Washington, PA, — Odds On Hail Mary blazed home in 1:49, matching the track record for sophomore filly pacers in Saturday’s (June 10) Pennsylvania Sires Stake at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. When C Is For Cookie captured the second division of the $146,946 Adios Betty, it gave trainer Linda Toscano a stakes sweep.

Odds On Hail Mary blazed home in 1:49, matching the track record for sophomore filly pacers. Chris Gooden photo.

The lightly raced Odds On Hail Mary never had won a stake before, but she moved confidently to the top at the quarter for Dave Palone. The daughter of Heston Blue Chip-Mach Some Noise shrugged off the first-over challenge from Hello Yes Hi and drew off to defeat Ginger Tree Coco by 4-1/2 lengths, with Square Deal third.

“I wasn’t thinking about records,” Palone said. “She was well within herself. She was bouncing along there, comfortable, and I never had a nervous moment because she was in the bit letting me know she was full of herself.”

Her time equaled the mark of Allstar Rating and Blue Diamond Eyes. It also lowered the previous stake record of 1:49.2 established by Philly Hanover in 2019. Odds On Racing campaigns Odds On Hail Mary.

C Is For Cookie held off the late charge of Daffled Hanover to down her by a head in a career-fastest 1:50.1. Chris Gooden photo.

As the daughter of Hall of Fame broodmare Sweet Future and a half-sister to world champions Sweet Lou and Bettor Sweet, C Is For Cookie appeared destined for early success. But she missed her entire freshman season with an ankle injury. This year, she’s on her way to fulfilling that promise, with seven wins in 10 starts and earnings of $126,734 for owner/breeder Birnam Wood Farms.

On Saturday, she moved first up from fourth for Aaron Merriman, put away the leader, Always B Naughty, and held off the late charge of Daffled Hanover to down her by a head in a career-fastest 1:50.1. My Little Captain earned show.

“I know she maybe doesn’t have the credentials some of the others in here have, but she’d won six races this year,” Merriman said. “This mare has a great family, and if you don’t have to pull until after the five-eighths, it’s worth giving them a shot. Her gait was a little bumpy, so I had to drive on her and keep the bit in her mouth at the same time.”

$60,000 PA Stallion Series — 3-Year-Old Filly Pacers

Calliope Hanover, Hungry Lizzo and My Hungry Girl won splits in Saturday’s sub-feature. Chris Page fashioned a stake double behind Hungry Lizzo and My Hungry Girl while Stay Hungry enjoyed a stallion sweep.

Calliope Hanover was asked to go much faster than she’d ever gone before, but the daughter of Stay Hungry-Castaway Hanover was up to the task, edging Nevertellmetheodds by a head in the Lightning Lane in 1:52. Falana Hanover completed the ticket.

“I was committed to the inside,” said Mike Wilder, who drove Calliope Hanover for trainer Brad Buxton and owners Joellen Buxton, Harold Altman Jr. and Vavlin Racing LLC. “Before I even reached the Lightning Lane, I knew I would have to go left. She’s quick as a cat off the gate, and Brad has her rigged well. She hasn’t seen those kinds of numbers before, but she did it like she’s been doing it all her life.”

Merriman and Page each piloted three winners on the 14-race card.

Live racing at The Meadows resumes Wednesday when the program features a $1,103.60 carryover in the Early Pentafecta (race four). First post is 12:45 p.m.