Chapolier guts it out to capture Opening Night feature

The $15,000 Open Trot was the featured harness racing event on the season opening program at Running Aces on Sunday night (May 17) and the top trotters provided fans with an exciting and action-packed contest.

Bringoverthemoney and driver Lemoyne Svendsen fired fastest off the car to quickly take command as they headed to the quarter mile while race favorite Escaper (Rick Magee) surged from the outside post to secure the pocket and BP’s Lucky Star (Svendsen)also left alertly and landed in third.

Just after the respectable :28.1 opening stanza, Magee pulled the pocket to surge past Bringoverthemoney and take control as they approached the half mile juncture and had Escaper settled on top as they registered that checkpoint in 58 seconds flat, with Chapolier (Chapter Seven) and Luke Plano tipping first-over from fourth position.

Escaper led the charge down the backstretch but Chapolier qucikly advanced toward the leader and began to draw on even terms as they rounded into the final turn, sticking a nose on top at the (1:26.4) three-quarters  of a mile station while BP’s Lucky Star followed cover and Bringoverthemoney and Iron Sharpens Iron (Cisco) gave chase.

Escaper fought gamely and the top two were locked in stride as they straightened for home with BP’s Lucky Star tipping wide. Through the stretch Chapolier began to get the upper hand on his chief rival and forged by in the final yards, drawing clear late to secure the victory by 1-3/4 lengths and stop the timer at 1:55.3 while Escaper held second over BP’s Lucky Star.

CHAPOLIER REPLAY

It was the second win of the season and 35^th career win for the 8-year-old Chapter Seven gelding who is also owned and trained by Plano. Chapolier now shows $420,769 in career earnings.

The reigning Minnesota Harness Horse of the Year, Peanutbutterfalcon (Quality Kemp) made his season debut a winning one on opening night with a sharp gate-to-wire tally in a $9,000 conditioned event, trotting in 1:57.3 to register his 20^th career win. Scott Cisco was in the bike for owner Jeralene Roland and trainer Dan Roland. Braggen Bliss (Roland) was a sharp second and Wilamar Spark (Rick Magee) was home third in that contest.

Brady Jenson led the opening night program with 4 driving wins and three training wins, while Scott Cisco registered a driving double.

Securing the grand-slam for Jenson was Marktentwentyseven, who has kicked off his 12-year-old campaign with three straight wins and posted the fastest race of the night with a 1:53.2 mile. It was the 37^th career tally for the gritty Minnesota-sired gelding by Up Front Brad who was bred by Brady’s brother Brandon Jenson.

Live Racing returns to Running Aces on Tuesday night (May 19) for the first ‘Dollar Night’ program of the season when free bet drawings, food trucks, $1 hot dogs and $2 beers will compliment the 9-race program that gets underway at 7 p.m. (CDT).

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces