Columbus, MN — The Thursday night (Aug. 4) program at Running Aces was loaded with Minnesota-sired freshman and sophomore pacing events and the evening saw several standout performances.

Ex Why Zee posted a career-best score in the $18,250 sophomore male pace in 1:53. Kathleen Riley photo.

One of the most impressive efforts was turned in by Ex Why Zee (Wind Me Up) who posted a career-best score in the $18,250 sophomore male pace in 1:53, shaving more than five seconds off his previous lifetime mark. This event was one of three on an early non-betting card.

Driver Brady Jenson floated away in fourth with Ex Why Zee and sat patiently while Polar Storm (Todd Warren) and I’m A Skoldier (Mooney Svendsen) traded leads through the fast early fractions of :26.4 and :55.2. Dougsmonkeybusines (Jacob Cutting) was first to attack the leaders and he took the lead as they straightened for home but Jenson had Ex Why Zee in a perfect spot and they had plenty of late pace to surge past Dougsmonkeybusines and post a 1-1/4 length tally.

The winner is out of the Voracious Hanover mare Ellamennopee and is owned by his breeder Merlin Van Otterloo and is trained by Brett Ballinger.

Apple Juice (Cutting, $5.60) was an impressive gate-to-wire winner in the $16,000 freshman filly ‘A’ pace in a career best 1:54.3 for her fourth career win in seven starts. The impressive daughter of Fancy Schmansy was never in doubt and powered away late from pocket-sitter Moonlit Night (Luke Plano) who held second over heavy favorite Deja Vu Babyboo (Nick Roland). The winner is owned and trained by her breeder Scott Banitt.

El Parrandero Q (Wind Me Up) dominated the $16,000 freshman male ‘A’ pace by leading at every call and drawing away from his rivals in the final stages to post a five length victory while lowering his career mark to 1:56.3 in the process. Longshot Search And Destroy (Jenson) was second and favorite Tee You Vee (Warren) checked in third. Cutting was the winning pilot for owners Triple Q Stables and trainer Edwin Quevedo. The $2 win mutuel was $10.80.

Disaronno Hill (Plano, $10.60) captured the $18,500 Mares Open Handicap Pace with a front-running score in 1:53.1 to register her fourth win of the year. She held gamely by a head over pocket-sitter JK My Girl while Crazy Cute was a fast-closing third. The winner is a 5-year-old daughter of Racing Hill and is owned by Terrence Smith and trained by Williams Hernandez. She now has 18 career wins and earnings of $262,003.

Drivers Jacob Cutting and Luke Plano each recorded triples on the Thursday program while both Nick Roland and Todd Warren posted doubles. Roland also had two training wins along with Bob Lems.

Live racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday night (Aug, 6) with a nine-race program which gets underway at 7 p.m. (CDT).