MILTON, October 25, 2025– For the second time in the 41-year history of the Breeders Crown, a pair of horses crossed the finish line in a dead heat for the win. Miki and Minnie (Always B Miki) and The Last Martini (Huntsville), after finishing one-two in last year’s 2-Year-Old Filly Pace, he tied pace in a 1:49.2 mile to take the harness racing victory in the $822,000 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Pace on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The Last Martini, out at 68-1, pushed from post 4 to secure a pocket seat, while Chantilly shot into the lead from post 10 en route to a :27 first quarter. Miki and Minnie, the 1-5 favourite, landed in midfield and floated off the first turn of the cones before heading onto the edge.
She ran around the back towards Chantilly, but stopped once at the front, passing a half of :56.2 and finally gaining control of the final corner.
Miki and Minnie rounded the final corner as Unreasonable, following the favourite’s cover, pocketed the leader with Chantilly and The Last Martini shuffled into third on the inside.
Unreasonable gave in after three quarters in 1:23.1, as Miki and Minnie straightened up and accelerated to the finish. The Last Martini shook off the cones and surged forward to reduce Miki and Minnie’s lead in the final eighth. Miki and Minnie reached for the line as The Last Martini shot up in the final steps, and the two crossed the finish line inseparable in the photo.
MIKI AND MINNIE AND THE LAST MARTINI DEAD HEAT REPEAT
Skywalker Sea emerged from the speed to take third, beating three-quarter lengths, and Rodeo Drive Deo rallied from behind for fourth.
“I thought we were guaranteed second there late, and she just fell right to the wire,” said Doug McNair, the winning driver behind The Last Martini. “I wasn’t sure. Dexter thought I had her, but it’s a bit of an anxious moment there. I said before, I wouldn’t mind if we got 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 up front, and I could see the ‘Martini’ filly coming. As a trainer, it’s a bit nerve-wracking. I had a feeling there might have been a dead heat. I was hoping for a dead heat. So we’re just really happy here.”
The dead-heat for victory between Miki And Minnie and The Last Martini came five years after the first dead-heat for victory in Breeders Crown history occurred when favorite Perfect Sting and 21-1 shot Summa Cum Laude crossed the finish line together in the 2-year-old Colt and Gelding Pace at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
“To be honest, I generally don’t get very emotional watching the race. And I did,” said The Last Martini trainer Jared Bako about winning his first Breeders Crown. “It’s a dream, as people dream to do this, and I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to train a horse like this.
“I thought she would be really good,” Bako also said. “She scored a good spot and we prepared her well in Lexington, with Dougie [McNair] did a good job managing her, along with Jason [Bartlett]. Dougie prepared her well for this in Lexington, and it just worked.
Miki and Minnie added a second Breeders Crown trophy to her resume, becoming the 57the horse, as well as the 27e 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 strong first-over bid to beat The Last Martini by 1-3/4 lengths in a 1:50.2 mile.
“Sometimes she’s just really lazy and doesn’t want to go, and when she decides to go, like when she got out, she just grabs the bit and she’s gone,” Chris Ryder said after the race. “So, you know, it’s a little frustrating, but she’s picked it up, and it’s just great to have back-to-back Breeders Crowns in her 2- and 3-year-old years.”
Chris Ryder added a third victory to 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, posted back-to-back wins in the 3-year-old Filly Pace after earning the extension at My Girl EJ for trainer Ron Burke last year. 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 guided Grace Hill to a record 1:48.4 victory in the 2022 Mare Pace.
Miki And Minnie, a private breeder of Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo and Lawrence Minowitz, won her 12e race of 14 starts this season and its 18e race from 25 starts in her career and earned $2,490,270. Always B’s filly Miki-That’s The Ticket paid $2.10 to win.
The Last Martini, a filly by Huntsville-Martinique, bred by Crawford Farms LLC, won her sixth race of 14 starts this season and her 10e race from 24 starts in her career and earned $1,506,872 for owner Glenview Livestock Ltd. She paid $26 to win.
For full race results, click here.
Through Ray Cotolo, for Woodbine Entertainment
#Fillies #deliver #rare #dead #heat #Breeders #Crown