NEWS
Indian Blessing wins La Brea
Posted: Saturday, December 27, 2008 8:57 PM
INDIAN BLESSING WINNING THE LA BREA STAKES
Benoit & Associates photo
by Tim Nichols and Mike Curry
Champion Indian Blessing scored her third Grade 1 win of the year and solidified her burgeoning resume for the Eclipse Awards as she captured the $250,000 La Brea Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Santa Anita Park.
The race was marred by the breakdown of multiple graded stakes winner Indyanne, who took a bad step in the stretch under Russell Baze and suffered a fractured sesamoid in her left foreleg. For more on Indyanne's injury, click here.
Indian Blessing, the 2007 Eclipse Award winner as champion two-year-old filly, covered seven furlongs in 1:20.89 on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface to win by 1 1/2 lengths for her fifth career Grade 1 victory.
Hal and Patti Earnhardt’s homebred Indian Charlie filly is trying to become the first filly since Silverbulletday in 1998-’99 and fourth overall to win the Eclipse Award as both champion two-year-old filly and three-year-old filly. Ruffian (1974-’75), Open Mind (’88-’89), and Go for Wand (’89-’90) also pulled off the double. Indian Blessing also is a top contender for the Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Indian Blessing benefited from a perfect stalking trip as John Velazquez positioned Indian Blessing to the outside of pacesetter Indyanne through a quarter-mile in :22.52 and a half-mile in :45.06.
Indian Blessing, the 3-to-5 favorite, spurted clear when Indyanne took the bad step and cruised to her fourth victory in her previous five starts. Indian Blessing won the Prioress Stakes (G1), the Test Stakes (G1), and Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) prior to finishing second in the Sentient Flight Group Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on October 24 in her previous start.
“I didn’t want her to go head and head with the other horse [Indyanne], so I took a pretty good hold away from the gate,” Velazquez said. “When she made the lead, she was waiting on those other horses, but she ran awesome.”
Santa Anita track veterinarian Jill Bailey, D.V.M., diagnosed Indyanne with a fractured sesamoid. The Indian Charlie filly was stabilized with a splint and taken to trainer Greg Gilchrist’s barn.
“She was running good,” Baze said. “Turning for home, she switched leads and then went wrong in her left front.”
Ginger Pop rallied for second, a nose better than third-place finisher Bsharpsonata.
Indian Blessing improved to nine wins and three seconds in 12 career starts, boosting her bankroll to $2,437,200.
Bred in Kentucky, Indian Blessing is out of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Shameful, by Flying Chevron. Baffert said she will be pointed to the Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) on March 28 at Nad al Sheba racecourse.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Tim Nichols is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
