Daisy Devine easiest of winners on Santa Super Saturday

Daisy Devine was well clear of her overmatched opponents turning for home (Hodges Photography/Alexander Barkoff)

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 has twice in stakes company at the advanced age of eight (Hodges Photography/Lynn Roberts)

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.

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.

China re-rallied in the stretch to register his first stakes win (Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges Jr.)

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. An early-season debut winner at two over future
Grade 1 winner Noble’s Promise, China had placed only twice in stakes prior to
the Bonapaw — in the 2011 Bet on Sunshine and the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint
Handicap this past May. His record now stands at 18-6-3-4, $271,072.

Tour Guide earned win number three in his season finale (Hodges Photography/Lynn Roberts)

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.

Finding More will take a three-race win streak into her sophomore campaign (Hodges Photography/Lynn Roberts)

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.