by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces

Columbus, MN — Driver Dean Magee had a big night at Running Aces on Tuesday (July 31) by posting seven winners.

He got the winning started immediately in race one on the program, guiding 7-year-old gelding pacer Barbosa ($11.20) to a new lifetime mark in 1:52.3 for trainer Gerald Longo. Magee was back in the winner’s circle in race three with 2-year-old trotting gelding MD Magic ($15.00), picking up his second lifetime win in three starts for trainer Nick Roland in a new mark of 2:03.1.

Magee was again right back in the winner’s circle after race four, steering 2-year-old pacer Do Da Stanky Leg ($4.40) to his first lifetime win in 2:01 for trainer Gordon Graham in the Minnesota-Sired “B” division. Then Dean wasted no time returning for another win picture, as he steered 5-year-old pacing mare Wizzel Stix ($7.80) to a new lifetime mark in 1:53.4 for trainer Rick Bertrand.

Dee Leftwich photo

Dean Magee won seven races Tuesday night at Running Aces, including a 1:54.1 track record for 2-year-old filly pacers with Windmeupnwatchmego.

Next he completed the natural hat trick in a big way in race six, by guiding another 2-year-old pacer to victory in the Minnesota-Sired events. He teamed up with filly Windmeupnwatchmego, a daughter of Wind Me Up, to win the $10,200 “A” division. They shattered the track record for 2-year-old filly pacers by gunning down odds-on favorite Burning Blaze in the lane to post a 1:54.1 mile and lower the record by 1-2/5 seconds while closing eight lengths with an impressive final quarter of :28.1. Windmeupnwatchmego ($9.00) is owned by Richard Davelaar and trained by Gordon Graham. Also of significant note, the top five places in the eight-horse field all went to the progeny of sire Wind Me Up.

After a good third-place performance in the featured Winner’s Over Pace with Kiss On The Lips, Dean drove Mighty Fine Hi Ho ($8.00) to victory in race eight on the program to complete the six-pack of wins after steering the 12-year-old pacer to two wins in a row for trainer Edwin Quevedo.

Two races later, in the $6,800 nightcap conditioned pace, Dean topped the night off with yet another win, for his seventh score on the program, when he piloted Place At The Beach to her fifth win in her last six starts, and her 40th lifetime score. The razor sharp 8-year-old Minnesota-Sired mare by Place To Be is owned by Peg Hoffman and trained by Gerald Longo. Amazingly, Place At The Beach ($5.80) was only the second race favorite out of the seven wins on the program for Dean Magee.

The big night catapulted Magee from fifth in the driver standings all the way to second. Dean is no stranger to success; in a prolific driving career that has spanned four decades, the 54-year-old Wisconsin native has made 4,660 trips to the winner’s circle and posted 14,431 top-three finishes in 41,444 calls to the post. He has piloted the winners of more than $29 million, and steered such memorable horses as Yankee Cruiser, guiding him to a victory in the 2003 North America Cup for the Pinske Stable of Minnesota.

Also featured on the Tuesday evening program was the aforementioned $11,000 Winner’s Over Pace, with Whatitdo Babyboo ($8.20) not only repeating to top the Open mares, but also besting the boys this week as well and establishing a new lifetime mark (1:53.1) in her second straight win for Van Oterloo Stables and trainer Gordon Graham, who had three wins on the night. Whatitdo Babyboo was driven to victory by Rick Magee.

Live racing continues at Running Aces on Saturday (Aug. 4) with first post at 6 p.m. (CDT) and a carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Pick-5 wager of $7,631.84.