When 13 sophomore pacing fillies line up behind Mohawk Racetrack’s starting gate on Tuesday, July 5 for two Town Pro eliminations, one small, but mighty filly will be looking for her first win of the season
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The Gregg McNair-trained Swinging Beauty is winless to date in her three-year-old campaign and slight in stature, but she stands tall in seasonal and lifetime earnings compared to the other Town Pro elim starters.
The bay has two second-place finishes and two third-place finishes in five starts this year, as well as $84,078 banked so far in 2011, with career earnings of $158,236, for owners William Switala and James Martin of Clarence Center, New York.
The veteran conditioner praises his filly’s big heart and manners on the track.
“She acts like a big horse,” McNair said. “She can take a pretty good hold of you on the racetrack warming up. She’s pretty aggressive. One of the biggest things about her is that she can get off the gate good.”
McNair hopes Swinging Beauty finds her way to the winner’s circle soon, but acknowledges she requires a certain type of trip to get there.
“She is a little bit better following than cutting one out,” he said.
McNair’s son, Doug, who is also the filly’s driver, notes the front end is not where this sophomore miss wants to be.
“We tried her on the front once last year,” said the Guelph, Ont. resident. “She worked hard to get there and she wasn’t that good and I put her on the front in the Fan Hanover Consolation. She didn’t stop up at all, but she just races better out of a hole."
Doug hopes to get a second or third over trip with the daughter of Art Major-Stunning Beauty in Tuesday’s elimination.
“She likes chasing horses. She can follow horses all day and she’ll pass horses too, but she had to follow [undefeated champion] See You At Peelers around [in the Empire Breeders Classic Final] and obviously nobody, even the colts, can pass her right now.”
Swinging Beauty showed her talent at Tioga Downs in the EBC Final with a second-place finish, pacing home in her own mile of 1:49.3 with driver Scott Zeron in the bike.
“She can sprint as fast as any horse,” said Doug. “One of these nights, she will step up her game and win in [1]:50 or [1]:51 if she has to. Last year, you could only use her one-quarter of the mile. This year, you can use her a lot more.”
He believes the best is yet to come for Swinging Beauty.
The top five finishers advance to the $60,000 Town Pro final on Tuesday, July 12. The elimination winners get to pick their post positions. First race post time is 7:10 p.m.
Here is how the three-year-old pacing fillies will line up behind the gate for the two $20,000 eliminations:
Elimination #1 - Race 1
PP - Horse - Listed Driver
1. From The Start - Rick Zeron
2. Artic Byrd - Sylvain Filion
3. Swinging Beauty - Doug McNair
4. Artsy Princess - Rick Zeron
5. Kissngrin - Phil Hudon
6. Taxi Fare Hanover - Jody Jamieson
Elimination #2 - Race 2
PP - Horse - Listed Driver
1. Done Fooln Witcha - Sylvain Filion
2. Mistys Art - Travis Henry
3. P L Emily - Chris Christoforou
4. Ms Curator - Randy Waples
5. Ok Dynasty - Scott Young
6. Rock For Glory - Scott Zeron
7. Rockratese - Scott Zeron
(WEG)