Twin B Joe Fresh, the top-ranked Standardbred in the Hambletonian/Breeders Crown weekly poll, leads a talented group of six pacing mares for the $205,000 Milton Stakes on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Eliminations were not required with six pacing mares entered for this year's Milton.
Twin B Joe Fresh has been practically unstoppable this season, winning seven of eight starts, including all stakes race that she has entered. The Chris Ryder-trained four-year-old won the Roses Are Red in June at Mohawk and has since added victories in the Perfect Sting, Dorothy Haughton Memorial, Lady Liberty and Cleopatra Invitational to push her career earnings over the $2 million mark.
While Twin B Joe Fresh has hogged the top spot, the other five pacing mares entered in the Milton all sport impressive resumes.
Sylvia Hanover has been the main rival of Twin B Joe Fresh throughout their racing careers. The defending Canadian Horse of the Year has just one win in 10 starts this season, but was second in the Roses Are Red and Perfect Sting as part of five overall runner-up finishes. The lone victory for ‘Sylvia’ came in the Clara Barton Pace at Plainridge Park.
The Millar Farms homebreds, Silver Label and Prohibition Legal, will take another crack at ‘Joe Fresh’ for trainer Nick Gallucci. Silver Label was second and Prohibition Legal fourth in the Lady Liberty on Aug. 3. Both five-year-olds have made more than $1 million in their careers.
Another four-year-old in the mix is Always B Naughty. The Nancy Takter trainee won an elimination for the Roses Are Red back in June before finishing third in the final. A three-time winner this season, she enters off a strong 1:52.2 (:25.4 last quarter) qualifier on Aug. 30 at Mohawk.
Completing the six-pack for the Milton is local standout Tells On A Roll. The four-year-old Indiana-bred has been this season’s top Preferred mare at Mohawk, posting 10 wins and six other top three finishes from 17 starts. The only time the Jodie Cullen trainee missed the top three was a fourth-place finish in the Roses Are Red.
Post positions for the $205,000 Milton Stakes will be drawn this weekend.
The field of six is listed below in alphabetical order.
- Always B Naughty
- Prohibition Legal
- Silver Label
- Sylvia Hanover
- Tells On A Roll
- Twin B Joe Fresh
(With files from Woodbine)