Columbus, MN – Running Aces will close out the 2026 racing season this weekend with two big nights of action, including Minnesota-sired consolation night on Friday (Sept. 18) and the Minnesota Night of Champions program on Saturday (Sept. 19) with post time on both nights set for 6 p.m. (CDT).
In addition to the Consolation events on Friday, there are two Open events going for $30,000 each, including an Open Handicap pace and an Open trot that features a distance of a mile and a quarter.
Friday’s headliner is Cash Money Twenty who is the leading horse at Running Aces this season with 10 local wins and over $108,000 earned. He tied the all-age track record with his 1:49.1 victory in the $50,000 Dan Patch FFA pace on Aug. 2. He will take on five rivals in the $30,000 pacing event on Friday with Dean Magee as his pilot.
The Saturday program consists of 12 Championship races featuring all of the best and brightest stars in each division of the Minnesota-sired program. Each race on Saturday night offers a $65,000 purse.
The two major standouts on the Saturday program include Slipped Onmybeans, who has won seven in a row and has not lost in her freshman pacing fillies division. She will have Dean Magee in the bike from post seven as the 3-5 morning line choice. Captain Ricky is the leading male freshman pacer in 2026 and has won his last five starts at Running Aces, he is tabbed at 4-5 on the early line from post six with regular pilot Casey Leonard scheduled to drive. Both Slipped Onmybeans and Captain Ricky are from the first Minnesota crop of stallion Captainryanmichael.
Iron Sharpens Iron (by Banker Volo), who will start from post eight in the aged male trotting division (Rick Magee, 6-1) is the only horse on the Saturday card that has a chance for his fourth Night of Champions crown, while there are several horses that will be trying for their third Championship tally – including Baby Flash, Fillister Photo, DP Freedoms Chrome, and Peanutbutterfalcon.
The current all-time Running Aces top Night of Champions drivers include Rick Magee (29 wins), Nick Roiand (28), and Dean Magee (24), while the top three trainers include Nick Roland (21 wins), Justin Anfinson (17) and Robert Lems (12).
Brady Jenson will collect his third consecutive leading driver, and third consecutive leading trainer awards this weekend. He has driven 100 winners so far this meet and has a 16-win lead over Casey Leonard in the driver standings, while on the training side he currently sports 85 wins with a 24-win lead over Justin Anfinson.
Among the major wins for Jenson included the 1:50.1 performance by the outstanding 4-year-old pacing mare K T Part E in the $35,000 Ron Banks Memorial FFA on June 28, making her the fastest female pacer ever at Running Aces.
The closing night program on Saturday will offer mandatory payouts in all of the multi-race wagers including the 20-cent Pick-5 Jackpot bet, which currently has a carryover of $24,046.34 and will start in race eight on Saturday. Guest broadcaster Heather Wilder and guest bugler Ken Walker will also be on hand for the Night of Champions festivities. The Running Aces broadcast will start 30 minutes earlier than usual on Saturday night, at 5 p.m. (CDT).