stakes recap

By Ray Cotolo

For just the second time in the 41-year history of the Breeders Crown, a pair of horses hit the finish line in a dead-heat for win. Miki And Minnie and The Last Martini, after finishing one-two in last year’s 2-Year-Old Filly Pace, matched strides crossing the beam in a 1:49.2 mile to tie for the victory in the $822,000 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Pace on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The Last Martini, off at 68-1, pushed from post 4 and secured a pocket seat with Chantilly launching for the lead from post 10 heading to a :27 first quarter. Miki And Minnie, the 1-5 favorite, landed in midfield and floated off the pylons through the first turn before advancing up the rim. She brushed towards Chantilly up the backside but stalled once in front passing a :56.2 half and eventually cleared control moving for the final turn.

Miki And Minnie motored through the final turn as Unreasonable, who tracked the favorite’s cover, pressed the leader with Chantilly in the pocket and The Last Martini shuffled to third at the inside. Unreasonable gave way after three-quarters in 1:23.1 while Miki And Minnie straightened and quickened for the finish. The Last Martini shook off the pylons and thrusted forward to narrow on Miki And Minnie’s advantage in the final eighth. Miki And Minnie reached for the line while The Last Martini surged in the closing strides, and the two crossed the finish inseparable by photograph. Skywalker Sea emerged from off the speed to take third, beaten three-quarter lengths, and Rodeo Drive Deo rallied from the back for fourth.

“I thought we're guaranteed second there late, and she just lunged right at the wire,” said Doug McNair, winning driver behind The Last Martini. “I wasn't sure. Dexter thought I got her, but it's a little anxious moments there. I said earlier, I'd take a dead heat if we get one, and we got one.”

“I knew it was tight,” said Chris Ryder, winning trainer of Miki And Minnie, “and it's a long stretch when you're in front, and I could see the ‘Martini’ filly coming. As a trainer, it's a little nerve racking. I had an idea there may have been a dead heat. I was hoping for a dead heat. So we're just thrilled here.”

The dead-heat for win between Miki And Minnie and The Last Martini came five years after the first dead-heat for win in the history of the Breeders Crown occurred when favorite Perfect Sting and 21-1 shot Summa Cum Laude hit the finish together in the 2-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

“To be honest, I don't generally get very emotional watching the race. And that one I did,” said Jared Bako, trainer of The Last Martini, of winning his first Breeders Crown. “It's a dream, like people dream of doing this, and I'm just fortunate enough that I've had the ability to train a horse like this.

“I thought she'd be very good,” Bako also said. “She drew a good spot, and we prepared her well in Lexington. Dougie's [McNair] done a good job managing her, along with Jason [Bartlett]. Dougie set her up great for this in Lexington, and just worked out.”

Miki And Minnie added a second Breeders Crown trophy to her resume and became the 57th horse, as well as the 27th pacer, in the history of the series to win two titles. She won the 2024 2-Year-Old Filly Pace at The Meadowlands with a powerful first-over bid to beat The Last Martini by 1-3/4 lengths in a 1:50.2 mile.

“Sometimes she's just awful lazy and doesn't want to go, and then when she decides to go like when she did clear, she grabbed the bit and was away again,” Chris Ryder said after the race. “So, you know, it's a little frustrating, but she picked it up, and it's just great to have back to back to back Breeders Crowns in her 2 and 3-year-old year.”

Chris Ryder added a third victory in this event, winning in 2010 with Put On A Show and in 2013 with I Luv The Nitelife. Dexter Dunn, winning driver of Miki And Minnie, registered back-to-back victories in the 3-Year-Old Filly Pace after taking last year’s renewal with My Girl EJ for trainer Ron Burke. Doug McNair won for the first time in this event and collected his third Breeders Crown trophy. He won his first in 2017 in the 3-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace with Stay Hungry and piloted Grace Hill to a stakes-record-equaling 1:48.4 win in the 2022 Mare Pace.

A homebred for Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo and Lawrence Minowitz, Miki And Minnie won her 12th race from 14 starts this season and her 18th race from 25 starts in her career, earning $2,490,270. The filly by Always B Miki-Thats The Ticket paid $2.10 to win.

The Last Martini, a filly by Huntsville-Martinique bred by Crawford Farms LLC, won her sixth race from 14 starts this season and her 10th race from 24 starts in her career, earning $1,506,872 for owner Glenview Livestock Ltd. She paid $26 to win.