Glen Strandberg
Staff Writer

If this were a horse race, the construction of the Running Aces Harness Park would be at least two lengths ahead of its nearest competition.

Courtesy of a dry spring and a predominately dry summer, members of the North Metro Harness Initiative have watched their long-awaited project — located west of I-35 and south of Lake Drive in Columbus — rise from the ground quicker than they had even hoped.

“We’re actually a little ahead of schedule because we had the dry weather this spring,” said Tom Fox, president of Southwest Casino Corp., which owns a 50 percent membership interest in North Metro Harness Initiative.

“So we were able to move a lot more dirt faster than we thought we could, so that part worked out well.”

The $61 million dollar harness racing horse track will hold 1800 people in the grandstand, have a 200-seat restaurant with a wall of windows that allows spectators to watch the racing action from indoors, a bar where other horse races will be simulcast live via satellite, and a 50-table card room.

Running Aces is expected to open in early April of 2008, but Fox said there are some details to be worked out before that becomes official. Running Aces is waiting on a schedule from the Minnesota Racing Commission, and they still need input from Columbus on this matter.

Another issue that has received plenty of attention is the state-mandated delay where the track is required to run 50 races before it can open its card room.

There are hopes from the park’s owners that the Minnesota Legislature will grant an exemption, but at this point it doesn’t seem likely, Fox said.

With that in mind, Fox believes the card room will open approximately three months after the races start running (which would mean July of ‘08), and he said races will take place about three or four times per week.

“Everything is going well,” Fox said. “Everything is moving on schedule, and yeah, we’re pleased at the progress that we’re making.

“You know, I’ve looked at pictures of it for a couple of years, but when you actually see it in full scale, it’s impressive.”

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