by Mary Lou Coady, publicity director, Prairie Meadows

Altoona, IA —Tuesday (October 25) was harness driver Randy Finn’s day to bask in the winner’s circle at Prairie Meadows under the afternoon matinee’s sunny skies.

Finn held the reins on Holly Hill Buzz (2:00.4), who was parked out for the first half of race three and then found another gear while getting away from the field by three parts of a length in his maiden win for trainer Shawn Nessa and owner Thomas Johnston of Eagle Grove, Iowa. G.M. Williams in Illinois foaled the two-year-old son of Bold Hope. Tattler’s DJ and Betabuddy Go N Spi lit the results board, finishing second and third, respectively. Holly Hill Freckle, the other half of the paired entry with Holly Hill Buzz, ran fifth.

Deflecting the late rush of pacers in race seven, Icyunvme (1:57) and Finn wheeled to the horse’s fifth win this year. Icyunvme is a five-year-old son of Perfect Art, owned by David Decker of Thomson, Georgia. The thrilling second place finish went to Dags, owned by Duane and Patricia Roland of Grinnell, who out footed Royal Roland’s Sixty Six Hundred.

Finn, who currently ranks fifth in the standings, scored the triple with the Iowa-registered Preston’s Best, a four-year-old son of Preston, owned by Janice Molgaard of Alta, Iowa. Finn guided the pacer to a new lifetime mark of 1:59.3, which returned $6.00, $3.00 and $2.40 on the $2 win, place, and show wagers. Morris Brown’s Gold Braid held off Fox River Sunset for third.

E Max took the early lead in Tuesday’s featured trot and recorded a new mark while holding on by a length in 2:00.2. The three-year-old bay gelding, trained and driven by Mark Mayes of Leslie, Michigan, recorded his third win from the sixth post position and added the winner’s share of the $2,200 purse to his previous bankroll of $12,334. Mayes is in second place in the trainer standings with 14 wins and is in third place on the driver roster with 10 wins. Craig and Shari Banks’s Vinni The Weasle, the four-year-old gelding, rallied from fifth to second place by a length in front of the Tuff As Millie mare, By The Knows, owned by Keith and Katherine Carey.

Fox Valley Trisara also scored from the outside post in the gate-to-wire running style in race two. Brandon Simpson (20 wins) drove the two-year-old daughter of Incredible Finale, conditioned by leading trainer Curtis Carey (17 wins) for Fox Valley Standardbreds of Sherman, Illinois. The maiden winner led by nearly four lengths in 1:59.4 in front of Mark Mintun’s Charming Cambrat, who was followed in third place by Olivia’s Second and driver Owen Julius.

Going for his third straight trip to the winner’s circle on the one and a half length margin was Ascot Brandy and Brandon Simpson, scoring a driving double, after those two stormed to the victory in 1:55.4. The eight-year-old son of Henry Letsgo, out of the Nihilator mare Ascot Almahurst, has earned more than $272,000 lifetime. Willawa rushed up to second place, just shy of her third straight win. Running third was Photo Dream, part of the entry owned by Banks Standardbreds.

Unbeatable Jimmie held fast to a narrowing margin while a wall of four pacers consisting of Indian Legacy, Ima Special Quest, Patriotic Sport, and Percee Angus threatened, but could not prevent the bay gelding from earning his sixth victory, all occurring this year for owner and trainer Gene Williams of Springfield, Illinois. David Gibbs drove the winning four-year-old son of Drawing Board in 1:57.1.

Recording a double, Gibbs is the winning owner and driver of Sugar Bear (2:00), a black colt that won his second straight pacing victory in Tuesday’s 11th race nitecap. Gene Williams (.434 UTR) conditions the three-year-old betting favorite, a son of Drawing Board. Capes Starr and the meet’s second leading driver Nick Roland (12 wins) was in second place following the duel at the half-mile marker with GA’s Crusader Jay and reinsman Brandon Simpson.

Laagermeister, the two-year-old son of Jet Laag owned by Tessa and Lesa Roland of Grinnell, Iowa, lowered his pacing mark to 2:00. It was the first year campaigner’s third finish on the board following four times in the starting gate. Nick Roland is the winning trainer and driver. Charles Jones’ Star Glow, second, held off the late rush of David Decker’s Jed Laag.

Following suit in a new trotting mark, Whata Bravado, a two-year-old filly owned by Banks Standardbreds, lowered her time to 2:04. Craig Banks drove the winner for trainer Mitchell Banks. The Flacco Family Farms charge Brilliant Surprise and David Hauser’s CCC’s Dream completed the top three order of finish.

Royal Roland was the driver behind the eighth race winner Zac Letsgo (1:55.3), a six-year-old pacer owned by Regina Hamilton of Custer Park, Illinois. Kim Hamilton (.329 UTR) trains the son of No Nukes, who previously went postward 19 times this year and recorded a dozen finishes in second or third place. Kristy Boucher’s Pritneer dropped back to fourth and then set sail on the second place rally by one and a half lengths. Gerald Longo’s Never You Mind, the pacesetter to the three-quarter marker, backed up to third.

Racing continues at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday (October 27), which marks the countdown to the remaining three days of the season, October 27-29. Eight big trotting and pacing championship stakes worth $48,000, plus added money, highlight Saturday’s card on October 29.