State-bred pacing fillies stepped into the spotlight late on Saturday night as a field of eight sophomores battled in the $8,000 Direct Balance Stakes to get the 2015 stakes season underway at Balmoral Park.
When the smoke cleared it Kristopher Heim, Connie Hochstetler and James Michels' Southern Girl who emerged victorious as she came storming through the lane to win by a length in a career-best time of 1:55.
Content to sit near the back of the pack as the heavily favoured Lex (Brian Carpenter) led the field through splits of :28.2, :57.2 and 1:26.1, driver Casey Leonard finally moved Southern Girl into the outer flow as the field neared the top of the stretch.
After being some 16 lengths off at the opening station, the daughter of Sportsmaster-Biloxi took dead aim on the pacesetter as the fillies moved through the lane, picking off one rival after another as she charged home in :27.4 to secure her third win in four career starts. A tired Lex held on well to finish second in her first start back after more than six months on the shelf while Galley Wench (Todd Warren) was third.
A $34,000 yearling purchase who was unraced at two, Southern Girl now has three wins in four lifetime starts with earnings of $8,329 for trainer Rob Ritoff.
(Balmoral Park)