from Running Aces Harness Park

Columbus, MN — Some people said “It can’t be done.” Others questioned the sanity of the trainer. And a few asked if it was even legal.

Double-gaited sensation Realbadcombination answered all the critics when he completed what is believed to be the first-ever North American attempt to race on the pace one night and on the trot the next at a pari-mutuel racetrack. Previously, Hot Circuit raced on both the trot and the pace on the same day at the Rochester (New Hampshire) Fair on September 23, 1995. He won on the trot in the afternoon and finished fourth on the evening card while competing as a pacer.

Realbadcombination, a 6-year-old gelded son of Astreos owned by George Bourloukos and trained by veteran Dan Poprawski, was the star of the Running Aces show on Wednesday night (July 21) when he trotted to victory in the third and final preliminary leg of the Royal Flush late closing series in 2:01.1 to beat favored Battleshoe Viola (Tim Maier) and Homestead Dream (Nick Roland).

Driver Evan Coblentz was content to sit sixth in the seven-horse field through three-quarters in 1:30.1 then moved third-over on the outside until the head of the stretch. It was just a matter of what the margin of victory might be down the lane, however, as Realbadcombination opened up with every powerful stride and won by three lengths with a personal final panel of :30.

A night earlier Realbadcombination finished fourth in a $5,500 conditioned pace, getting beat by just two lengths in a 1:54.3 mile. Dean Magee sat in the sulky in the pacing mile and was also sixth at the half, then used a :28.4 panel to pass some nice horses and finish fourth.

“This horse just always trotted when jogging or warming up and seems happier on that gait,” said trainer Poprawski after the trot victory. “I don’t think there’s another Astreos-sired trotter out there, but this one covers a lot of ground when he gets in gear. He won some green trots here at Running Aces last year, but I moved him back to the pace when he had to move up against tougher trotters. He’s a special horse, and he needed points to qualify for next week’s series final on the trot, so I decided to try him back-to-back to get him tight. He’s very sound and it obviously didn’t bother him a bit!”

This unusual feat was allowed by Running Aces Director of Racing Gregg Keidel after it was verified that it was not prohibited by Minnesota rules, provided printed program information was made available to the public. The past performance lines for Realbadcombination were available in the program on only the proper gait each night and no lines had to be announced.

Realbadcombination has won 11 races in his pacing career and earned over $55,000. With Wednesday’s trot triumph he has four scores in just ten lifetime tries, increasing his squaregaited earnings to over $6,000.

The $7,500 Fillies and Mares Open Pace was also contested Wednesday night with Princess Zoie (John DeLong) besting Castle Oaks (Daniel Maier) and Little Tootsie (Roland) in 1:54.4.

Earlier in the night, R A’s Shakenbake set a track record for 2-year-old trotting geldings when he beat older competition in a non-winners overnight event. Owned by the Rockaway Racing Stable, trained by Trent Drollinger and driven by Will Roland, the Minnesota-sired son of Abra reached the wire in front in a 2:01.4 trip. Lilmissindependent (Jon Anderson) and Wilson Speedy Girl (Magee) were second and third.