Indian Blessing, the 3-year-old daughter of Indian Charlie who captured the 2007 Juvenile Fillies crown prevailed brilliantly in the Grade 1Test Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga.
Going into the gate she looked like the champion she is. Amazingly some of the TVG handicappers I was watching had singled against her in the late Pick 4 sequence. I thought that was madness, but you can’t fault folks for trying to catch a price at a track notorious for spelling defeat to overwhelming favorites.
Today things would go almost perfectly according to plan Much like her previous start, Indian Blessing was able to rate comfortably behind Palanka City - who set early fractions of 22.62 and 44.53. Turning for home, jockey John Velazquez asked Indian Blessing for her run and she responded by devouring the competition, opening up a 7 length lead by the time she hit the wire under a “vigorous hand ride.”
Sweet Hope overcame a bit of a troubled start to rally for place honors, while the late closing Ms. Margaret H. rallied for show. The trifecta returned $54.00, with Indian Blessing covering the 7 furlong distance of the Test Stakes in 1:22.70.
With back to back wins since cutting back to sprint distances and adding a sexy stalking style to her arsenal, Indian Blessing is really starting to come back into her own. Her affinity for true dirt, however, may keep her from pointing towards the Breeder’s Cup this fall. Instead,reports are that trainer Bob Baffert is undecided where she will point next, with a slight lean towards the Grade 1 Gazelle at Belmont this September.
Such a move would be puzzling to me. I feel Indian Blessing is absolutely lethal at shorter sprint distances at the moment and that stretching her back out to the 9 furlong distance of the Gazelle might make her vulnerable again. WIth the way she won on Saturday though, she looks ready for any challenge they throw at her.
Chart:http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/SAR080208USA10.pdf
I’m so glad she’s found her winning form again, and in a big way. The female division is so deep and talented this year, it’s mind boggling.
I just hope they keep her shortened up distance wise. I don’t like the idea for her next race. She’s so much more effective it seems at sprint distances. Then again, I’ve obviously never trained a race horse before, so I probably should defer to the better judgement of her connections. They know her better than I.