Breeders Crown: Tactical Moni marches to victory in Open Mares Trot final

Tactical Moni grinded out a tough trip to win the $400,000 Breeders Crown Mare Trot in 1:51 against nine stiff rivals Friday (Oct. 24) at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Warrawee Michelle, who won last year's Mare Trot, finished second and Walspea was third.

Piloted by Dexter Dunn for trainer Marcus Melander, the 4-year-old homebred daughter of Tactical Landing-All Our Moni notched her second win of the season and her 12th lifetime victory. Her seasonal earnings now stand at $269,491 and her career bankroll now sports a pot of $515,291 for owner Moni Maker Stable.

"She hasn't raced too much this year," said Dunn, who picked up his third Breeders Crown triumph at Scioto Downs this weekend with the victory. "But she's put in some really good miles and really came alive lately. When I moved her, she really trotted well and straightened out in the stretch and was strong."

Tactical Moni's time of 1:51 equaled her Scioto Downs track record clocking, set at the five-eighths-mile oval last week, on Oct. 16, in a Breeders Crown prep event.

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"It means a lot to win this race as these aren't easy races to win, so I appreciate the opportunity to do well here," Dunn added. "She's really a powerful mare. She was trotting good the whole way and kept her balance despite running-in in the turns."

When the wings of the starting gate folded, it was a stampede of horses gunning for position into the first turn, with eventual fourth-place finisher R Dutchess (driven by Tim Tetrick) nabbing a slim lead in a 26 2/5 first quarter. However, her position was quickly overtaken by the hard-trying Warrawee Michelle (Ake Svanstedt), who was then collared by Walspea (Yannick Gringras) to the 55 1/5 half.

Dunn then moved Tactical Moni from fourth, first-over, charging up on the outside to take over the lead at the 1:22 4/5 three-quarters. Despite running in just a bit, Tactical Moni straightened out and looked much the best, trotting strongly all the way to the wire.

Warrawee Michelle held on for second, beaten 2 3/4 lengths, with Walspea third.

Unraced at age 2, this was Tactical Moni's first appearance in a Breeders Crown event. She took a career mark of 1:50 3/5 at Lexington as a 3-year-old in 2025 in the final of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series. She is the ninth and most prolific foal out of the Self Possessed mare All Our Moni.

Dunn increased his Breeders Crown trophy total to 26 with the win. Melander, who notched his second Breeders Crown victory of the weekend, upped his career total to nine.

Sent off as the even-money favorite, Tactical Moni paid $4 to win.