by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Swinging Beauty made her 2013 debut for the powerful Gregg McNair Stable and took top honors in the Mares Open Pace at Pompano Park on Easter Sunday night (March 31).

Skip Smith photo

Swinging Beauty pushed her lifetime earnings close to $700,000 with a game 1:53.1 performance in her 2013 debut at Pompano Park.

With Stuart Sowerby in the bike, the 5-year-old daughter of Art Major, a $686,618 lifetime winner before the night’s festivities began, came off of her 1:55.3, :56.1, :28 qualifying win a week ago “ready, willing and able.”

Despite being first up from turn two to the finish, Swinging Beauty wore down the pacesetter, Southwind Trini and Wally Hennessey, in mid-stretch to secure the victory measuring 1-1/2 lengths in 1:53.1, this after Southwind Trini put up panels of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:24.3.

Abbey Road Hanover (Kevin Wallis) was third, 3-1/4 lengths back, while Fiesta Camcun (Stephane Lareau) was fourth. Windows Online (Rick Plano) got the “nickel” while the 7-10 public choice, Bombilla Hanover (Bruce Ranger), made a miscue three-eighths out and finished last in the sextet.

In a post-race interview, trainer McNair said, “We qualified her twice — the first one wasn’t so good — and she was very sharp the second time around, pacing her final half in :56. Although Swinging Beauty has faced some of the top mares in training, we didn’t take this competition lightly. There were some very tough mares in here but she was ‘ready, willing and able’ to go a big trip to win, no doubt about it.”

The win also proved to be icing on the cake for owners William Switala and James Martin. Their entry of OK Commander and Aracache Hanover finished 1-2 in Saturday’s Open Handicap Pace.