Columbus, MN – Running Aces closed out their 2026 live racing season with the Minnesota Night of Champions program on Saturday night (Sept. 19) with twelve divisional championships going for $65,000 each.
The sensational freshman pacing filly Slipped Onmybeans (by Captainryanmichael) made it eight in a row with a very sharp gate-to-wire score in 1:55.3 for her tenth career tally from eleven outings. Dean Magee was the winning pilot on the $2.20 winner for owner/trainer/breeder Scott Banitt.
Miss May Bell (by Karpathian Kid) was the fastest winner of the night with her 1:52.3 tally in the older mares pace for her 11th career win for owner/breeder Merlin Van Otterloo.
Nick Roland drove the $7.40 winner for trainer Brett Ballinger.
Spiritofanoutlaw (by western Trademark) delivered as the big favorite in the older male pacing division with a 1:52.4 score and his 32nd career tally for owner/trainer/driver Brady Jenson.
The other freshman championship winners included Bombi (Mooney Svendsen, $37.40) in 1:54.4, JR’S Starburst (Casey Leonard, $2.10) in 2:01.4 and Wishingiwasfishing (Brandon Jenson, $16.40) in 2:02.
The other sophomore winners were Model Good looks (Brady Jenson, $3) in 1:58.2, HM Magical Money (Nick Roland, $10.60) in 1:59 and Hot Cheddar Flirt (Brady Jenson, $2.20) in 1:56.
The other older divisional winners included Baby Flash (Nick Roland, $3.60) in 1:55.2 for her second-straight year as champion in the mares trot, and DP Freedoms Chrome (Dean Magee, $2.60) in the male trot for his third overall career championship win in 1:53.4.
Drivers Nick Roland and Brady Jenson each posted three wins while Dean Magee drove two winners and Jenson also scored four training wins.
Brady Jenson was crowned as both the 2026 leading driver and the 2026 leading trainer, and it was the third consecutive year that he has swept both awards. He became only the fourth driver to surpass 100 wins in a single Aces season with his 104 wins, and his 90 training wins is a new track seasonal record.
Live racing will return to Running Aces in May of 2027 for the Minnesota tracks 20th season of harness racing.