Washington, PA – Ideal Bubby scored an impressive front-end victory in Monday’s (March 2) opening leg of the Donna Dunn Memorial Pace at The Meadows. Rusty Décor and Vibrent Kally captured the other $12,500 splits in the series for 3- and 4-year-old fillies and mares.

Ideal Bubby posted a career best 1:54.2 to win the opening leg of the Donna Dunn Memorial Pace today at the Meadows. Chris Gooden photo.

Ideal Bubby won only two of her first 38 starts but has come to hand for trainer Bill Kreutzer, who owns the 4-year-old mare with Denton Barrett, winning her last two. She captured Monday’s division for Aaron Merriman in a series-fastest 1:54.2, by far the swiftest mark of her career and 3/4 lengths better than Windsun Juno. Jackpot Jessie completed the ticket.

The Donna Dunn Memorial, which honors the memory of the longtime Meadows horsewoman, is one of four late-closing series kicking off this week. The championship leg of each is set for Friday, March 20.

Tony Hall piloted four winners on the 13-race card.

Live racing at The Meadows continues Tuesday (March 3) when the program features a $12,651.31 carryover in the final-race Super Hi 5 and a $5,000 total-pool guarantee for the Pick 4 (races 3-6). First post is 1:05 p.m.