by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces Casino & Racetrack

Columbus, MN — On the Sunday (June 11) card at Running Aces, Easy Again posted an easy win to score his first victory of the season in a very nice $7,700 conditioned pacing event.

Dee Leftwich photo

Easy Again was an easy winner in 1:52 in the Sunday feature.

Driver Rick Magee had every confidence in his charge and did not hesitate to send Easy Again ($3.80) quickly off the gate from post eight in the nine-horse contest. They easily cleared to the lead at the quarter pole in :28.1 and controlled things from there through very sensible fractions of :57 and 1:24.4 before blasting off and drawing away from his rivals with a :27.1 final quarter to register a 4-1/4 length score in 1:52.

Easy Again is an 8-year-old ridgling by Dragon Again, who now sports a resume of 35 lifetime wins and $915,113. He is owned by Dr. Ken and Jana Lee Rucker and Dr. Ken Rucker does the training.

Moon Is On Fire ($23.00) was very sharp in victory in the $6,000 second leg of the Minnehaha Fillies and Mares Claiming Pacing Series, settling into the three-hole early, Trainer/driver Luke Plano smartly picked up second-over cover past the half and continued to advance, getting up by a neck at the wire to win in 1:54.4 over race-favorite Cheryls Surprise (Steve Wiseman). Moon Is On Fire is owned by Dave Haness.

The series final will be held on Sunday (June 18).

In other series action, E L Peacemaker ($5.80) made it three in a row in capturing the $7,000 first division of the second leg of the Norrine C pacing series for fillies and mares, doing so in gate-to-wire fashion in 1:55.1, a lifetime best mile with Steve Wiseman in the sulky for trainer Brett Ballinger and owner Russell Crotchett.

The other $7,000 split of the Norrine C went to Pennysfromheaven ($6.20), a 3-year-old filly by Rock N Roll Heaven who dominated with a sweeping move to pull away from her rivals in the stretch and register a 1:55.1 tally with an eye opening final quarter of :26.4 with Nick Roland in the bike for trainer Justin Anfinson and owner Tom Tetrick.

The Norrine C Series final will also be held on June 18.

Nick Roland led all drivers on Sunday with four winners on the 12-race card. Steve Wiseman and Tim Maier each had driving doubles on the night.

The next card at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack will go to post on Tuesday night (June 13) at 7 p.m. (CDT), with a carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Pick-5 wager of $10,774.91.