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Winning drivers in the 3-Year-Old Filly Pace dead heat, Dexter Dunn (left) and Doug McNair pose with the trophy.

2025 Breeders Crown Saturday Results Part 2

The 2025 Breeders Crown, North American harness racing's year-end championships, were decided at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Campbellville west of Toronto. The 4 races for juveniles were run on Friday night with the remaining 8 championship races run on Saturday. Conditions were typical for a late October evening in Southern Ontario with partly cloudy skies and temperatures holding around 6 C (43 F) and minimal wind. All Breeders Crown races are rated Grade 1 contested at the standard 1 mile distance, a 2-turn trip over Mohawk Park's 7/8 mile stonedust track rated fast. Unless specified as Canadian, all purses are given in U.S. dollars.

Here are the results for the 4 Championship races for the Open Mares (4-year-olds and older) and 3-Year-Old Filly divisions.

Go to Part 1 for the Colt and Gelding races

The $600,000 Three-year-old Filly Pace (G1) featured a field of 10 with Lynch Memorial and Pennsylvania Sires Stakes winner Miki and Minnie sent off as the 3-10 favorite over 7-2 second choice Unreasonable, winner of the Garnsey Stakes at the Red Mile, and 13-1 third choice Rodeo Drive Deo, winner of the Jugette but third in the Courageous Lady at Northfield. 18-1 Chantilly was quickest away through an opening quarter of 27 seconds before driver Dexter Dunn sent Miki and Minnie to take over through a half in 56 2/5 and 3/4 in 1:23 1/5. Miki and Minnie opened up a 2 length lead midstretch and looked homefree but 68-1 longshot The Last Martini came out wide and rallied, as the two finished in a dead heat for win in 1:49 2/5. It was another 3/4 length back to 39-1 Skywalker Sea third. This was only the second dead heat for win in Breeders Crown history, after the 2020 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace at Hoosier Park.

Results chart Race 5

Left: The Last Martini in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Jared Bako, celebrating his first Breeders Crown win said, "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. 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."

Right: The Last Martini in the post parade. Winning driver Doug McNair said, "I thought we're guaranteed second there late, and she just lunged right at the wire. 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."

Left: Miki and Minnie in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Chris Ryder said, "I knew it was tight. 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.

Right: Miki and Minnie first time by. Ryder added, "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. 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."

A full field of 10 contested the $664,500 Three-year-old Filly Trot (G1), with Delmonica and New Jersey Classic winner Yo Tillie sent off as the 6-5 favorite over 5-4 second choice Delaney Hanover, winner of the Kentucky Filly Futurity, and 9-1 third choice R Dutchess, second in the Kentucky Filly Futurity. 23-1 Walspea was quickest away through an opening quarter of 26 4/5 seconds before Yo Tillie took over through a halk in 56 2/5 and 3/4 in 1:24 pressed by R Dutchess and stalked by Walspea and Delaney Hanover. Yo Tillie opened a 1 1/2 length lead midstretch and easily held off late-running 36-1 Stormont Beautiful to win by a length in 1:51 3/5. It was another 1/2 length back to 23-1 Monalishi third.

Results chart Race 4

Left: Yo Tillie in the winner's circle. Winning trainer and co-owner Andrew Harris, celebrating his first Crown win said, "It's just amazing to have a filly like this and to have her be almost perfect all season and never ever disappoint me. I'm just blessed to have a filly like this, and just thanks to Bill and Billy and Karen and Bruce for supporting me with a filly like this, because it's amazing. You know, they've been a huge support for me, and obviously they've been buying me really nice horses, so it's nice to be able to deliver on the big stage for them and get it done." Co-owner Bruce Areman added, "It's special. We started this about three years ago with Abuckabett Hanover and, you know, went into the babies a little bit, and there's ups and downs, and we're learning along the way. But getting this filly right here was just unbelievable for us, and we love her so much. You don't know, it's a good group, strong group, so you hope for the best. Todd gave her just a beautiful trip, and she hung on. She had a lot of guts. So, it was fun to watch. I think it's the start of something big. We have big ambitions for where we want to go in this industry. And I think this is the start of it, in a lot of ways."

Right: Yo Tillie heads back to the barn after the race.

Left: Winning trainer and co-owner Andrew Harris and driver Todd McCarthy celebrate with the trophy. Winning driver Todd McCarthy said, "I just wanted to kind of get away close with her. She's so talented off the gate, she's able to kind of make her own luck there. That was just a great way to cap off the year for her. She's been so good all year, and full credit to Andrew, the job he's done managing her here. That was pretty awesome. She doesn't mind it when a horse gets close to her. She kind of likes to fight them off, but I don't necessarily like that so much. It makes me a little nervous, but I just have so much faith in her, and I just keep talking to her down by the wire there, and she just keeps digging."

Right: Yo Tillie warms up before the race.

The $400,000 Open Mare Pace (G1) featured a compact field of 6 (after morning line favorite Twin B Joe Fresh scratched) with Dayton Distaff Derby and Allerage runner-up Sylvia Hanover sent off as the 9-10 favorite over 8-5 second choice Always B Naughty, 9th in the Dayton Distaff Derby, and 4-1 third choice Kobes Gigi, 4th in the Dayton Distaff Derby. Driver Austin Hanners sent Always B Naughty to the lead first time by through fractions of 26 2/5, 54 3/5, and 1:22 while pressed by Kobes Gigi and stalked by 21-1 My Girl EJ. Through the lane Always B Naughty drew off to win by 5 1/4 lengths over Kobes Gigi in a new stakes record time of 1:48 1/5. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to 36-1 longest shot Tells on a Roll third, and another 1/4 length back to favorite Sylvia Hanover fourth.

Results chart Race 3

Left: Always B Naughty in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Todd Luther said, "When Twin B Joe Fresh was scratched I told Austin (Hanners) that I thought we had a big shot and to not get away last with her. She's been in some bad spots this year, but we've always tried to take care of her. This is amazing; you dream of winning a Breeders Crown but it's great to have that dream come true."

Right: Fourth place finisher and beaten favorite Sylvia Hanover first time by. The Shawn Steacy trainee has a 2025 record of 6 wins, 5 seconds, and 1 thirds in 14 starts earning $629,013 (Canadian) for owner Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc.

Left:Winning trainer Todd Luther and driver Austin Hanners celebrate with the trophy. Winning owner Greg Luther said, "Honestly, going down the backside, I felt we were a winner, because this mare never gets tired and she can take a lot of air. Everything just worked out perfectly for us on this big track. It's always great to be able to celebrate with family and this has been just a wonderful experience for us."

Right: Always B Naughty heads back to the barn after the race.

Kicking off Breeders Crown Saturday was the $400,000 Open Mare Trot (G1) featuring a field of 8 (after Call Me Goo scratched), with Hambletonian Maturity, Steele Stakes, and Girl Power runner-up Warrawee Michelle sent off as the 4-5 favorite over 7-2 second choice Elista Hanover, third in the Dayton Oaks, and 4-1 third choice Date Night Hanover, winner of the Allerage. Date Night Hanover was quickest away through an opening quarter of 26 2/5 before Elista Hanover took over through a half in 54 3/5 and 3/4 in 1:22 3/5 while pressed by Date Night Hanover and stalked by 6-1 fourth choice M M's Dream. Elista Hanover opened a 2 1/2 length lead midstretch but Warrawee Michelle, confidently driven by owner-trainer Ake Svanstedt, rallied to get up by a head in a new stakes, track, and Canadian record time of 1:50 2/5, and is also the fastest mile trot in Crown history. It was another 3/4 length back to 25-1 Nelsonbriteeagle No third.

Results chart Race 2

Left: Warrawee Michelle in the winner's circle. Winning driver and co-owner Ake Stanstedt said, "It was far back in the last turn, but she came home really good. It was so tight, so I couldn't see any horses between, but I'm happy that we won. She's a very good horse, and good horses are special."

Right: Warrawee Michelle returns after the race. Winning co-owner David Stolz said, "It's always fun when you're with your friends, when you're with your partners, and when you win, especially when you win a race like this where it looked like the horse was out of the race. He (Svanstedt) drove the horse beautifully tonight, and it's a thrill here. I love the people here. It's just nice. It's a wonderful place, a great venue."

Left: Winning driver and co-owner Ake Stanstedt celebrates with the trophy.

Right: Presentation of the Charlie Keller Memorial Award to owner Ake Svanstedt for breeder Warrawee Farm. Charlie Keller was a passionate supporter of the sport of harness racing, and when he died in 2021, he left an honorarium to the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown for a gift to the winning breeder of the Breeders Crown Mare Trot for the next ten years.

On to Part 2 for the Colt and Gelding races

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