Ugly Betty’s season debut in the HorsePlayer Interactive Series on Friday night at Woodbine Racetrack will mark a special milestone for the four-year-old pacer whose early career has played out much like a TV drama

. The mare’s start in the series for non-winners of $50,000 in 2011 will be her first since recovering from a major career setback.

Ugly Betty, who was on track to qualifying for the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Semifinals last year, was struck by a water truck while warming up for her sixth Grassroots event of the season at Hiawatha Horse Park in mid-September. Trainer Joe Hudon was in the sulky and tried to avoid the oncoming truck, but the mare was knocked to the ground and sustained major flesh wounds to her neck, chest and stifle.

Hudon says Ugly Betty’s road to recovery began with the assistance of one patient veterinarian and was followed up with stall rest and lots of TLC from her connections.

“The vet [Dr. Paul Branton] spent over three hours stitching her up at Sarnia. He did a hell of a job stitching her and he was so patient with her and everything. He deserves a lot of credit," noted Hudon. "She stayed in her stall for about six weeks. She could hardly move for probably a month and then she started to really come around quick. We started turning her out and she started doing well.”

Ugly Betty is owned by Hudon’s wife Karen and their longtime breeding partner Margaret Payne. The daughter of Camluck from the dam Red Road Rage is a half-sister to Raging Grin, who won the Battle Of Waterloo Consolation and finished second in the OSS Grassroots Championship as a freshman for the Hudons.

In her debut season, Ugly Betty showed some potential despite her less than perfect conformation, which inspired her quirky name. The mare picked up cheques in all but four of her 21 starts to earn over $60,000 and took a mark of 1:52.4 at Mohawk Racetrack.

“She would have made the final for sure,” laments Hudon. “She was warming up really well. All she would have had to do was get a couple of points and she’d have been in. She would have definitely made the final and she’s really good on the big track too so she would have made some noise in the final, I’m sure.”

Fortunately, Hudon says the incident hasn’t affected the mare’s attitude and he is now looking forward. The veteran horseman says Ugly Betty has progressed well and he is pleased with her recent qualifying effort at Mohawk in which she was just headed at the wire in a 1:56.3 mile over a track rated one second slow.

“She qualified real well,” he said. “She got a little tired on the front, but she hadn’t raced since the week before that. She was in with some [decent] fillies and she wasn’t any more tired than the rest of them, really.”

Ugly Betty has drawn the rail in her $20,000 opening round division of the HorsePlayer Interactive Series on Friday and will be driven by Hudon’s son Phil. Following the three legs, she is expected to face some tougher competition in the Damsel Pacing Series if everything goes according to plan.

“She’s good right now, she’s feeling good and she’s back to her old self, I believe,” said Hudon, who is ready for his own season debut in the driver’s seat.

The Acton horseman, who suffered injuries to his back and wrist in an accident at Woodbine last November also involving his sons Phil and Pat, will drive Mach Wheel on Saturday in the WEGZ Series. Hudon made a couple of starts following the accident, but a winter break seemed to come at the right time.

“We didn’t have anything back racing in December and January so I kind of took some time,” stated Hudon of his delayed return to the sulky. “I cracked a bone in my wrist I think and my back was sore for awhile, but I’m good now.”

To view the entries for Friday night's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Entries - Woodbine Racetrack.