from Running Aces Harness Park

Columbus, MN — For the third time this season, severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings caused a long delay during the live racing program at Running Aces on Sunday night (August 8). Only this time, there wasn’t one delay — but two. Still the third-year track managed to break its all-time handle record for the second time in a week!

The near-capacity crowds that have consistently packed the compact Running Aces clubhouse and grandstand as well as the large trackside apron are gradually transferring their excitement for harness racing to the betting windows and the future looks bright for the sport in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Warm muggy 90 degree weather turned to a violent thunderstorm with accompanying tornado warning sirens blaring following the third race on the program. After the storm blew over, track superintendent John Betts and his outstanding crew scraped and reconditioned the track and 72 minutes later Carol Jean won a conditioned trot in 2:00.1 over the five-eighths-mile oval.

Just as the horses were leaving the paddock for the fifth race, another violent storm cell and word of a tornado touchdown just a couple miles away presented themselves. After 44 minutes a $3,500 claiming mare by the name of Little Kiera scorched the track in a 1:56.2 triumph after its second reconditioning.

Running Aces Harness Park (and its 50-table cardroom casino) is pleased to be hosting Mike Tanner, the USTA’s executive vice president, this coming Saturday night as he makes his first visit to harness racing’s newest commercial venue as part of the national “Back to the Track” promotion.

Autograph sessions, double-seated jog cart rides and a variety of giveaway drawings will be part of the special night’s festivities before what is expected to be another huge throng of newly-created fans. While it may be hard to believe, the apron at Running Aces virtually every Saturday night is like a mini-Hambletonian festival or a small slice of Little Brown Jug atmosphere.

On the track, nine different drivers and nine different trainers each won one of the nine races — a rarity at most established tracks but not at Running Aces, where the competition is keen and the resultant pari-mutuel payoffs (especially the gimmicks) are much larger on average.

The $7,000 Open Trot was won by Chip Of Nordic, a 7-year-old gelding owned and trained by Cheryl Whitsell. Driver Tim Maier sat near the back of the field early, then worked out a second-over trip to nail Mac’s Bad Boy (Tom Tetrick) by a length in 2:00.1. Last week’s winner DW’s Perky Joe (Jon Anderson) finished third.

Other winning drivers were Adam Hauser, Gerald Longo, Rick Magee, Jon Anderson, Dan Maier, Evan Coblentz, Dean Magee and J.D. Perrin. Other conditioners who reached the winner’s circle during the marathon racing session were Kim Johnson, Longo, Chris Banks, Anderson, Maier, Coblentz, Dan Epp and Justin Anfinson.