Washington, PA — Refreshed by a :30 second-quarter breather, Lydeo held on for a front-end score in Wednesday’s (April 6) $12,500 opening leg of the Ruby Cook Memorial Pace at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.

Lydeo had ample energy left in the homestretch to outlast the inside threat of Gray Skies in the first round of the Ruby Cook Memorial Pace. Chris Gooden photo.

Lydeo reached the point after a contested :27.1 opening panel. But when Hunter Myers slowed the pace thereafter, Lydeo was able to thwart the Lightning Lane charge of Gray Skies and down her by a half length in 1:52.2. Sharp Looker finished third.

Trainer Randy Bendis shares ownership of Lydeo, a daughter of Sweet Lou and Show The World who won her second straight, with Reed Broadway and Pollack Racing LLC.

The series for 3-year-old fillies honors the memory of Ruby Cook, longtime switchboard operator at The Meadows.

In the $16,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace, Tonianne shot the Lightning Lane to triumph in a career best 1:51.3 over a “good” surface for Brady Brown, trainer Dane Snyder and owner Linwood Higgins. The 4-year-old daughter of Somebeachsomewhere and Table Talk lifted her lifetime bankroll to $128,234. Lady Newton and Game Of Shadows completed the ticket.

It was one of three wins for Brown on the 11-race card.

Life racing at The Meadows continues Thursday (April 7), when the 12-race program features a pair of carryovers: $3,258.62 in the final-race Super Hi-5 and $2,682.20 in the Jackpot Pick-5 (races 4-8). First post is 12:45 p.m.