Delaware: 'Savannah Rose' surprises

Miss Savannah Rose, competing against maiden claimers three starts ago, capitalized on a switch to the main track and responded to a new rider to score an upset at 19-1 in the $80,600 Denise Rhudy Memorial Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Delaware Park.

Ridden for the first time by apprentice Rosie Napravnik, Miss Savannah Rose ($41.40) rallied in the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile race to run down 6-5 favorite Christmas Stocking. Trained by Damon Dilodovico, Miss Savannah Rose drew clear by two lengths over 2-1 second choice Lady of Clare, who

re-rallied after surrendering the lead to finish 1 3/4 lengths in front of third-place Christmas Stocking.

Winless in her first five starts, Miss Savannah Ross defeated $40,000 maidens at Laurel in mid-March and cleared her first allowance condition next time out at Pimlico. In her first try on turf, she flashed speed in the Hilltop at Pimlico. She was entered back on turf in both the Rhudy and a second-level allowance on Sunday, but remained in the Rhudy field even after the race was taken off the grass due to heavy rains in the Wilmington, Del., area earlier in the week. She covered 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:45.03.