Miki And Minnie powers past to win $156,500 Grade 2 Lady Liberty

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The Chris Ryder tandem of Twin B Joe Fresh and Miki And Minnie renewed their rivalry in the stretch of the $156,500 Grade 2 Lady Liberty on Saturday (Aug. 8) at The Meadowlands with Miki And Minnie scoring the winning blow in a 1:48 mile.

Twin B Joe Fresh, a two-time Dan Patch Award winner, shot out of post 7 to control the pace, followed to the :27.4 first quarter by Unreasonable, Miki And Minnie  – last year’s Dan Patch 3-Year-Old Pacing Filly champ – and the other five parading to a :54.2 half. The only movement in the backstretch came when driver James MacDonald initiated his attack off the pylons with Miki And Minnie, aiming at her stablemate as she scorched towards three-quarters in 1:21.3.

Miki And Minnie chased Twin B Joe Fresh with purpose in a gutsy stretch battle. “I’ve never seen Miki And Minnie give up,” trainer Chris Ryder said about Miki And Minnie after the race. “I never count her out. She was down about 2-1/2 lengths not far into the stretch [from Twin B Joe Fresh] but it did not surprise me she made it.”

MIKI AND MINI REPLAY

In the :26.2 final quarter, Miki And Minnie tucked to draft behind her stablemate before laying a final siege in the closing eighth of a mile. She smoothly surged by and put away Twin B Joe Fresh for a half-length win with Louies Girl N finishing third and Rodeo Drive Deo fourth.

“I’m just pleased to see them go the races they’re supposed to go,” Ryder said about his mares finishing first and second. “From week to week, you can get a little nervous when they’re going to the gate just to make sure they perform, but I’m delighted with both of them.” Ryder also said the pair will be heading north for the Milton Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park in a few weeks.

Miki And Minnie, a double-millionaire homebred 4-year-old by Always B Miki out of the Roll With Joe mare That’s The Ticket, competes for owners Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo and Lawrence Minowitz. Miki And Minnie boosted her bankroll to $2,329,227 in her 25^th win from 34 starts while collecting her sixth win from eight starts this season. Sent the slight favorite over Twin B Joe Fresh, she paid $4.20 to win.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Frank Cotolo, for The Meadowlands