Blessed Shine Held Strong on the Lead as Bichita de Luz Could Never Catch Her
- Turf Diario
- 2 minutes ago
- 2 min read
With Facundo Coria Aboard, the Honour Devil Filly Captures the Handicap Laguna Blanca
Seasoned campaigner Facundo Coria expertly guided Blessed Shine through the Handicap Laguna Blanca, delivering the Honour Devil filly safely to the wire and securing the most significant win of her career, fully rebounding from a disappointing effort in the Handicap Pensilvania.
It was no coincidence that Blessed Shine thrives on firm ground: two of her previous four victories came over similar conditions. Today, she showcased that preference again, maintaining her rhythm while keeping all five challengers at bay.
Alert at the break, Blessed Shine never wavered under the pressure of favorite and topweight Bichita de Luz (Fragotero, 61 kg), covering the opening 400 meters in 24.84 seconds and 800 in 49.30. Into the stretch, the gap between the leader and her pursuers remained, and she only extended her advantage to the finish.
The Edilio Martínez trainee crossed the line 3 lengths ahead of Bichita de Luz, who held off Ingres (Galicado, 54 kg)by a neck for third. Splash Park (Safety Check, 52½ kg) finished another 3 lengths back, unable to handle the track. Blessed Shine completed the 1400 meters in 1:25.35, with a fractional time for 1200 meters of 1:12.48.
Bred by La Caballeriza S.A., Blessed Shine is out of Budista Dan (Hidden Truth), a multiple stakes winner at Hipódromo de La Punta in San Luis and black-type placed in top-level events, descending from the G1 Merlin Sil (Silence) line imported from the U.S. by Haras Caryjuan.
Her sire, Honour Devil, was the leading juvenile in the 2008 UAE season, capturing the UAE Derby (G2) and UAE 2000 Guineas (G3), and also earned stakes placings in the United States, including second in Belmont Park’s Mr. Right Stakes (L). After standing for several seasons in Canada, he returned to Argentina under La Caballeriza S.A. and passed away in 2023, leaving a limited but high-quality crop of progeny.
