Delta Sensation wins on turf

Delta Sensation made her turf debut a winning one Thursday, splitting horses in deep stretch and running down the pacesetting favorite, Savage Beauty, to win the $61,000 Terpsichorist Stakes by a nose.

Savage Beauty held second by three-quarters of a length over Art Fan.

Delta Sensation had won 3 of her first 5 starts, all on dirt. She was a well-beaten fourth in the Grade 2 Nassau County Breeders' Cup. With no suitable dirt spots to run her in, trainer Frank Alexander decided to try her on the turf.

"I don't think surface makes any difference," Alexander said. "I think she'd run on anything. She does have some turf action when we train her in the morning. You've always got to try the turf."

Under Jorge Chavez, Delta Sensation raced close to the pace, but was shuffled back to fifth on the far turn. She came again in the stretch, splitting horses on her way to running down Savage Beauty. Delta Sensation covered the 1 1/16 miles on the Widener Turf in 1:45.29 and returned $30.20.

Delta Sensation combined with ninth-race winner Delta Ghost for a late daily double that paid $200.