D Fine Okie drops into soft spot

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - D Fine Okie looks imposing on Saturday when she moves back to the allowance ranks off a powerful stakes win for the featured 10th race at Lone Star Park. The 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares drew a field of six, including My Three Sisters and Twinspot.

D Fine Okie was a 3 1/2-length winner of the $50,000 River Cities at a mile on turf at Louisiana Downs in her last start, June 23. She raced several lengths off of pacesetter Comalagold, overtook her, and went on to cover the mile over soft turf in a strong 1:38.60.

"I would have to say it was probably the best race of her career," said Donnie Von Hemel, who trains D Fine Okie for the Richter Family Trust. "She looked dominating to me. She was well placed behind Comalagold, and dispatched her turning for home, and was looking for competition, I guess, after that."

D Fine Okie earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 89 for the win in the River Cities, which is a career-best for her and the highest last-race number in the field Saturday. She also is appealing as one of the most accomplished mares in the region. D Fine Okie has won 11 of 29 starts, among her wins stakes victories at one and two turns, and on dirt and turf.

Von Hemel has mapped out a fall campaign for D Fine Okie that targets three stakes at the upcoming meet at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.

The goals are the $50,000 Ricks Memorial on Sept. 3, the Oklahoma Classics Day program on Sept. 29, and a third win in the $50,000 Lady's Secret on Nov. 18. For the allowance on Saturday, D Fine Okie will break from the rail under Don Pettinger.

"I think probably stalking the pace is her best lick," said Von Hemel.

The chief threat could be stakes winner My Three Sisters. The last time she ran on Lone Star turf she was sixth in the Grade 3, $200,000 Ouija Board Handicap on May 28. The race has turned out to be a key one, said Steve Asmussen, who trains My Three Sisters.

"It was a great race," he said, noting that the winner, Lady of Venice, returned to capture the $1 million CashCall Mile, that runner-up Brownie Points took the $125,000 Iowa Distaff, and that fourth-place finisher D Fine Okie won the River Cities.

* Lone Star will offer $1 general admission, sodas, hot dogs and popcorn Saturday.