WARRAWEE MICHELLE, TWIN B JOE FRESH REIGN IN FANDUEL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saturday, November 14, 2026

Warrawee Michelle and Twin B Joe Fresh, both voted the top of their aged class in 2025, laid their case to reclaim divisional honors as they took their respective $150,000 Grade 2 FanDuel Championship finals on Saturday night (Nov. 14) at The Meadowlands.

Warrawee Michelle, with Yannick Gingras in the bike for trainer Ave Svanstedt, was all in from start to finish to win the FanDuel Championship Final for trotting mares in a 1:51.3 effort. The 5-year-old daughter of Walner out of the Yankee Glide mare Sound Check coupled with Gingras for the first time to win her 13th race in 41 starts.

With favorite Tactical Moni breaking stride leaving the gate, longshot Women Of Passion took advantage and sped to the front with Gingras also cruising forward into a pocket seat. Gingras moved out of the pocket for the lead passing a :28 first quarter and moseyed up the backside with no challengers approaching to a :55.3 half.

Into the stretch off three-quarters in 1:24, Warrawee Michelle showed her class and accelerated with ease for a 1-1/2-length victory over Woman Of Passion. Bourbonista S rallied for third while R Dutchess drifted in her stretch bid for fourth.

Warrawee Michelle potentially finished her racing career with this score, winding up with a lifetime bankroll of $1,964,695 for owner Ake Svanstedt Inc., Santandrea Inc. and Young Guns, the latter of which includes Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural.

In the winner’s circle, Gural said “She was racing terrible earlier in the year. We took her to the vet and then raced her here at The Meadowlands and the rest of the season was smooth sailing.” Gural also said the future of the mare is uncertain. “She might become a broodmare. We don’t know yet.”

Warrawee Michelle paid $4.60 to win.

Twin B Joe Fresh topped the mare pacing division again, winning the FanDuel Championship for her cohort with a 1:49.1 performance.

Always B Naughty left best off the gate with Champagne Room settling into second and favorite Twin B Joe Fresh gliding easily in third for a moderate first quarter of :27. Twin B Joe Fresh paced up the outside lane to take over into the backstretch and coasted confidently to a :55.1 half.

Talk Curdy To Me left the pylons to push first over into the last turn while driver Dunn sat strongly with Twin B Joe Fresh as she posted three-quarters in 1:22.3. Talk Curdy To Me stepped up her charge in the stretch, but Dunn flashed a :26.3 last quarter with his charge and dusted that foe to the finish for a two-length victory. Rocket Deo ripped from last to snatch third from second-over Rodeo Drive Deo in fourth.

“It’s been the ride of a lifetime with her,” Dexter Dunn said. “Like she’s been her whole career, she’s so versatile. So I waited for the action early to settle and then I put her on the front. Once I told her in the straight she kicked away. Just a great thrill to win tonight with her. It’s so exciting when you can come down the straight and you hear the fans cheer for her. She deserves it. She’s number one, without a doubt.”

Chris Ryder trains the daughter of top sire Roll With Joe from the Captaintreacherous mare Fresh Breeze for himself and co-owners Dexter Dunn, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak. The win was her 44th in 64 starts. She became the second all-time money-winner among pacing mares with lifetime earnings of $3,586,670.

“The emotion is hard to describe,” Ryder said. “Now I’ve got to make a bad decision, whether to retire her or not. And that’s up in the air. It’s such a hard thing. I don’t want to race her just to prove some statistic. That’s not what’s important.”

Twin B Joe Fresh paid $2.10 to win.

PHOTO (Credit—Lisa Photo):
Warrawee Michelle with Yannick Gingras winning the $150,000 Grade 2 FanDuel Championship for trotting mares