by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Put On A Show, who earned raves for a 2010 campaign that resulted in the Dan Patch Award for best 3-year-old filly pacer, is ready for her second act.

After missing all of last year because of knee surgery, Put On A Show returns to action Friday night (March 2) in the opening leg of the Overbid Series for pacing mares at Meadowlands Racetrack. The 5-year-old mare and driver Brian Sears will start from post No. 10 and were made the 7-2 second choice in the morning line behind Anndrovette, at 5-2.

Put On A Show was swimming on Wednesday morning in preparation for her 2012 debut.

“We’re grateful to be back, and she’s well,” trainer Chris Ryder said. “She had a couple of qualifiers and we’re going to go race. I’m really happy with her; it doesn’t seem like she’s lost her edge at all. I think the biggest obstacle now is getting her seasoned, but she’ll overcome that.”

Put On A Show, a daughter of Rocknroll Hanover-Stienam’s Place, won 12 of 16 races as a 3-year-old and earned $1.16 million for owners Craig Henderson, Richard Young and Joanne Young. Her victories included the Breeders Crown, Valley Forge, Simcoe, Miss New Jersey and Nadia Lobell stakes.

For her career, she has won 19 of 25 career starts, finished worse than second only once, and her $1.89 million combined purses for her 2- and 3-year-old campaign set the record for a filly pacer.

Put On A Show won two qualifiers in preparation for her return Friday. Her most recent was in 1:52.2 at the Meadowlands, with Sears in the sulky.

“Being off so long and coming back into open company, you have a little bit of reservation, but I’m looking forward to her race,” Ryder said. “All the way training down she felt super. I don’t feel like she’s lost any class edge at all.”

USTA/Ken Weingartner photos

Put On A Show heads into her 5-year-old campaign with $1,893,475 in career earnings.

Over the second half of her 3-year-old season, Put On A Show raced from the front frequently. Ryder would not mind seeing the mare look for a trip more often as an older horse.

“She’s excellent off a helmet, but we just had to go up to the front so much because you knew they probably couldn’t beat her,” Ryder said. “Now that she’s in the open, there is a bunch of good ones. She’s more likely to trip out because different horses are going to be making moves.”

Friday’s $40,000 Overbid opener also marks the seasonal debut for Anndrovette, who won the Dan Patch Award for best older female pacer in 2011. Anndrovette, who starts from post six, won 11 of 20 races last year, including the Breeders Crown. Tim Tetrick is listed to drive.

The field also includes the top four finishers from Feb. 17’s Cape & Cutter Series final: Symphony In Motion, Higher And Higher, Ginger And Fred, and Save My Shark. The Overbid continues March 9 and the $120,000 final is slated for March 17.