by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces Casino & Racetrack

Columbus, MN —The Sunday (July 16) program at Running Aces featured the $15,000 Dan Patch Preview as a prep race for the $35,000 (est.) Dan Patch Free For All Pace Sponsored by Watch and Wager on Sunday (July 23).

The field of six for the preview was loaded with talent and after the dust cleared, the two most impressive contenders came out on top and look poised to be the favorites going in to next week’s signature event.

Dee Leftwich photo

Roland N Rock was a 1:51.3 winner on Sunday.

Megatron (James Yoder) was making his first local appearance, shipping in from Ohio where he had faced the top open horses, and he fired to the early lead (:27.2) from post four, but quickly yielded to SF Donttellonme (Joe Casagranda) who was fresh off a 1:52.1 lifetime mark in the top local pace last out.

SF Donttellonme controlled the middle portions of the race (:55.3 and 1:24) but was unable to sustain, as heavy favorite Roland N Rock (Steve Wiseman), coming in with a seven race winning streak, made a huge sweeping move around the last turn to take the lead and draw away for his eighth consecutive win and he remains prefect at Running Aces this season with a three-for-three record.

The extremely popular 5-year-old by Rocknroll Hanover stopped the clock in 1:51.3 for a seasonal best time. He is owned by Duane and Connie Roland and trained by Duane Roland. Firedrake was sent off as the 4-1 second choice from post one in the big preview race and he was locked in tight for most of the mile but found room late to fire through the inside lane and pick up second money, 2-1/2 lengths behind Roland N Rock ($3.00).

Firedrake (Nick Roland) came into this contest having crossed the wire first in each of his eight starts this season, but had suffered a disqualification early in the meet. This was his biggest test to date and he raced huge, he was clearly second best and he was home in 1:52.

Barbosa posted another sharp gate-to-wire victory, for three in a row and his fifth local win of the season as part of a driving triple for his trainer Luke Plano. Barbosa ($4.80) is a 6-year-old pacing gelding by General Aidid and he stopped the timer in 1:54.4 in a $7,000 claiming-conditioned event for owner Heather Mathews.

Plano sent his pacer right to the lead from post six in the nine horse affair, and set reasonable fractions of :27.4, :58 and 1:26.1 before posting a strong final quarter of :28.3 to seal the deal and register career win number 27.

The $13,000 Minnesota-Sired 3-year-old filly trot went to Imapixieatmidnight, for her third win of the season. Trainer Nick Roland guided her away into an early pocket position before sweeping to the lead down the backside to take a strong lead and hold on gamely in the stretch for the 2:01.4 tally. The SOS Lunar Eclipse filly has earned $28,693 in nine starts this season for owners Set The Pace Racing LLC.

Driver Nick Roland picked up yet another impressive grand slam on the Sunday card, with Steve Wiseman and Luke Plano both completing the hat trick.

The next card of live harness racing at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack will go to post on Tuesday night (July 18) at 7 p.m. (CDT), with a carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Pick-5 wager of $11,895.51.