EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Peony needed every foot of the stretch to run down 26-1 shot Garden Girl in the final 50 feet, going on to post a neck victory in the featured $36,000 allowance during Friday night’s Monmouth at Meadowlands card.

Ridden by Reylu Gutierrez and trained by Devon Dougherty, Peony broke alertly from the outside post in the nine-horse field of fillies and mares, contending early before dropping back to fifth, as jockey Luis Rivera, Jr., took his shot with Garden Girl by slipping along the rail midway through the final turn.

Garden Girl looked to be a winner before Peony’s late charge changed the outcome.

The winning time for the five furlongs over a turf course listed as firm was :58.49.

A 5-year-old daughter of Mendelssohn, Peony returned $25.40 and topped an exacta with Garden Girl that returned $354.

Parametric and I’mwishingonastar set the early first quarter fraction of :22.20, with Peony outside of that duo and Garden Girl hugging the rail.

Gutierrez found an opening at the top of the stretch and began his pursuit of Garden Girl then.

Quadra was third, another two lengths back.

The New York-bred Peony is owned by Merrylegs Farm.

Racing resumes Saturday night with a six-race all-turf card.

First race post time is 7 p.m.