that will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT) and will feature a pair of carryovers: $3,873.92 in the 50-cent Hi-5 in Race four, which also has an estimated pool of $15,000 and $5,035.01 in the 20-cent Pick-5, which will start in race seven. The late Pick-4, which starts in race eight is guaranteed at $3,000.