by Evan Pattak, for the Meadows

Washington, PA — The odds seemed stacked against Dragon’s Tale in Friday’s (May 3) $34,000 championship of the My Drag Queen Pace at The Meadows.

Chris Gooden photo

Dragon’s Tale was a 1:52.2 winner in the My Drag Queen Pace.

She’d finished no better than third in the preliminary legs, and near the three-quarter pole in Friday’s final, her sulky suffered a flat tire. But when the Lightning Lane beckoned, she poured through for Mike Wilder to pull off a 13-1 upset and claim the championship in the series for 3-year-old fillies.

Despite her losses in the first three legs, neither Wilder nor trainer Doug Snyder wrote off the daughter of Dragon Again-Born Storyteller.

“I actually thought she had a shot,” Wilder said. “I thought that if they threw up numbers, there was no question she could win. She’s a very talented filly with a great attitude. Some things had to happen for her, but I knew if she got daylight, she would explode.”

Snyder, who conditions Dragon’s Tale for owner/breeder Ron Mario, was just as strong on his filly’s chances.

“I definitely thought she had a chance because she was pacing so good at the wire last week,” Snyder said. “She was charted in :27.2 coming home, but I paced a quarter faster than that after the race. She’s a nice filly, and she’s just learning.”

In the final, Dragon’s Tale angled off the cones from fourth down the backside to challenge the leader, Native Dream, but was able to ease back to the pylons when her cover stalled. That was the key to the Lightning Lane charge that carried her to victory in a career-best 1:52.2, two lengths better than Native Dream. R Marie Hanover finished third.

Snyder said Dragon’s Tale would be pointed to Pennsylvania Sires Stakes, which begin later this month.

Aaron Merriman drove four winners on the 12-race card.