After an appearance last month in Florida, Precocious Beauty is set to begin her three-year-old campaign in earnest with a Friday morning qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack.
Trained by Gregg McNair for owner/breeder Jim Avritt of Lebanon, Ky., Precocious Beauty won divisional honours both North and South of the border by virtue of a rookie season boasting seven wins and three seconds from 11 starts, $462,912 in earnings and a 1:50.1 speed badge that placed her in harness racing's record books as the co-fastest two-year-old pacing filly.
"I maybe would have qualified her last week but we didn't get back [from Florida] until Friday night," McNair told Trot Insider. "We trained three or four more times in Florida before we drove up here. She was kept pretty ready."
In April, McNair sent Precocious Beauty to Pompano Park along with a number of horses from his Florida-based stable. She finished second to pacing colt McWicked, race-timed in 1:54.4 over a track rated 'Good'.
On Friday, the daughter of Art Major - Precious Beauty will once again be teamed with driver Doug McNair. The duo have Post 7 in the morning's third qualifier, which will serve as the final tightener before Precocious Beauty makes her pari-mutuel debut.
"A week from Friday she's racing at Vernon Downs [in a New York Sire Stakes event]," stated McNair. "I think she'll show a nice qualifier on Friday morning."
Other notable qualifiers include 2013 William Wellwood elim and Champlain division winner Harper Blue Chip as well as Precocious Beauty's stablemate, North America Cup-eligible Crafty Master -- rated at 28-1 in the 2014 Trot Magazine North America Cup Spring Book, just out of the top 10.
To view the complete list of entries for Friday's qualifying session, click the following link: Friday Qualifiers - Mohawk Racetrack.