Breeders Crown champion The Last Martini continued preparations for her four-year-old campaign, winning her second straight qualifier at Pocono Downs on Wednesday, April 1.
Jason Bartlett, who was in the sulky for The Last Martini's New York Sire Stakes Championship win last year, reunited with the millionairess for her back-to-back qualifying starts at Pocono for trainer Jared Bako and owner Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Wallenstein, Ont.
In her latest outing on Wednesday morning with heavy track conditions, The Last Martini tracked the leaving Southwind Celsius (Tyler Buter) through a :28.4 opening panel while the parked-out Greatest Ending (Matt Kakakley) worked his way to the top in front of the grandstand then raced to the half in :56.3 with the top trio gaining separation from the rest of the field.
With Bartlett making his move down the backstretch, The Last Martini quickly swept up alongside Greatest Ending heading to three-quarters in 1:25.2 and they raced in tandem around the final turn with Southwind Celsius shooting through inside down the stretch. The Last Martini forged ahead at the end of a :27.4 final frame to win in 1:53.1. The mile time was the fastest of the 11-race qualifying session.
The Last Martini sits on the verge of $1.6 million in career earnings with a record reading 10-7-2 in 25 starts, highlighted by a dead heat win with favourite Miki And Minnie at odds of 68-1 in last year's Grade 1 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park. She is eligible to the 2026 Roses Are Red Stakes in June at Mohawk.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of The Last Martini in the 2025 Breeders Crown)