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Dead heat in Running Aces’ top trot |
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Wednesday, 11 June 2008 |
Columbus, Minn. —
The digital photo finish camera at Running Aces couldn’t separate the meet’s two top trotters Sunday afternoon when they deadlocked in the weekly $4000 Class A event.
For Photo Dream (Adam Hauser) it was his eighth win in nine weeks at Minnesota’s new track, while Final Scorpion (Duane Miller) was scoring for the third time locally and sixth on the season.
Hauser gunned Photo Dream, who was the 2007 “Minnesota Horse of the Year”, to the front of the compact five-horse field in a 29.4 opening panel, then stole a quarter mile breather before reaching the half in 1:01.4.
Miller, however, wasn’t content to sit the pocket any longer and pulled Final Scorpion to the outside down the backstretch of the five-eighths mile oval.
After reaching the three-quarter pole with Photo Dream maintaining a half-length lead in 1:32.2, the pair exploded home in a 28.3 final panel.
The pair of classy trotters raced as a team throughout the stretch, with an enthusiastic crowd cheering them on from the apron. Announcer Craig Braddick screamed “That’s a close one!” at the wire, and the judges agreed after examining the photo and declaring the feature race a dead heat.
Starry Night Star (Rick Magee) tried gamely to stay with the winners, but fell three lengths short in third place.
Photo Dream is an 11-year-old son of SJ’s Photo, owned by Banks Standardbreds of Cannon Falls, Minn.
Final Scorpion is owned and trained by his reinsman, who was notching his 23rd winning drive of the inaugural meet at Running Aces.
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