Making his first start against older stakes horses and getting weight from them, 3-year-old Maximus Meridius contested the pace on a sloppy track and pushed clear late to win the Dec. 29 Gravesend Stakes over a sloppy Aqueduct racing surface. That was a strong effort, yet Maximus Meridius in his first start at 4 might have run better, setting the pace and turning back a stern midstretch challenge from Runninsonofagun to win the $175,000 Toboggan Stakes by a neck Saturday at Aqueduct. Shaking loose on the lead after breaking from the rail under Mychel Sanchez, Maximus Meridius went his opening quarter mile in 22.95 while chased by Nelson Avenue, who had folded his hand by the time the leader hit the quarter pole 45.90 seconds after race timing began. Runninsonofagun, third into the turn, took up the chase and came close to sticking his nose in front at the furlong grounds, but as Runninsonofgun drifted out, Maximus Meridius stayed on stoutly and was drawing away at the finish. Full Moon Madness, who broke poorly, finished 2 1/2 lengths farther back in third and a head in front of 7-5 favorite Coastal Mission, who loomed at the quarter pole after stalking the pace but showed no late spark. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Maximus Meridius was timed in 1:23.36 for seven furlongs over a fast track and paid a generous $14.80 while getting two pounds from the runner-up but conceding four to the show horse. A Pennsylvania-bred trained by Butch Reid, Maximus Meridius is by Maximus Mischief out of the Quiet American mare Quiet Virtue. Reid owns the gelding in partnership with L C Racing and Cash Is King. Maximus Meridius was bred by Westerly Farm. Maximus Meridius now has three wins from five starts since Reid stopped racing the horse in blinkers. A useful 3-year-old, Maximus Meridius is on the cusp of reaching graded-stakes class at age 4. Vollyballprincess spikes Ruthless Stakes Volleyballprincess, a 10-1 shot in a five-horse field, won the $121,250 Ruthless Stakes by 10 lengths earlier on the Saturday card. Left distantly in the wake of pacesetting Volleyballprincess was the field’s second-longest price, Ourdaydreaminggirl, who went off just shy of 10-1 in this sprint race for 3-year-old fillies. Trainer Louis Linder, who notched two stakes wins combined during 2023-24, swept the unexpected exacta. Hollywoodbeauty finished third, 1 1/4 lengths out of second and 2 3/4 better than fourth-place Moonlit Lady, the 11-10 favorite who was coming off a modest debut sprint win and never came close to reaching contention. No one at all came close to Volleyballprincess, who quickly assumed command under Eliseo Ruiz, went her opening half in 47.18, and turned a 1 1/2-length lead at the quarter pole into an eight-length advantage at the furlong grounds. A debut winner at Parx Racing in October, Volleyballprincess in her second start finished third beaten nine lengths by Hollywoodbeauty in a minor sloppy-track Parx stakes. By Mo Town out of Prom Dress, by Stephen Got Even, Volleyballprincess campaigns for Bam Jam Stable and David Clark, and was bred in North Carolina by Frank Batten. She paid $22, a big price on such an easy winner. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.