Columbus, MN — It all started back around 2016 or 2017 when harness racing fans James Trnka and Matt Meyers began to talk about jumping into the full-fledged ownership side of the sport — they had enjoyed favourable experiences with fractional ownership at Running Aces for several years.

James Trnka, Ken Owens, Bob LaBarre and Will Shushelnycky at the Trowshu Racing table at Running Aces. Dee Leftwich photo.

After mulling over the idea for a while, and having become fans of trainer-driver James Yoder, they had a chance meeting with him one day. They approached him and queried about the possibilities of getting a horse, and having James (J.D.) train and drive for them.

The result of those early inquiries was a partnership between the three men on a horse named Ramsay. With Yoder, Trnka and Meyers successfully campaigned that horse at Running Aces and even found the winner’s circle. Some other friends and Aces regulars took notice of the fun and excitement that Jim and Matt were experiencing and expressed that they wanted to join in for the next racing season. Will Shushelnycky was the next to join into the partnership, and then, sadly, Matt Meyers passed away not long after that. He is deeply missed by his racing friends at Running Aces.

Another friend and racing enthusiast, Ken Owens, joined in with Jim and Will to form Trowshu Racing, a name which combines the first letters of each of their last names. Ramsay had been sold at the end of 2018 and with the help of Yoder, the group found two new horses: Rush And A Brush and Mitch Mc Bluegrass. James Yoder’s younger brother, picked up the training and driving assignments for the group, who had success with both horses and made more trips to the winner’s circle. After the Yoder brothers turned their summer racing attention to Indiana and the east coast, the group needed a new trainer at Running Aces.

They found the perfect match with young, up-and-coming trainer Ariel Alvarez, and the Trowshu team is now three horses strong. They have pacing mare Lakota Law, a Minnesota-sired horse who was able to garner a runner-up award in the older pacing mare division in Minnesota for 2020, despite just a handful of local starts at the end of the summer. Lakota Law won four races in a row at Running Aces during August and September, providing tremendous thrills for the Trowshu group. The team also has pacers Cruisin For You and another Minnesota-sired mare in Trinitysfancyfilly, who picked up this year’s first Aces win — and her third of the season — for the group on Thursday night (May 20) with a gate-to-wire 1:56.3 score from post seven.

All three partners shared that one of the biggest surprises for them was how much they have come to enjoy the time they spend on the backside of the track.

Trnka stated, “We are still just a bunch of grandstand goofs who enjoy the sport. Probably the biggest thing that surprised us all is how much we actually enjoy just spending time with the horses and the people on the backstretch … for us, it is more about that than winning or the money.”

Trowshu Racing has definitely found a winning formula for fun at Running Aces.