Irish Maxima notched her first career stakes victory with a pace-pressing triumph in Sunday’s $100,000 Weather Vane for fillies and mares racing six furlongs at Laurel Park. Trained by John Servis for Irish Three Racing, Irish Maxima tracked the leaders while three wide as favored Youalmosthadme and Carmelina sparred for the lead through an opening quarter in 22.05 seconds. Irish Maxima advanced outside Youalmosthadme after a half-mile clocking of 45.52 and continued under jockey Frankie Pennington to prevail by three-quarters of a length in 1:11.25 over the good track. Youalmosthadme worked hard from her far outside post to gain forward position, and held second, a neck ahead of Roanan Goddess. Then came Discreet Ops, Carmelina, Cap Classique, Vincey Girl, Yellow Feathers, Runaway Diva, Brookmesa and Dewey Doit. Popover Gal and Miss Harriett scratched. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Irish Maxima returned $20.20 as the sixth choice in the wagering. Bred in Kentucky by Pillar Property Services Inc., Irish Maxima sold for $65,000 as a yearling before being purchased by Servis for $50,000 as a May 2-year-old in training. Irish Maxima won her first two starts last year by a combined 9 1/4 lengths. She then ran fifth behind eventual 2-year-old filly champion Just F Y I in the Grade 1 Frizette before finishing 10th of 11 in the Fern Creek Stakes at Churchill on Nov. 25. “She showed [talent] from day one,” Servis said. “That’s why I got a little crazy and aggressive with her early on. I thought that she would be a Grade 1 filly. Mentally, I don’t think she was ready for what I threw at her. The owners are great. I kicked her out to give her a little time to mature, and that’s what she did. She came back running.” Irish Maxima returned from a lengthy layoff to win her Weather Vane prep, a second-level allowance at Delaware on Aug. 22. While her three prior wins came in front-running fashion, Servis believed that Irish Maxima would successfully rate off horses. “I called Frankie on the way down there, and said there was a lot of speed in there, and she does not have to be in front. She has really good speed, so if she breaks on top and she’s in front, don’t compromise her, but she doesn’t have to be there.” Irish Maxima is by Maximus Mischief out of stakes-winning synthetic router Palace Pier. Her second dam, La Belle Danse, was stakes-placed routing on dirt. Servis mentioned the $200,000 Cheryl C. White Memorial Stakes on Nov. 25 at Mahoning Valley as a potential next race for Irish Maxima. *Twixt Stakes Trainer Jorge Delgado made the right move by scratching Miss New York from last Wednesday’s Obeah Stakes at Delaware to compete in the $100,000 Twixt for fillies and mares contested over a one-turn mile. A 4-year-old filly by Good Magic, Miss New York found the early catbird seat behind Continentalcongres and Mystic Pleasure as those two pacesetters rolled through fractions of 23.90 and 47.51 seconds. Mystic Pleasure put her pace rival away after six furlongs in 1:12.29, but faced immediate pressure from Miss New York, who pounced three wide turning into the long stretch. Miss New York displayed her stamina in the final furlong, holding firm to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Princess Indy, the lone 3-year-old in the field. Mystic Pleasure faltered to third, ahead of Reclusive and Continentalcongres. Miss Justify and Saddle Up Jessie scratched after running earlier in the week. Miss New York polished off the mile in 1:38.72 and returned $6.20 as the public’s second favorite. A $115,000 weanling pinhooked for $145,000 as a yearling, Miss New York began her career in England, where she placed twice from four starts. A maiden winner over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface in 2022, she blossomed last year with a win in Monmouth’s Lady’s Secret Stakes as well as two stakes placings, including a second in the Twixt. Bought back for $575,000 in November after failing to meet her reserve, Miss New York returned to the races with a fifth-place effort in a high-level allowance sprinting at Parx Racing. With that prep out of the way, Miss New York beat Continentalcongres by 3 1/2 lengths in a Laurel allowance at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 17. Miss New York is out of Grade 2-winning dirt router Luna Vega. Her second dam, Donnavega, was a multiple stakes winner. Miss New York’s lifetime record stands at 5 wins from 17 starts for earnings of $253,842. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.