Columbus, MN — The special Wednesday night (July 3) holiday racing program at Running Aces featured Minnesota-sired sophomore action offering a total purse of $42,500.

El Parrandero Q checked in a clear two length winner in 1:55.1. Nicole Tate photo.

El Parrandero Q (Wind Me Up) successfully advanced to three in a row with an impressive and assertive effort in the $17,000 sophomore boys ‘A’ division. Guided by Jacob Cutting, the pair left sharply from post four to grab the early lead, then yielded to let Flushing Art (Brady Jenson) take a brief stint on the front before reclaiming the top down the backstretch.

Once back on top El Parrandero Q ($3.20) paced strong and there were no anxious moments. He checked in a clear two length winner in 1:55.1 for his eighth career tally from 16 starts for owner Triple Q Stables and trainer Edwin Quevedo. Fabiola Quevedo is the winning breeder. Celebrity Status (Nick Roland) was a clear second best and Flickadawrist (Jeff Hunt) was home in third.

Apple Juice (Fancy Schmansy) also had the services of Cutting and posted a career best mile to capture the $17,000 fillies ‘A’ split in 1:53.4 over Déjà Vu Babyboo (Roland) and TJB Secreharriet (Mooney Svendsen).

Cutting wasted no time in getting the star filly to the front and they controlled every aspect of the affair while TJB Secreharriet sat the pocket and Déjà vu Babyboo tracked from third early before moving into second down the backside.

Apple Juice ($2.60) now shows 11 career wins from 20 career starts and has earned $137,103 for owner/trainer/breeder Scott Banitt.

Another Tuff Woman (Wind Me Up) dominated the $8,500 sophomore ‘B’ pace to register her fifth win of the year in 1:56.3 with Roland in the bike for owners Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte and trainer Jose Castillo. She returned $2.20 as the heavy favorite and was five lengths better than Winning It Up (Svendsen) who was well clear of Say So’s Wind Up (James Kennedy) in third.

Two Pistol Annie (Lazarus N) and driver Kennedy held on gamely to score a gate-to-wire tally as the heavy favorite ($2.20) in the $15,500 Mares Open Handicap Pace, getting home a neck in front of Crazy Cute (Svendsen) with JK My Girl (Brad Irvine) a close third in 1:54.1. The winner is owned by Dave Dobbelmann and trained by Edwin Quevedo.

Jenson led the program with four driving wins and four training wins while Kennedy registered a driving triple and Cutting a double. Trainers Williams Hernandez and Edwin Quevedo also posted doubles on Wednesday night.

Live racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday (July 7) with a 12-race program that will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT).