Three-year-old trotting filly Maya Patel Hanover had lifetime earnings over $100,000 but zero lifetime wins heading into the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows on Friday, May 15.

Driver Dave Palone landed the Captain Corey-My First Lady filly in third before angling out in the final turn and out-sprinting Atlantic Summer (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) to the wire. The Åke Svanstedt trainee used a :27.3 final quarter to earn her first victory from nine lifetime starts, winning her season's debut in 1:54.2 by 1-3/4 lengths. Chestnut Kelly (Mike Wilder) edged out favourite Ginger Tree Lex (Matt Kakaley) for third.

Maya Patel Hanover, a runner-up to Ginger Tree Lex in the PASS Championship as a rookie, now boasts career earnings of $196,219 for owner Åke Svanstedt Inc. of Wrightstown, New Jersey and Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky.

Maya Patel Hanover won the fastest of two $67,570 PASS divisions, with the other going to Wendalyn Hanover, who was sent right to the lead by Ronnie Wrenn Jr. and faced a brief challenge in the final turn by eventual breaker Ellie Hanover (Dave Palone) and a late surge from favourite Frattina Diablo S (Mike Wilder) before holding on for the lifetime-best 1:54.4 victory by a nose. Amidala Hanover (Brady Brown) took third.

Wendalyn Hanover, an Arden Downs Stakes winner at The Meadows in her freshman season, topped the six-figure earnings mark with her third win from 11 career starts. Vernon Beachy trains the Greenshoe-Won And Done filly for the Ohio ownership group of 518 Group, Ryan Smith and Gitup Racing.

Four $27,397 divisions of the Stallion Series led up to the day’s main events with the Wrenn and Beachy combination sending out the fastest of those winners in JL Serenity. Wrenn secured the two-hole for the Captain Corey-Cheesy Hanover filly through an opening quarter of :27.3 then used the Lightning Lane and a :28.2 final quarter to seal the victory over popular pacesetter Berry Good New (David Palone) in a career-best 1:54.4. 518 Group and Ryan Smith also own this filly.

The other Stallion Series winners were: Dulcinea Hanover (Nico Karna), who scored a maiden-breaking win in 1:55 for trainer Noel Daley; popular winner Sister Wine (Andy Miller) in 1:56.3 for the Julie Miller stable; and Cocktail Captain (Mike Wilder) in 1:55.4 for an 58-1 upset for conditioner Nathan Bresnahan.

For the day, driver Dave Palone took top honours with four victories, while trainer Brandon Presto edged Vernon Beachy three wins to two. 

Racing resumes at The Meadows on Saturday, May 16 at 12:45 p.m.

(MSOA & Standardbred Canada; photo of Maya Patel Hanover winning on May 15)