Rivalry headlines opening night of Running Aces
May 18, 2024
COLUMBUS, MN — The 2024 harness racing season opener on Sunday (May 19) at Running Ace will feature a trio of talented trotters competing in a $15,500 open handicap event with Pridecrest and The recent rivalry between Jack Rabbit Slim may continue.
The two Square Gators have had nearly identical race schedules since Feb. 16, battling for the top spot every week at the California Expo, with Pridecrest winning five times and Jack Rabbit winning two in that time. did.
The pair have gone one-two in the past three starts, with Pridecrest winning all of the recent races. Three weeks and nearly 2,000 miles removed from their recent battle in Sacramento, the pair will headline the season-opening card at Running Aces and are expected to be among the top two favorites to win the feature race.
Pridecrest (Mooney Svendsen) will start at the outside post in the six-horse race, tabooing as the morning line choice at 8-5, with Jack Rabbit Slim (Luke Plano) just inside. He will start from the 5th post and lead the morning line. 9-5.
Pridecrest (Angus Hall), a classy 12-year-old gelding owned by Chris Schick and trained by Kathleen Plaisted, will enter Sunday's event with a record of 7 wins and 3 seconds from 11 races this year. He has a total of 64 wins and $550,798 in prize money. He is also the fastest trotter in running his Ace history, winning his 1:53.4, the overall record for Ace's trotting dating back to June 2018.
Also among the supporting cast for this feature event is (5-1) third choice Help Page (Sean Smith-Peters). He is the only horse to have recently defeated both of the aforementioned favorites, achieving his season-best first place finish on March 29th. Effort value 56.2. He will start in post three for trainer Alexia Kael.
Rounding out the field are Dylan the Great (Jacob Cutting, 8-1) from Railout, Warrawee Whisper (Brady Jenson, 8-1), and Yo Lucky Moni (Dean・Maggie, 6 wins, 1 loss).
The opening night program will feature a total of 10 races, with first posting at 6pm CDT.
In addition to Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta bets, the Running Aces nighttime betting format features a 20-cent Place Pick-All, two Pick-3 and two Pick-4 sequences, two Pentafecta, and We also offer a slower Daily. double.
The popular 20 cent Pick 5 Jackpot wager is also offered, covering the last five races each night.
The Pepsi Family Night Special will begin one hour before the first race and the first 500 people who purchase the live racing program will receive a Running Ace Harness Racing Handkerchief.
The 2024 Running Ace weekly race schedule will be Tuesdays (7 p.m.) and Thursdays and Sundays (both 6 p.m.) through September 21st.