In five stakes races at Parx Racing on Wednesday, four winners scored with trips on or near the lead on a sloppy track. Mailata, a 2-year-old colt trained by Butch Reid, was quick to set the tone with an uncontested score under Mychel Sanchez in the $100,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes. “It was a little surprising, coming off the mile [race], that he was on the lead,” Reid said. “I thought I actually felt my other horse was going to be on the lead, Flyin Hawaiian, and I'd have Mailata sit off a little bit. But it didn't work out that way and [Sanchez] wasn't concerned about it.” Reid, who went on to win two stakes on the card, went to great lengths to load up on the first stakes of the day, entering three runners in the field of eight Pennsylvania-bred juveniles. Connor’s Crew scratched and Flyin Hawaiian faded to fifth, but Mailata came through for the local trainer and completed the seven-furlong sprint in 1:23.29. He paid $9.40 to win. After breaking sharply from the outside, Sanchez had little to do aboard the front-runner, managing him through an opening quarter-mile in 22.58 seconds and a half-mile in 45.32. Mister Me, the 6-5 favorite trained by Bernie Houghton, gave chase all the way around the track, but Mailata extended on the far turn and easily pulled away to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Red Zone Runner, a colt trained by Erin McClellan, stalked on the backstretch and firmly held position without making up ground on the top pair. He finished 2 1/4 lengths behind Mister Me and 12 1/2 lengths clear for third. Reid had been pointing several runners to this day at Parx and doesn’t have any firm future plans, but the trainer did say that he was considering Mailata for the $150,000 Jerome at Aqueduct on Jan. 3. Shamrock Rose The juvenile fillies might not have taken notes ahead of the $100,000 Shamrock Rose Stakes, but jockey Frankie Pennington did. Three races after finishing second behind Mailata aboard Mister Me, the veteran rider urged Divine Intentions straight to the lead and peeled off in an eerily similar three-length score.   The second Pennsylvania-bred juvenile stakes at Parx was practically a shot-for-shot remake of the first, as Divine Intentions was emphatic in her efforts to take a two-length early lead. In her second start for trainer Tyler Servis last month, the filly didn’t get the chance when she stumbled out of the gate. There were no such obstacles on Wednesday. Pennington wasn’t afraid of sending her in the six-furlong sprint and completed the opening quarter-mile in 21.91 seconds. C’est Chouette, the 9-5 favorite trained by Cal Lynch, held second all the way around the track and briefly challenged on the backstretch through a half-mile in 45.55. The challenge for the lead might have simply been a result of Pennington’s efforts to conserve his filly, because as soon as he asked her for more on the far turn, Divine Intentions kicked clear to lead by three lengths and held that margin to the wire. She completed the six-furlong distance in 1:11.60 and paid $12.40 to win. Wesawtaylorinparis, a 6-1 outsider trained by Lou Linder Jr., made up late ground on C’est Chouette but came up short for place, finishing a neck behind in third. Cornucopia Handicap  On a day that seemed to heavily favor early speed, not even a blistering duel could keep some runners out of the winner’s circle at Parx. In the $75,000 Cornucopia Handicap, the two early pacesetters ended the race as they started it, with Alani outlasting 9-5 favorite Mega Mil to win by two lengths. In his last two starts for trainer Mike Moore, Alani had run near the lead before settling for second behind stakes winners Striker Has Dial and Foxy Junior. The Cornucopia might have been a slightly softer spot, but Mega Mil and Pennington didn’t make it easy on the front end. The favorite pushed Alani and jockey Andy Hernandez through an opening quarter-mile in 21.95 seconds. It was the fastest Alani had ever run on dirt, though he showed no signs of fatigue near the end. The pressure didn’t ease through a half-mile in 44.76, as Mega Mil poked a head in front on the outside with the intent to clear Alani on the rail. Taking advantage of his track position, Hernandez kept his gelding engaged and retook the lead around the far turn. With a half-length lead at the top of the stretch, Alani finally managed to wear down Mega Mil for good and drove away at the end. Beach Daze, a 36-1 longshot trained by Farrel Mann, flew home from eighth but just missed for second, finishing a half-length behind Mega Mil. Alani’s last front-running score came in July, when he won the $100,000 Love Sign at Colonial Downs. Now a two-time stakes winner, he has done well to justify Moore’s $75,000 claim in December last year. Turkey Trot All trends have an outlier, and when two front-running longshots tried to steal the $75,000 Turkey Trot, the stars finally aligned for a closing stakes winner on Wednesday at Parx. Call Me Fast, the 7-5 favorite trained by Jamie Ness, advanced from fourth and fought all the way to the wire to prevail by a head. When the gelding entered Ness’s barn at the tail end of a rough stretch in New York, the trainer wasn’t sure if he would ever return to his old form. Once a graded stakes runner, the 6-year-old had lost 17 straight starts for other trainers since March 2023, tumbling down the ranks without success.   The grueling streak seemed to take its toll, but it ended in a flash when he won his second start for Ness by 9 1/2 lengths last month. Bettors were quick to act on the improvement and made Call Me Fast the favorite on Wednesday. Back in stakes-winning form, he paid $4.60 to win.  In his second stakes win on the card, Sanchez decided to keep Call Me Fast off the lead in the Turkey Trot, leaving 24-1 shot Awesome Flay and 17-1 shot Jamie Dreams to duel around the first turn. The duo completed the opening quarter-mile in 23.05 seconds and were similarly deadlocked through a half-mile in 46.43.  Unhurried in the mile-and-70-yard race, Call Me Fast remained in stalking position entering the far turn, allowing the Butch Reid gelding Ninetyprcentmaddie to get the jump on her with a bold bid from third. It seemed like Call Me Fast was going to easily pass him when he drew alongside, but Ninetyprcentmaddie dug in to lead by a head at the top of the stretch.  Two starts back, Ninetyprcentmaddie was similarly stubborn in the $100,000 Storm Cat, defeating Ness-trained gelding Wild Vine by a nose in a tense stretch duel. With 100 yards to go in the Turkey Trot, it seemed like the gelding might pull the same trick, only for Call Me Fast to make one last lunge near the wire for the victory. He completed the distance in 1:41.73.  Ninetyprcentmaddie, far from disgraced in second, finished 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Adero, a 5-year-old gelding trained by John Servis. Reid’s gelding has found new life stretching out to at a mile and 70 yards at Parx, as the move has now resulted in two strong showings since September. As Ness said before the race, it’s better to be a has-been than a never-was. Call Me Fast may not be a graded stakes runner these days, but for a horse that seemed hopelessly lost in the last year, his recent work with Ness has been a jolting revelation.   Let's Give Thanks Just as he kicked off stakes action as a winner at Parx, Reid also ended the Wednesday card on top when Maximus Meridius took over on the backstretch and held on to win the $75,000 Let’s Give Thanks Stakes. “He made it a little bit more exciting than it needed to be, but that's fine,” Reid said. “The outcome was good. He's a nice horse and gave a good account of himself.” Reid’s second stakes victory on the card was the third for Sanchez, who won with Call Me Fast in the Turkey Trot also rode Mailata to a front-running victory for Reid in the Pennsylvania Nursery. Bettors rode the hot hands to close out the card, as Maximus Meridius paid just $3 to win. Bernie’s Mitts took the early lead by a head in final race on the card through an opening quarter-mile in 22.56 seconds, but when that rival faded early on the backstretch, Maximus Meridius was quick to take the initiative. After dueling to a runner-up finish in the $150,000 Parx Sprint in September, Sanchez encountered far less resistance when he pushed his gelding to lead by a head through a half-mile in 45.19. When Bernie’s Mitts finally caved on the far turn, it took some time for other rivals to take up the initiative. Even with a two-length lead at the top of the stretch, Reid admitted to being concerned, aware that Maximus Meridius has trouble running clear of other runners and has a habit of giving up late ground. “I wish he wouldn't, but as long as he does get the job done, we'll live,” Reid said. Near the wire, 18-1 longshot Howgreatisnate closed fast under Julio Hernandez, but he came up short by a head in the end. Maximus Meridius, now a two-time stakes winner in 2025, completed the 6 1/2-furlong distance in 1:16.06. Howgreatisnate finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Paradise Valley, who stalked the early pace and held on to third for trainer Kathleen DeMasi. Reid did not name a next start for Maximus Meridius, but the trainer said that he could join Mailata on a trip to Aqueduct soon. In January, Maximus Meridius won the $175,000 Toboggan with a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.