by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces Casino & Racetrack

Columbus, MN — The featured event on the Tuesday night (Aug. 1) card at Running Aces was the $10,000 Open Handicap Trot, and it was the 3-year-old colt by Jailhouse Jesse who stole the show, getting up in the final stride to win by a head in 1:56.3.

Ideal Jesse ($3.60) is no stranger to success at Running Aces, as the talented youngster set a track record of 1:56.1 for 3-year-old colt trotters back in June.

In Tuesday’s contest, owner/trainer/driver James Yoder guided the colt away from the gate into the pocket position from post five in the field of six, and waited patiently for some room in the open stretch to get up at the wire to defeat the front runner Natural Forces (Dean Magee).

Ideal Jesse is also owned by Jesse Yoder, and he now sports seven lifetime wins in 24 starts, and has bankrolled $51,680.

The $8,000 2-year-old Open Pace went to heavy favorite Giggle Monster ($3.20) with Dean Magee in the sulky for trainer Denise Maier and owners Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte.

Giggle Monster was wide in the early stages from post eight while working to the lead. He cleared just past the quarter pole and was never in doubt from there, posting a 1-1/2 length win in 1:58. The very sharp gelding by Wind Me Up has now won four of five lifetime races and $20,900.

The $13,000 Minnesota-Sired 2-year-old trot went to The Sweetest Thing (Dean Magee), a filly by Money Talks who picked up her first career victory after the original winner Bragginade (Luke Plano) was disqualified for failure to maintain the proper gait. The Sweetest Thing ($47.40) is owned and trained by Alexia Kehl and she trotted the mile in 2:03.1.

Two drivers dominated the proceedings on Tuesday night, with Dean Magee capturing four of the first five races to post a grand slam, and Steve Wiseman sweeping the last four races on the card to post his third grand slam in the last two weeks of racing.

Live racing returns to Running Aces on Saturday (Aug. 5) with a first post of 6 p.m. (CDT) and a carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Pick-5 wager of $24,013.49.