Mineola, a bay filly bred by Casual Trick out of Sweet Trail, shed her maiden status in a native-bred maiden call for three-year-olds over 7½ furlongs.
Trained Jason DaCosta and piloted by the experienced Robert Halledeen, Mineola broke smartly from the gates, Mineola briefly flirted with the lead before Halledeen, reading the early tempo like a seasoned conductor, eased her into third. That allowed You’re My Sweetie (Dane Dawkins) and Chasing My Dream (Garvin Harris) to dictate the early fractions down the backstretch.
But Mineola was never truly out of rhythm.
As the field approached the half-mile marker, Halledeen gave the signal—and the filly responded with a fluent surge, slicing past rivals with a turn of foot that left no doubt. By the time they straightened for home, Mineola had already put daylight between herself and the rest.
Papi Uso (Dick Cardenas) and He’s Sensational (Shaheem Gordon) gave chase, but the race had long been settled. Mineola coasted to the wire, ears pricked, stride unbroken—a filly in full command of her craft.
