Fareena finishes strong in return to turf

Fareena managed to overcome a slow pace set by slight favorite Time Reveals All to earn her first career stakes victory in Saturday's $75,300 Denise Rhudy Memorial at Delaware Park.

Jockey Luis Garcia, riding Fareena for Maryland-based trainer Leigh Delacour, was content to sit a couple of lengths behind Time Reveals All through soft fractions of 50.11 seconds for a half-mile and 1:15.32 for the first six furlongs of the 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies. Despite the slow pace, Fareena ($6.80) was able to rally strongly in the stretch, drawing off to win by 1 3/4 lengths over 3-1 third choice Sales Tax. Time Reveals All, making her second start locally after making the first five starts of her career in Southern California, held on for third.

Fareena, coming off the worst performance of her career when a well-beaten third in an overnight stakes shifted from turf to dirt, is now 3 for 6 lifetime. Her winning time over a firm course was 1:46.12.