The lone 3-year-old in the field, Paradise Tonight will make her turf debut in the $150,000 Violet Stakes on Friday night at the Meadowlands.

The daughter of Slew Gin Fizz will face a tough field of 14 fillies and mares in the mile and a sixteenth event, but trainer Joe Pierce Jr. feels she is up to the task.

"She's a 3-year-old taking on older," said Pierce, who was the Big M's leading trainer back in 1982. "But it's October now and she'll have to take on the older girls sooner or later, so why not now?

"It came up a real tough race, but you don't get the opportunity to run for that kind of money too often, so we're taking a shot."

In preparation for the Violet, Pierce sent Paradise Tonight to the Meadowlands on Monday afternoon, where she worked between the third and fourth races, going 48.2 for four furlongs over the firm turf.

"She couldn't be coming into the race any better than she's doing now," Pierce said. "She's such a hard-trying honest filly. The competition will be tough, but she's as ready as she can be."

In addition to the training duties, Pierce also bred Paradise Tonight and is co-owner along with Jamie Wark and Frank Anfuso.

From 15 starts, Paradise Tonight sports five wins and earnings of $227,170. She exits a victory in the Jersey Girl Handicap at Monmouth Park on Sept. 20.

The Violet will go as race eight on a nine race card. In addition to the racing action on Friday, the Meadowlands will be giving away $2,000 in free gas. Twenty lucky fans will each win a $100 gift card and be entered into a grand prize drawing set for Friday, Nov. 14. The grand prize drawing will give away a $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000 free gas card.

The entire field for the Violet, with jockey assignments and trainers, is:
1. American Border, Jason Servis, Jose Lezcano, 117
2. Marie Rossa, Graham Motion, Jeremy Rose, 117
3. All Is Vanity, Christophe Clement, Alan Garcia, 117
4. Paradise Tonight, Joe Pierce Jr., Stewart Elliott, 118
5. Le Cordon Bleu, Michael Gorham, Rajiv Maragh, 117
6. Royalties, John Fisher, Joe Rocco Jr., 117
7. Cozzi Capital, Herman Wilensky, Carlos Marquez Jr. 119
8. Sharp Susan, Bill Mott, Joe Bravo, 121
9. Snow Cone, Joe Orseno, Eddie Castro, 117
10. Seeking An Angel, Alan Goldberg, Chuck Lopez, 117
11. Exchanging Fire, Stephen Mick, Eddie King, Jr., 117
12. Shytoe Lafeet, Larry Jones, Gabriel Saez, 121
13. Audacious Chloe, Todd Pletcher, Chris Decarlo, 117
14. Jenny Bean Girl (main-track only), Willard Thompson, Daniel Centeno, 117