OZONE PARK, N.Y.  - Frankie Pennington wanted to use Irish Maxima’s natural speed to establish a clear lead, then get her to relax and have something left for the finish in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian Stakes at Aqueduct. The first part went according to plan. The second, not so much. Still, Irish Maxima had just enough to hold off a late-running Cassiar and win the Ruffian by a length. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Inefficiency, the 8-5 favorite, in third. The victory was the third straight and 11th from 18 starts for Irish Maxima, a 5-year-old daughter of Maximus Mischief owned by Irish Three Racing and trained by John Servis. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Irish Maxima, who won for the third time in five starts at Aqueduct, roared out of the gate and opened a 2 1/2-length advantage through a quarter in 22.74 seconds and a half-mile in 45.02 seconds. Irish Maxima, who wanted no part of being rated after that, had a six-length advantage through six furlongs in 1:09.22 and seven furlongs in 1:22.33 before beginning to tire. Irish Maxima’s lead was too much to overcome as she completed a mile in 1:36.51 (90 Beyer Speed Figure) over a good track that was harrowed. Irish Maxima returned $14.44 to win “She’s got so much speed. As soon as she broke out of the gate, I just tried to grab her pretty quick to get her to relax and as soon as I grabbed her she was like ‘I’m going to play with you, I’m going to do what I want to do’ and she did,” Pennington said. Robert O’Neill, part of Irish Three Racing which owns Irish Maxima, said it was Servis’s idea to try the mile. Irish Maxima had tried the mile only once previously, as a 2-year-old in the Grade 1 Frizette, but finished fifth over a sloppy track. “He’s always said he thinks she’ll be a really good miler because she runs seven so good and usually has something left,” O’Neill said. Pennington said he thinks Irish Maxima is more effective going shorter. “I feel the one-turn mile is okay, but still in my opinion her best distance is 6 1/2 to seven furlongs,” Pennington said. There are two dirt sprints at seven furlongs this spring and summer in Saratoga including the Grade 2, $300,000 Bed o’ Roses on June 5 and the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina on Aug. 29. Take the A Train Cadenza, hammered down to 3/2 favoritism late, made the money look smart, winning the $150,000 Take the A Train Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by a half-length over the late-running Kingsolver. Cadenza won for the second time in as many starts on turf, having won a maiden race at Saratoga last Aug. 28. In that race, she soundly defeated One More Guitar, who was the favorite for a long time in the Take the A Train. One More Guitar, a closer who got off slowly, finished a well-beaten sixth as the 4-1 second choice. Cadenza worked a sweet trip under Manny Franco, who kept the filly an up-close fourth behind Alpenglow and Sweet Montreal, who dueled through a half-mile in 45.01 seconds. Cadenza swept three-wide at the top of the lane, took control above the eighth pole, before setting for the half-length score. “It was a good head's-up ride from Manny,” said Dustin Dugas, assistant to winning trainer Brad Cox. “He was able to settle her, and she kicked in when he asked. She's only been here for two days, but she seems like a very straightforward filly to deal with in the mornings. She has a good mind on her and that takes her a long way.” Cadenza, a daughter of Charlatan, owned by Stonestreet Stables, covered the six furlongs over firm turf in 1:08.76 and returned $5.10 as the favorite. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.