Lexus Kody and Miki and Minnie impress in BC Eliminations

MILTON, October 18, 2025— Lexus Kody easily won his $34,250 (CAD) Breeders Crown Open Trot elimination ahead of driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke, staving off a late charge from French Wine and stopping the timer in 1:49.4 as the 6-5 pick on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The Ontario-bred bay son of Archangel, out of the Ken Warkentin mare Lexus Helios, captured season win number ten and career triumph 36 for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, PA; Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg, PA, and Phillip Collura of Mountain Top, PA.

Lexus Kody became the first trotter in Canadian history to set a sub-1:50 record at the $690,000 (CAD) Maple Leaf Trot on August 30, 2025, when he trotted to a victorious 1:49.1, beating rivals Periculum and Southwind Coors (both byes in the Breeders Crown Open Trot Final), as well as Hillexotic and Call Me Goo. He found himself in his Breeders Crown elimination after his 1:51.4 victory in the Dayton Trotting Derby. This was his sixth win in a row, as he also won the $1 million (USD) MGM Yonkers International Trot; the Hoosier Park classic; and Maple Leaf Elimination.

“He just drove 1:49.4 like it was a walk in the park and is extremely sharp, and it was all business tonight,” said winning driver Yannick Gingras. “There’s not enough good things to say about him. I was going to leave out the outpost position, that was our plan, but he’s handy now and has won from the rail a few times here, so he can do it any way he wants, he doesn’t care.”

LEXUS KODY REPEAT

Amigo Volo, a two-time Breeders Crown winner who left the gate at 36-1, grabbed the early lead and brought the field to a :27 first panel, with 9-5 French Wine crossing first into the :55 half, while Lexus followed closely behind Kody before taking the lead to the 1:23 three-quarter mark. Gingras never took off the earbuds as Lexus Kody trotted smoothly to the wire, seemingly unfazed by the final quarter of :26.4.

French Wine remained second, with 25-1 Hillexotic third and Amigo Volo fourth. Lexus Kody, bred by Norm H. Dunstan of Caledon Village, ON, is a homebred and full brother of the gelding Lexus Ranger T, 4, 1:53.1f and a half-brother of Lexus Markus (by Amigo Hall) T, 6, 1:53.1h. Lexus Kody scored post five for the finals.

Last season’s Dan Patch division winner Miki and Minnie left no doubt that she was clearly the best in her $34,250 (CAD) Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Pace elimination on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park, running strong on the wire ahead of driver Dexter Dunn in a lifetime best of 1:48.2, which was also a track record and a Canadian mile. This courageous filly won the $700,000 (USD) Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Pace Final at The Meadowlands in 1:50.2 for the same connections last season.

Always B’s daughter Miki, out of the Roll With Joe mare That’s The Ticket, turned 11^e win in 13 starts this season and its 17^e victory in 24 lifetime starts for owners Craig Henderson of Chicago, IL; Robert Mondillo of Delaware, Ohio; and Lawrence Minowitz of Greenwich, CT.

“We turned it down because I wanted to race her, because otherwise it would have taken five or six weeks to get to the finals. She needed a race, and it was great that it worked out that way,” trainer Chris Ryder said. “She’s easy to train, she’s just a super filly and she’s tough. She seems to have no end to her run and is wonderful to have around.”

Miki and Minnie came away third behind the speed-setting Faze (Tim Tetrick) who led the former to an opening panel of :27, with Looksgoodinloulou (Yannick Gingras) in the two holes, but after half a mile:55.4 it was Miki and Minnie who were on Tetrick’s helmet. As the pacers approached the three-quarter mile marker, Miki and Minnie were on the move, stopping the timer at that point in 1:22.3 on the outside of Faze. From there, driver Dexter Dunn beeped at his filly and she responded by easily walking to the wire in a new career best as the 1-2 choice.

“I got away through the first corner and the ride went smoothly from there,” said winning driver Dexter Dunn. “This run will do her a lot of good after the month off. She is an extremely competitive filly and I knew it would be a battle to the limit, but I had all the confidence in the world because my filly is a real fighter.”

Unreasonable placed second ahead of Marcus Miller at odds of 5-1, while Skywalker Sea took third place ahead of Austin Hanners at 76-1, while Faze held on for fourth place at 59-1.

Miki and Minnie’s last start saw them finish a strong second behind Looksgoodinloulou in the Kentucky Sires Stakes Final on September 14 at The Red Mile. She had previously won the final of the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes at The Meadows on September 6 in 1:49.4; a Kentucky Sires Stakes on August 25; and the $250,000 (USD) Lynch final at Pocono Downs on August 16, clocked in 1:49.1; The Shady Daisy in The Meadowlands in 1:48.3; the Tompkins Geers in 1:49.4; and the Jerry Silverman in 1:48.4 in mid-July.

Miki And Minnie is the third foal from That’s The Ticket p, 2, 1:52s, and has half-brothers and sisters in Great Seats (by Sweet Lou) p, 5, 1:49.2 and Dance Ticket (A Rocknroll Dance) p, 5, 1:54.2h.

By means of Kimberly Rinker in front of Woodbine Mohawk Park