Daisy Devine easiest of winners on Santa Super Saturday

Daisy Devine on Saturday ended her 2012 campaign, which encompassed a Grade 1

win last April in the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, much the same way it started:

with a facile victory over the Fair Grounds turf.

The 1-5 favorite over four rivals in the $72,000

Blushing K. D. Handicap, the four-year-old daughter of Kafwain set a

moderate pace with 50-1 outsider Necessary Luxury her closest pursuer.

Separating herself from that rival around the far turn, Daisy Devine opened up

an insurmountable lead in the stretch and finished up six lengths clear of

Forest Uproar at the finish of the about 1 1/16-mile event.

Ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., Daisy Devine set splits of :24, :49 2/5 and

1:13 4/5, and was clocked in 1:44 over firm ground. She paid $2.40, $2.10 and

$2.10.

In a spread-out field, Forest Uproar, the 5-1 third choice, finished 10 3/4

length ahead of 7-2 second choice Francisca. Aquapazza and Necessary Luxury

completed the order of finish, while Artemus Kitten and Forgotten People were

scratched.

Strike Impact, an eight-year-old Smart Strike gelding, improved on his

second-place finish in the 2011

Buddy

Diliberto Memorial Handicap by taking Saturday's $73,500 renewal by a length

under Shaun Bridgmohan.

Tracking in second behind a dawdling pace of :25, :51 1/5 and 1:16 4/5 set by

longshot Workin for Hops, Strike Impact seized control at the top of the stretch

and held off a trio of challengers to post the victory in a time of 1:46 1/5 for

about 1 1/16 miles. He paid $19.40, $9.60 and $4.20 as the 8-1 fifth choice in a

field of seven.

"A horse like this has done it so long and is used to competing on a high

level," Jacinto said. "He knows what to do and basically I just try to stay out

of his way. Last time we had not a very good trip; things just didn't go his

way. Today I was just looking to give him a much smoother trip and he's such a

professional, you just stay out of his way and let him do his job."

Hotep, who trailed most of the way, rallied to finish second by a neck over

Dubious Miss, who had a nose up on three-year-old Skyring. James Street, the 5-2

favorite, finished fifth and was followed by Workin for Hops and Heavenville.

Making only his second career appearance on grass, China pulled off a massive

upset in the $74,250

Bonapaw

at about 5 1/2 furlongs. Breaking quickest from the gate, the John Good trainee

led through an opening quarter of :22, yielded to Cash Refund turning for home,

but fought back on the inside to re-claim the lead and register a neck victory

over early trailer Icon Ike. John Jacinto rode the winner to a final time of

1:04 3/5.

The longest shot on the board at 36-1, China returned $74.20, $21.20 and

$7.80. Icon Ike finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Global Power, who had a

half-length on 9-5 favorite and 2011 Bonapaw winner Chamberlain Bridge. Cash

Refund, Zeb, Hollywood Hit and Ready for More rounded out the order of finish,

while Next Right Thing was scratched.

Campaigned by Black Sheep Racing, China was last of 10 in his only previous

start on grass in the 2011 Grade 3 Canadian Turf. However, a three-for-five

synthetic surface mark suggested the son of Tale of the Cat might fare better on

the surface around one turn.

"When I saw him work I thought that this was a logical spot and he's probably

not good enough to hang with the dirt sprinters around here this winter, so this

surface switch made sense," Good said.

Gary and Mary West's up-and-coming juvenile Tour Guide scored a convincing

win, as expected, in the $48,500

Sugar

Bowl over six furlongs. The 3-10 favorite against five rivals, the Broken

Vow colt took over from outsider Seeking Payday at the quarter pole and extended

his margin to 3 1/2 lengths at the wire to finish up in 1:11 1/5 over a fast

track under Brian Hernandez Jr. He returned $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10.

I've Struck a Nerve, the 3-1 second choice, finished a clear second, 3 1/2

lengths ahead of Brown Laddie. Seeking Payday, who set an opening quarter split

of :21 4/5 before the winner hit the half-mile marker in :45 3/5, finished

fourth and was followed by Arbiter and Expect Distinction.

Trained by Bret Calhoun, Tour Guide finished second in his Monmouth Park

debut in late July before graduating at the same track on September 3. A

well-beaten fifth in his stakes debut in the Dover at Delaware Park in early

October, he preceded this victory with a 4 1/2-length allowance score going six

furlongs at Churchill Downs. He's now earned $95,050.

The Washington-bred Finding More won for the third time in four outings with

a 2 1/4-length triumph in the $49,000

Letellier Memorial for two-year-old fillies. Guided by John Jacinto, the

daughter of Trickey Trevor rallied from slightly off the pace to win going away

by 2 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:11 4/5 for six furlongs. At 8-1, she returned

$19, $7.60 and $3.

Benefiting from a speed duel led by Coastal Sunrise, whose opening quarter

was :21 4/5, Finding More poked her head in front passing the quarter pole in

:46 and opened up a lengthy advantage throughout the stretch. Irish Lute, the

4-1 third choice, bested even-money favorite Brotherhood Singer for second by

three parts of a length, with My Daughter's Song two lengths farther back in

fourth. Assets of War, and Franks Officer Gal, while Coastal Sunrise was pulled

up when hopelessly beaten. Prettyhotprincess was an early scratch.

Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Fred Pabst and owned by Daniel Kenney, Finding More was

demoted from third to fifth in her Presque Isle Downs debut on August 3, but

returned the following month to break her maiden by 1 3/4 lengths at Woodbine.

The Kellyn Gorder pupil preceded this win with a 44-1 shcoker against allowance

foes at Churchill Downs on October 28. She's now earned $78,888.