by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows

Meadow Lands, PA — Coulantine, an undefeated filly who had won her previous races on the front end, showed both versatility and talent, trotting home in 1:58⁴ to take the fastest division of the $99,268 Arden Downs stake for two-year-old filly trotters on Tuesday night at The Meadows.

The event, split into a record seven divisions, kicked off Adios Week at The Meadows, five consecutive days of Grand Circuit racing highlighted by the $500,500 Coors Delvin Miller Adios for three-year-old pacers on Saturday. The Adios has attracted a record 27 entrants.

Other winners in the Arden Downs, a stake known as The Judge Joe McGraw, were The Great Pacific, Traci Spur, Odessa Hall, Up Front Lisa, Centerfold Hall and Centerfold Kosmos. The track was rated “good” throughout the card.

Chris Gooden Photo

Coulantine and Dave Palone won the fastest Arden Downs division on Tuesday.

Coulantine’s triumphs in a division of the Reynolds Memorial and a Pennsylvania Sires Stake — her only two starts — were so facile that she showed nothing but “1’s” on her charted lines. That, said trainer Doug Miller, was becoming a concern.

“Regardless of how the race went tonight, I wanted to race her out of a hole,” Miller said. “With two-year-olds, you don’t want them on the front end all the time. Either their attitude gets bad or they get too aggressive. We thought it was important, more important than even winning the race, to race her from behind.”

Coulantine sat a patient third until the stretch, when Dave Palone asked for her best. She trotted off to a handy four length victory over Possessed Bydreams, with Sundance Kosmos in third.

Miller, Doug Kistler, Dave French and Stephan Kallas own Coulantine, a daughter of Lindy Lane. Her mile equaled the national season’s mark for age, gait and track size.

Chris Gooden Photo

Dick Stillings piloted Odessa Hall to a victory in their Arden Downs division.

Odessa Hall’s win in 1:59² was nearly as impressive, as driver Dick Stillings used her for early position, then pulled the pocket down the back side for an extended drive and a two length victory over Drinks Like A Fish. Michele Lavec was another half length back in third.

Trainer Bill Cottongim, whose wife Sue owns Odessa Hall, noted that the daughter of Garland Lobell gets a kick out of hard work — and too many other things.

“We’ve had a little bad luck with her,” Cottongim said. “We had to scratch her out of a $100,000 race at the Meadowlands because of her kicking problem. She got in the trailer and started kicking. I don’t know what started it, but she got in the habit of it. If I can ship her, she’s a helluva nice horse. She’s getting better. I started to use kicking chains on her, and it seems to help a lot.”

A $13,000 yearling purchase, Odessa Hall may trot next in the Review Stake at Springfield, Illinois.

The Great Pacific, a daughter of American Winner owned by Bob Key and trained by Billy Herman, left the gate well but was shuffled back to third for the stretch drive. She used the “Lightning Lane” to fashion her two length victory, an inside route that frightens or confuses some youngsters.

“You always have that concern,” said driver Charlie Norris, “but she seemed to be steady. Billy said she was improving and getting better to drive, so I really wasn’t worried. Billy had a little trouble with her at the beginning, but she’s coming around. He has her figured out. She can trot a lot.”

Finishing behind The Great Pacific were Liberty Trust and Salida Hanover.

Traci Spur, a daughter of S J’s Photo who was winless in four starts, acquitted herself well in the Merrie Annabelle at the Meadowlands, finishing fifth in the $450,620 final.

In the Arden Downs, she and Stillings found themselves in an unaccustomed spot — the front end — thanks to miscues by the early leaders. The filly also had to deal with a broken hopple that Stillings noticed in the stretch. Nevertheless, she won by one and a quarter lengths in 2:03³. Bringherover got the place money, with first-time starter Armbro Camelot finishing third.

“She’s trained in the two hole all year,” Stillings said. “Once a nice horse races three or four times, they know what they’re out there for. She kind of grabbed into me at the three-quarter pole when horses came at her. She did most of it herself.”

Buddy Stillings trains Traci Spur for Roy Davis.

The Arden Downs brought a training victory for the Harness Hall of Fame’s most recent inductee, John Simpson, Jr., who conditions Up Front Lisa for Ed Mullinax.

Palone worked out a second-over trip for the daughter of Lindy Lane, who showed no hesitation about passing horses.

“She’s been that way since I broke her,” Simpson said. “She always finishes her miles like that. If they went a mile in three minutes, she would do the same thing. She has a good attitude.”

Up Front Lisa scored in 2:00¹ over Flawless Bluestone and Joyful Sakra.

Racing continues at The Meadows with an added card on Wednesday night, featuring five divisions of the $97,000 Arden Downs two-year-old filly pace. Post time is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.