Trending
BELCOURT -- The gates opened on Saturday for a new season of horse racing at Chippewa Downs in Belcourt on the Turtle Mountain reservation.
Eight races took place on the half-mile oval with a 350-yard straightaway with purses ranged from $2,400 to $4,000. Over 50 horses, mostly from North Dakota and the surrounding region, competed on the first day of the two-day opening weekend.
Tomorrow afternoon another eight races are scheduled to be run from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Chippewa Downs will hold eight race days in total this year, which will be held Saturday and Sunday throughout June and into the first weekend of July.
Winning horses, owners and jockeys on Saturday are listed below.
Race 1: Little Speed Wagon, owned by Darrel Smith and ridden by Marcus Delorme. The 121-pound, two-year old quarter horse pulled away with ease from his three competitors on a 350-yard gallop on the dirt to win its debut race.
Race 2: Hs Chicks a Blazin, owned by Sandy Nelson and ridden by Jeramie Fennell. Another 350-yard front stretch dash, but for the maiden three years or older. With the fourth best odds (6.00) in an eight-horse race, Hs Chicks a Blazin won its first career race in attempt No. 10.
Race 3: Tricky Finn, owned by Arnold Pinnow and ridden by Terry Bennett. Longshot Tricky Finn, with the worst odds in the field (19.00), went to the front and drove the six-horse field home in the 11/16-mile race for its first win in career start No. 2.
Race 4: Pies Jet, owned by Gregory Boschee and ridden by Terry Bennett. Back-to-back wins for jockey Bennett, as he guided thoroughbred Pies Jet to a comfortable first win on the season in a 11/16-mile race. It's the fifth victory in nine races so far in Pies Jet's career.
Race 5: Tiff's Dream, owned by Gregory Boschee and ridden by Terry Bennett. A debut win for the North Dakota bred three-year old in a 11/16-mile race. Plus, another win for Bennett and the second victory of the evening for owner Boschee.
Race 6: General Election, owned by Steven Keplin and ridden by Damon Leeds. In a 11/16-mile race against non-winners so far this 2017 season, General Election nabbed its sixth career win (in 32 starts) to start its sixth season of racing with a bang. The 124-pound thoroughbred has earned $303,730 during its career.
Race 7: Allfourvegas, owned by Scott Horst and ridden by Ricardo Martinez. After a winless 2016 season (0-for-6), Allfourvegas tamed the 5/8-mile race and his three competitors, who haven't won more than two races in their careers, to get victory No. 2 in three starts this year.
Race 8: Rocks Lil Rockette, owned by Dean Martin and ridden by Cody Desjarlais. The final race of the day at 550-yards squared off seven horses in their first career race. The two-year old thoroughbred held off odds on favorite Baseball Creek for a $2,525 payday.
Seven out of the eight winning horses were from North Dakota with the lone exception being General Election from Kentucky.
Follow the Minot Daily Sports on Twitter @MDN_Sports.