Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
Indian Blessing Leads Tentative Lineup of Tested Ladies
Oct 2, 2008
In the short run, sprinter Indian Blessing has been dominate in her three-year-old class this season, posting a 5 (1st) - 2 (2nd) - 0 (3rd) record from seven starts through the end of September. That's a 71% winning calculation, easy to bet on in anyone's level of expertise.
Indian Blessing's Win Record
- 2007 -- 3 - 3 - 0 - 0 ----- wins in the Maiden Special Weight, Saratoga; the Frizette Stakes, Belmont Park; the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Monmouth Park.
- 2008 -- 7 - 5 - 2 - 0 ----- wins in the Santa Ynez S., Santa Anita; the Silverbulletday S., Fair Grounds; the Prioress S., Belmont Park,; the Test S., Saratoga; the Gallant Bloom Handicap, Belmont Park.
Indian Blessing's Pedigree
Indian Blessing produced two second place finishes in March and June this season at Fair Grounds' Fair Grounds Oaks and the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park, respectively.
Following in her daddy's hoofsteps, Indian Blessing seems more suited to run the short distances. Her sire, Indian Charlie also had a talented daughter from 2006, Fleet Indian, who took Eclipse Award honors that year.
Shameful, Indian Charlie's dam, won all four of her sprints. Those dashes helped her win $241,345 in her 12 career starts. Indian Charlie won the G1 Santa Anita Derby and three other shorts in five career races.
Speedy and Able to Rate Filly
Judged as especially easy to rate and speedy, a deadly combination, Indian Blessing is regularly ridden by Corey Nakatani for owners Patti and Hal J. Earnhardt III.
Trained by veteran Bob Baffert, the filly won the Female Champion Two-Year-Old Eclipse Award of 2007, earning $1,357,200 her first year.
In 2008, Indian Blessing has won her last three races at Saratoga and Belmont Park, as she preps for the Breeders' Cup. She's a sprinter by pedigree, however, by way of Indian Charlie and family, and she's never handled two turns, so the Filly and Mare Sprint, a seven furlong event, will be a challenge.
In Indian Blessing's favor is the fact that seven previous Frizette Stakes victors have used that prep race to launch wins in the BC Juvenile Fillies division, the best prep mark for any division. Indian Blessing ran away in the 2007 Frizette, showing outstanding speed and maturity, then went on to take the BC Juvenile Fillies race and the Eclipse Award to cap a perfect campaign.
In To Challenge Indian Blessing
Winners Storm Mesa, Dearest Trickski, Indyanne, Any Limit, Akronism, Dream Rush, Inangaroo, Miraculous Miss, Miss Macy Sue, Sugar Swirl, and Wild Gams will try to head off Indian Blessing in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint.
