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 Stake to get the 2015 harness racing stake 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 of 1:55.0.
Content to sit near the back of the pack as the heavily favored Lex, (Brian Carpenter) led the field through splits of 28.2 57.2 & 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 pace setter 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 for trainer Rob Ritoff with earnings of $8,329.
The state-bred stake action continues on Sunday, April 12th as a field six diagonally gaited sophomores will square off in the $8,000 Speedy Rodney Stake which goes as race three on the 10-race program. All the action gets underway at 7:10pm on Sunday night and as always the $1 Pick 4 features a $25,000 guaranteed pool. The Pick 4 is on races seven through 10 on Sunday night.
Tom Kelley