NEWS
Indian Blessing, Proud Spell to meet again in Fair Grounds Oaks
Posted: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 4:52 PM
INDIAN BLESSING
Bob Coglianese photo
by Jenny Blandford
Undefeated champion Indian Blessing and Grade 2 winner Proud Spell will meet for the third time on Saturday in the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2).
In their previous outing, the 1 1/16-mile Silverbulletday Stakes (G3) on February 9 at Fair Grounds, Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Indian Blessing bested Juvenile Fillies runner-up Proud Spell by one length.
Indian Blessing opened the year with a narrow victory in the Santa Ynez Stakes (G2) on January 13, while Proud Spell was freshened after their first meeting in the Breeders' Cup on October 27 at Monmouth Park.
Indian Blessing finished 3 1/2 lengths in front of runner-up Proud Spell in the Juvenile Fillies to earn the Eclipse Award as champion two-year-old female.
A Hal and Patti Earnhardt III homebred trained by Bob Baffert, Indian Blessing also won the Frizette Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park as a juvenile.
In her final tune-up for the Fair Grounds Oaks, the Indian Charlie filly turned in a bullet six-furlong workout in 1:11.60 handily on Monday at Santa Anita Park. The move was the fastest of 23 timed workouts at the distance.
Brereton Jones’s homebred Proud Spell won two stakes as a juvenile, including the White Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware Park in August and the Matron Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park in September.
Trained by Larry Jones, the Proud Citizen filly breezed five furlongs in 1:03.00 on Monday at Fair Grounds in her final serious workout for the 1 1/16-mile Fair Grounds Oaks. The breeze ranked 11th of 26 timed workouts at the distance.
Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Acacia and Tomisue Hilbert’s and John Menard’s homebred Wisconsin Lady, both maiden winners, complete the four-horse field.
Jenny Blandford is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor
The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:
1. Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie), Garrett K. Gomez, 121, Bob Baffert;
2. Proud Spell (Proud Citizen), Gabriel Saez, 121, J. Larry Jones;
3. Acacia (Cherokee Run), Shaun Bridgmohan, 121, Steven M. Asmussen; and
4. Wisconsin Lady (Stephen Got Even), Robby Albarado, 121, Neil J. Howard.
