Thorn in their side: Miki And Minnie takes Roses Are Red

13/06/2026

MILTON, June 13, 2026 – Miki And Minnie, sent on her way as the 8-5 choice, rocketed home to take all the spoils in the Grade 1 $320,000 Roses Are Red final at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday.

Miki And Minnie, with James MacDonald in the race bike, sat an unhurried fifth through a :26.0 first quarter carved out by Skywalker Sea in the pacing fixture for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up. Grit N Grace tracked in second, followed by The Last Martini and Twin B Joe Fresh, winner of the past two editions of the race.

Skywalker Sea continued to control the flow, while Twin B Joe Fresh was directed to the outside by Dexter Dunn ahead of a half in :54.1. MacDonald and Miki And Minnie were on the move soon after, winding up with a spirited outside rush.

It was Skywalker Sea, at 49-1, still calling the shots through three-quarters in 1:21.1, but a host of rivals came calling, including Miki and Minnie, who stormed to the lead in mid-stretch, and then fended off a serious late surge from The Last Martini to post a three-quarter length win in a new career-best mark of 1:48.1. Louies Girl N, who won her Roses Are Red elimination last Saturday, finished third. Talk Curdy To Me, at 75-1, was fourth.

“Like I said to Chris (trainer, Ryder) before, you know, when you have a great horse, I find they find good trips on their own,” said MacDonald, who teamed with Miki And Minnie to win their Roses Are Red elimination in 1:50.2. “She's such a special mare, and it's just been a privilege to get to sit behind her.

"It's one thing to see them race and do it all the time, but another thing to sit behind them. I knew she probably would kick back on, but I knew I had two good ones chasing her, and I was just really happy that she kept digging."

Added Ryder, who also trains Twin B Joe Fresh, “I didn't have any qualms about her going against the older horses. She's done it before. We laid her off and brought her back, and she's just an easy horse to train. She's just a terrific filly.”

A four-year-old daughter of Always B Miki out of the Roll With Joe mare Thats The Ticket, Miki And Minnie is 2-0-1 from three starts this season and 21-6-2 from 29 lifetime starts, along with nearly $3 million in purse earnings for owners and breeders Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo, and Lawrence Minowitz.

She paid $5.30 for the win.

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Chris Lomon, Woodbine Mohawk Park