Tactical Moni grinded out a tough trip to win the $563,380 Breeders Crown Mare Trot in 1:51 against nine stiff rivals Friday (Oct. 24) at Eldorado Scioto Downs. 

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 first quarter. However, her position was quickly overtaken by the hard-trying defending champion Warrawee Michelle (Åke Svanstedt), who was then collared by Walspea (Yannick Gingras) to the :55.1 half.

Driver Dexter Dunn then moved Tactical Moni from fourth, first-over, charging up on the outside to take over the lead just after the 1:22.4 three-quarter-mile marker. 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 just back in third.

“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.”

Trained by Marcus Melander, Tactical Moni is a four-year-old homebred daughter of Tactical Landing-All Our Moni owned by Moni Maker Stable of Enfield, Connecticut. She notched her second win of the season and her 12th lifetime victory. Her seasonal earnings now stand at $378,702 and her career bankroll now sports a pot of $721,128.

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.

“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 and she was trotting good the whole way and kept her balance despite running-in in the turns.”

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 favourite, Tactical Moni paid $4 to win.

Check in with the live stream to watch this replay and the rest of the Breeders Crown card.

(Breeders Crown)