Breeders Crown: Twin B Joe Fresh finishes first in Open Mares Pace elimination

Following wins in the Grade 1 Dayton Distaff Derby and Grade 3 Allerage Farms, Twin B Joe Fresh is poised to tackle a second Breeders Crown Mare Pace championship following a decisive 1:49 4/5 win in Saturday's (Oct. 17) lone $25,000 elimination for her division at Scioto Downs.

Sent off the 3-5 favorite among eight rivals, Twin B Joe Fresh and driver Dexter Dunn used the entirety of the first turn to clear early pace-setter Champagne Room (driven by Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) at the end of a 26 4/5 first quarter while The Last Martini (Doug McNair) stalked from third after pressing the pace at the pegs. Once in control of the terms, Twin B Joe Fresh pulled the tempo back through middle splits of 55 3/5 and 1:23 2/5 before facing a steady but mild first-over challenge from Milton winner Francent N (Louis-Philippe Roy) on the far turn.

Twin B Joe Fresh rose to the challenge with aplomb and shook free by 1 3/4 lengths in upper stretch, and she was well-within herself through a 26 2/5 sprint home to defeat Francent N by a measured length. The Last Martini angled between foes with 70 yards remaining and lifted mildly to just collar a flat Champagne Room for third, another two lengths behind.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

"She had a bit of a slow start this year, but she's back in form and back to her best," said Dunn, who shares ownership of Twin B Joe Fresh with trainer Chris Ryder and partners Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak. "She felt great post parading. She can leave the gate as fast as you want to and she relaxes after that. I couldn't be happier these last three starts with how she is."

Twin B Joe Fresh, a 6-year-old daughter of Roll With Joe-Fresh Breeze bred by Brittany Farms, has won 42 of her 62 starts to date and has earned $3,292,420 in her career. She paid $3.20 to win.

"I was impressed again," said Ryder of his star trainee. "Dex is just raving about her. She's relaxing; she's been better the last three starts. We raced her at [Harrah's Philadelphia] in an overnight and she was a little bit out of control, so we changed the bridle and I think it's helped her a lot. I think she's as good as she can be."

By virtue of her elimination win, Twin B Joe Fresh was guaranteed to draw a post position from one through six for the final. The top seven finishers qualified for the final, as did Tarapasta and Unreasonable, whose connections accepted byes.

The complete field for next Saturday's (Oct. 24) $443,000 Breeders Crown Mare Pace final, in post position order, is as follows:

1-The Last Martini
2-Talk Curdy To Me
3-Francent N
4-Rocket Deo
5-Tarapasta
6-Twin B Joe Fresh
7-Champagne Room
8-Rodeo Drive Deo
9-Unreasonable