Showing that a little experience can go a long way, Bruce and Mary Alexander’s Western Dame rebounded from a break in her career debut to post a resounding 5 1/4 length romp over seven other Illinois conceived and foaled two-year-old pacing fillies in Thursday’s $12,000 My Metallica Stake at Maywood Park. The final time was 1:57.1.

Storming up from first over from fourth as 1-5 favorite April May Dune (Brian Carpenter) rolled through quick opening splits of 27.4 and 58.2, a confident Casey Leonard swept up to grab command with Western Dame as the field headed by the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:28.0.

The issue was never in doubt from that point on as the daughter of Sagebrush-Dixie Dame began to put daylight between herself and the rest of the field, pacing home in 29.1 to secure her maiden breaking score. Ineverkissandtell (Ronnie Gillespie) turned a perfect ground saving trip into a second place finish while Party Hangover Two (John De Long) finished third.

Dispatched at odds of 9-1 after that troubled trip in her debut, the Gary Rath-trained miss returned $21.80, $7.00 and $4.40 to her backers

Tom Kelley, Maywood Park (reposted with permission)