The $120,500 Courageous Lady will head postward this Saturday, October 12 at Northfield Park. The Grand Circuit race is an open event for North America’s top three-year-old filly pacers and has attracted a very competitive slate of foes vying to become this year’s champion.

JK American Beauty will start from post five and has been installed the 5-2 lukewarm favorite by Northfield Park Executive Vice President of Racing and Simulcasting Dave Bianconi. The Nancy Johansson trainee was a major player in the New York Sires Stakes scene this year and has recently made her presence known in open stakes company along the east coast. Brett Miller has been given the driving assignment.

The morning line second choice, So Awesome, has drawn post three for trainer Scott Di Domenico. She has locked horns with JK American Beauty all season in NYSS races. A win on Saturday would push her earning in excess of $500,000. Harness racing’s all-time winningest driver Dave Palone has been named to pilot.

Ron Burke and Mark Harder each have entered two fillies in Saturday’s featured event. Burke will also start Shes Allright, and 10-1 contender from the rail with Ronnie Wrenn Jr., and Rose Run Uptowngal, 6-1 with Chris Page. Harder will harness Skater Chick, the 9-2 third choice for Corey Callahan, who will be making his first appearance on the Flying Turns, and Crazy Cute with Aaron Merriman, 12-1 from post six.

Aaron Merriman is also listed to drive Under The Hood for trainer Nick Surick, the 15-1 longshot from post four.

$120,500 Courageous Lady
1 Shes Allright 10-1
2 Skater Chick 9-2
3 So Awesome 3-1
4 Under The Hood 15-1
5 JK American Beauty 5-2
6 Crazy Cute 12-1
7 Rose Run Uptowngal 6-1

This year’s Courageous Lady has been slated as race nine on a 14-race program. A $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 pool has been added to the night. The guaranteed Pick-4 will begin with the Courageous Lady.

The undercard will feature two $75,000 Ohio Sires Stakes finals for four-year-old-and-up Ohio-bred trotters and two divisions of “The Pace for the Cure” featuring all female drivers.

“The Pace” is an effort to offer a novel event for horse racing spectators, as well as use harness racing’s platform to raise funds and awareness to fight breast cancer.

The first 1,500 guests that arrive starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday will receive a Northfield Park travel tumbler. Inside each tumbler there will be cash, match play, Northfield Park merchandise or Center Stage concert tickets.

Fans can also participate in the Beer Slide on the outside patio from 7-8 p.m. and the POP-A-Shot contest from 8:30-9:30 p.m.

(Northfield Park)