Plenty of racing action took place throughout the Mid-Atlantic this past week.

Here’s a look at the “three stars” of each track:

REGION’S BEST

FIRST STAR: CALL ME FAST. Parx capped off their 2025 season on Wednesday with a trio of stakes races, the final three stakes in the United States on the year. The Kris Kringle Stakes, for older males at 1 1/16 miles, went to Call Me Fast, for his second consecutive stakes win and third overall win in a row. Off a victory in the Turkey Trot Stakes on the same track last out, he went off as the 3-1 second choice behind 3-2 favorite Wild Vine, a fellow Jamie Ness trainee. He drafted towards the back of the eight-horse pack early on, while Point Dume went out and set a loose lead. Mychel Sanchez asked Call Me Fast for his best around the final turn while Point Dume continued to hold on to the lead. While Point Dume fended off Wild Vine’s challenge, he couldn’t hold off Call Me Fast, who wore him down in the last sixteenth and won by three-quarters of a length. He ran the distance on a fast track in 1:46.47 and ended his 2025 season with a 3-for-8 record and earnings of $123,470. Ness co-owns him with Morris Kernan Jr. and Madison Avenue Racing Stable Inc.

SECOND STAR: MAXIMUS MERIDIUS. One race later at Parx, a field of five older male sprinters squared off in the Blitzen Stakes. Maximus Meridius led them just about every step of the way. He made the lead from the inside post without much drama, shook off the challenge from co-favorite Buccherino, and oepned up a clear advantage in the stretch under urging from Sanchez. Dropline cut into the margin somewhat, but Maximus Meridius had a big enough lead that there was no drama, holding on to win by 3 3/4 lengths. He ran seven furlongs in 1:24.43 for his third stakes victory of the year, following wins in the Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct in February and the Let’s Give Thanks Stakes at Parx in his prior start. He was bred in Pennsylvania by Westerly Farm, who co-owns him with LC Racing LLC and Cash is King LLC. Butch Reid was the winning trainer.

THIRD STAR: BOUTWELL TIME. The final stakes of the year, the seven-furlong Mrs. Claus Stakes for fillies and mares, featured an exciting three-horse stretch battle. Boutwell Time, coming off a starter optional claiming win at Laurel Park last out, pulled off a 6-1 upset. She sat just off the pace early on while 7-10 favorite Alani dueled with longshot Not Too Late. Alani dispatched of that rival by the time they hit the top of the stretch, but soon had to deal with a fresh challenge in the form of 10-1 shot Jeanne Marie, looking to give Mychel Sanchez a sweep of all three stakes races on the card. While those two battled, Boutwell Time slowly but surely gained ground on the outside. Jeanne Marie wore down Alani in the final sixteenth, but Boutwell Time got the best of both of them and won by a neck, going seven furlongs in 1:25.76. Like Call Me Fast, she ended her season with three consecutive wins, and is now 4-for-14 lifetime. Jeriel Catala was aboard for his first stakes win, and 14th winning mount overall. The filly is owned by Jeremy Sussman, Ten Strike Racing, and Cory Moelis Racing LLC and trained by Juan Carlos Guerrero.

SECOND STAR: MAXIMUS MERIDIUS. Blitzed the field in the Blitzen Stakes, hardly giving his rivals a chance.

THIRD STAR: BOUTWELL TIME. Apprentice rider Catala got everything out of his mount and won his first stakes race in exciting style.