Despite coming into Saturday’s $135,000 American National Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies at Balmoral Park with just four lifetime victories, William Switala and James Martin’s Swinging Beauty has been accorded the 3-1 morning line favouritism in what looks like a wide-open event

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The daughter of Art Major has been a model of consistency in her second season of racing, where she has posted a record of three wins, five seconds and seven thirds from 19 starts.

The filly, who is admittedly slight in stature, certainly does not lack heart, which could one of her biggest assets according to veteran Canadian conditioner Gregg McNair.

“She’s always acted like a big horse right from Day 1,” McNair said about Swinging Beauty. “She can take a good hold of you on the track while you’re warming her up. She’s also pretty aggressive when it comes to leaving the gate and she can really get out of there if you need her to.”

While she can exhibit speed when the situation calls for it, her biggest efforts have come from off the pace; as evidenced by her big late-rushing score over a 'muddy' track in a division of the Jugette and her second-place finish behind the highly-regarded Krispy Apple in Lexington.

“She really seems to like chasing horses,” said McNair. “She can follow horses all day and she loves to pass them. Unfortunately we’ve had to chase some real tough fillies this year but she’s never lost her determination. She can sprint as fast as any of them and I know that one of these nights she’s going to put it all together and come up with a huge mile. Maybe Saturday will be her night.”

Honky Tonk Woman has a similar story with just two lifetime wins but the Ross Croghan-trained daughter of Western Ideal has racked up a whopping $508,203 for the partnership of Let It Ride & Mentally Stables, Robert Cooper and Jerry Silva.

The $18,000 yearling purchase has picked the right times to come up with her biggest efforts taking the $402,000 Sweetheart Stakes last year and the Fan Hanover consolation this season in a career best of 1:50.2.

Podges Lady Looks For Homecoming Victory

After opening a promising career with a pair of victories including a four-length romp in a division of the Hanover Stakes at Balmoral Park back in July, Sawgrass Farms' Podges Lady will return to the local scene and will be looking to take home top honours in Saturday’s $86,800 American National Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies.

Heading out for what turned into an extended and very successful road trip, the Pennsylvania-sired daughter of the Panderosa--Four Starzzzz Hope, who was $30,000 yearling purchase at the 2010 Lexington Select sale, then headed east to the Keystone State where she immediately caught the attention of the harness racing world by blazing to a track record of 1:52.1 in a division of Pennsylvania Sire Stake action at the Meadows.

That victory prompted trainer Joe Seekman to compare the good looking two-year-old to another top young filly that the Michigan-based conditioner had in his barn years earlier.

“Up to this point in her career she’s been a lot like Kikikatie in the fact that she hasn’t let us down one bit,” said Seekman. “I know those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but she’s having a pretty nice season (3-4-1 $205,180) and I just hope she continues to get better and better.”

After toiling on the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes circuit for just over a month, Seekman sent Podges Lady to Ontario where she finished a very respectable fourth in a Shes A Great Lady elimination. From there it was on to Indiana where she finished a strong second behind the highly-regarded American Jewel in the $281,000 Kentuckiana Stakes at Indiana Downs.

Podges Lady then headed to Kentucky where she once again finished second behind American Jewel and third behind eventual Breeders Crown winner Economy Terror in a blistering 1:51.3.

After a gruelling trip from the nine-hole in the Breeders Crown, where she eventually faded to eighth, a trip back to the oval that she started her career on could be exactly what the doctor ordered for this filly to get back on the winning track.

(Balmoral)