by Lindsay Sponheim

Humboldt, IA — Last weekend in Humboldt, Iowa, was the final weekend the Iowa registered 2- and 3-year-olds and older Iowa pacers and trotters made the trip around the half-mile track for the 2014 racing season.

Even the rain could not keep the horses from hitting the track on Saturday (Sept. 20). After an hour delay, the 2-year-olds came onto the track to begin the race card.

Dan Roland captured one of his four wins on the weekend with his filly pacer Awesomely Awesome in a career tying time of 2:04.1. The filly is also owned by Roland’s wife Jeralene and Robert Davis.

Roland N Rock, a 2-year-old pacing colt owned by Duane and Connie Roland remained on top of his game this year by seizing lucky win number 13. Roland’s colt has racked up more than $38,000 in purse money this year while taking a mark of 1:52.1 earlier this summer in the Review Stake at the Illinois State Fair while driven by John DeLong.

Hot Patootie, Roland’s 2-year-old pacing filly, also visited the winner’s circle Saturday in 2:03.

Royal Roland picked up a pair of wins on Saturday as well. In the fifth race Roland steered Becky Badger Baby, a 2-year-old trotting filly, to a victory in 2:07. The filly is owned by Dale Hein as well as Roland and his wife Barbara. This victory extended Becky Badger Baby’s win streak to seven, which included a win in late August at Running Aces Harness Park, making her the Minnesota 2-year-old trotting filly champion.

Beauty N Honor brought Roland his second victory of the day in the ninth race. The older pacing mare captured her first victory in 2014 in 2:00.4.

Saturday’s last three races saw three horses capturing their first career wins. Cary Sturtz drove his father Roger Sturtz’s 2-year-old pacing filly Hot Pink Lipgloss to a victory in 2:05. Mike and Gail Conte’s 2-year-old pacing filly Stand By Debbie visited the winner’s circle after crossing the wire in 2:16.4, driven by Dan Roland. Scott Smith steered Bernard Nanke’s 2-year-old pacing colt Tailgate Blues to victory in the last race of the day in 2:05.1.

Sunday (Sept. 21) saw the 3-year-olds and older trotters taking their chance at capturing a victory on Humboldt’s half-mile.

Adam Hauser seized three driving victories on the day. The first was with the Rick Huffman trained pacing filly Baby Remind Me in the fourth race. Country Cheerio, owned by Adam’s father David Hauser, crossed the wire in a winning time of 2:06.3 for Hauser’s second win on the day. Older trotting gelding Conestoga’s Justen was Hauser’s third victory in the ninth race in 2:03.4. Conestoga’s Justen is owned and trained by 87-year-old Lyle Bunston.

Rick Huffman picked up another training win in the third race when he steered his 3-year-old trotting colt O’ Wow to victory in 2:04.2. This makes ten wins in just 12 starts for Huffman’s colt in 2014.

Justin Anfinson claimed himself a new horse in the 11th race. After capturing win number one in 2014 while driven by owner Scott Smith, 3-year-old pacing colt Big Bad Bolt was claimed by Anfinson. This makes only the fourth claim on the Iowa circuit this season.

The Iowa harness racing seasons comes to an end Saturday (Sept. 27) in Humboldt with the Iowa Sire Stakes. The final race card of the year will see Iowa sired 2- and 3-year-old colts and fillies battling for the victory.