Columbus, MN – The Thursday night (May 28) program at Running Aces was packed with featured events and exciting contests and one of the most impressive performances of the night came in the $15,000 Mares Open Handicap Pace.
Twist Little Girl N (driven by Nick Roland) was making her Minnesota return and arrived in town sporting back-to-back wins at Saratoga Casino Hotel and fans tabbed her as the 4-5 post-time favorite. Last week’s winner I’m Fancy Like (Casey Leonard) was their second pick at 7-2 and Aces newcomer Miss Fancy Nancy (Brandon Jenson) received solid support at 5-1.
Twist Little Girl N made the front after a brief early tussle with I’m Fancy Like while Wish I Had Thyme (Luke Plano) powered away in third in the early stages. After a :27.2 opening panel, Roland backed off the speed in the second quarter and had the field tightly in line behind him as they registered the :57.1 half.
Brady Jenson was the first to tip and he sent K T Part E rolling up the backstretch with an impressive first-over bid to quickly draw alongside the leader with Heart Song (Lemoyne Svendsen) picking up the live cover as they rounded past the three-quarter mark in 1:25.
K T Part E continued to apply heavy pressure to Twist Little Girl N and as they straightened for home her lead diminished quickly as K T Part E kept on pacing strong to begin to surge past.
K T Part E drew clear near the wire by 1-3/4 lengths while both Heart Song and I’m Fancy Like rallied past Twist Little Girl late in a close battle for second. The time of 1:52.2 was a career-best mile for K T Part E.
The winner is a 4-year-old daughter of Cattlewash and is also owned and trained by Jenson. She now has four wins in seven starts this year, and 14 career wins, as she boosted her lifetime earnings to $86,528. She paid $16.60 to win.
Set Free and driver Rick Magee worked out a perfect pocket trip en route to a 1-1/2-length tally in the $17,000 “A” division of the Minnesota-sired sophomore male pace in 1:54.2 over pacesetter Wild About Me (Roland) and Cool Mr Cool (Leonard).
It was the third win in four starts this year for Set Free, who paid $5 to win, and also equaled his career-best time. The son of Three Of Clubs is owned by Jay DeLong, Ken Stauffer and Stephanie Anfinson and is trained by Justin Anfinson.
Starstruck Fool (Scott Cisco, $2.40) captured the $17,000 sophomore filly pace by a neck over Letitia (Dean Magee) in a career-best 1:55.1 for trainer Dan Roland, while Cruisin The Clubs (Cisco, $6.80) posted a new mark of 1:57.2 with a 1-length tally over Luke Skyrocker (Roland) in the $8,500 “B” division of the sophomore boys pace for trainer Jeff Ryan.
The opening leg of the Burning Blaze pacing series was also contested on Thursday night, and Fox Valley Groupie (Rick Magee, $2.10) picked up her third-straight win (1:54.3) in the first division for trainer Brett Ballinger while The Golden Ghost (Brady Jenson, $8) registered his fourth win in a row in the second division, also posting a 1:54.3 mile for trainer Anfinson.
Drivers Rick Magee, Scott Cisco, Brady Jenson and Nick Roland and trainer Anfinson all registered doubles on the program.
Live racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday (May 31) for a 10-race program that will feature “Pepsi Family Night” specials and kids’ activities, food trucks, trout fishing and the weekly “Sole Survivor” contest. Racing will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT).