Indian Blessing
Encyclopedia
Indian Blessing is an American
Champion Thoroughbred
filly
racehorse
.
Out of the mare Shameful, a descendant of the very influential sire Mr. Prospector
, Indian Blessing was sired by Indian Charlie
, the 1998 Santa Anita Derby
winner and a son of the multiple Grade I
winner In Excess
.
, racing at age two Indian Blessing went undefeated, winning all three of her starts. Always a front runner, after winning her debut in a sprint race
at Saratoga Race Course
, Indian Blessing won the one-mile Grade I
Frizette Stakes
at Belmont Park
in Elmont, New York
. In her final race of 2007, she won the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
by 3½ lengths on a sloppy track at Monmouth Park Racetrack
in Oceanport, New Jersey
. Her 2007 performances earned Indian Blessing the Eclipse Award
as American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.
at Santa Anita Park
in Arcadia, California
.
She kept her unbeaten record intact with a win in the February 9 running of the Silverbulletday Stakes
at the Fair Grounds Race Course
in New Orleans, Louisiana
,
Indian Blessing lost the Fair Grounds Oaks
on March 8 to rival Proud Spell.
On June 7, Zaftig (Horse) roared past Indian Blessing to pull away to a 4½-length win in the $250,000 Acorn Stakes
After a two-race losing streak, Indian Blessing proved versatile in her Prioress win. With no one in the Prioress field as fast as her early on, Indian Blessing won the race at the shortest distance since breaking her maiden.
On August 2, heavily favored Indian Blessing left five other 3-year-old fillies at the quarter pole and drew away to a 7-length victory in the $250,000 Test Stakes
with Indian Blessing covering the 7 furlong distance of the Test Stakes
in 1:22.70. On September 20, she took on older horses for the first time, winning the Gallant Bloom Handicap
by 6¼ lengths.
She finished her three-year-old campaign by winning her fifth Grade I race, the 7 furlong La Brea Stakes
, in 1:20:89 on December 27, 2008. The race was marred by the injury of Indyanne, who had been battling Indian Blessing for the win. “This was a bittersweet win," Baffert said. "I’m very sad about what happened to Indyanne."
To date, five of Indian Blessing's wins have been at a different racetrack. Much traveled, she has won at tracks on the U.S. Gulf Coast
plus on both the East
and West
coasts of the United States.
Indian Blessing was awarded the Eclipse Award
as American Champion Female Sprint Horse
for 2008.
(UAE-I) on March 28 at Nad Al Sheba
, Big City Man, a 4-year-old colt
bred by Four Horse Ranch and out of the Valid Appeal mare Mini Appeal, defeated North America
’s champion female sprinter by barely a half-length in the six-furlong
straight race.
Scheduled to race in the Grade I Humana Distaff Handicap
on Derby Day
, the filly was scratched from the race, which was won by Informed Decision.
Indian Blessing ran in the Desert Stormer Handicap
, her first start at Hollywood Park, and finished 4h. She was out of the money for the first time ever. She then got sick and was treated with antibiotics, which necessitated her being scratched from the 2009 running of the Grade I Princess Rooney Handicap
at Calder.
On August 29, 2009, Indian Blessing finished second behind Music Note
in the Grade I Ballerina Stakes on a sloppy track. On September 26, 2009, she won her second consecutive Gallant Bloom Handicap
, which put her back in contention for the 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championship.
Just before the Breeders' Cup on 6-7 November, her trainer Bob Baffert
said that she will be retired.
in 2010. On January 30, 2011, she produced a dark bay or brown colt.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Champion Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
.
Out of the mare Shameful, a descendant of the very influential sire Mr. Prospector
Mr. Prospector
Mr. Prospector was a thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Kentucky, whose descendants have been dominant in the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. He won half of his 14 career races.-Background:...
, Indian Blessing was sired by Indian Charlie
Indian Charlie
Indian Charlie is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1998 Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, equaling the stakes record time, but is best known as an important sire of Champions....
, the 1998 Santa Anita Derby
Santa Anita Derby
The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $1 million. Inaugurated in 1935, it is considered the most important West Coast stepping-stone to the Kentucky Derby...
winner and a son of the multiple Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
winner In Excess
In Excess (horse)
In Excess is a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in England and in the United States. Out of the mare Kantado, he was sired by Siberian Express, a multiple Group One winner in France....
.
2007 racing season
Trained by Bob BaffertBob Baffert
Robert A. "Bob" Baffert is an American horse owner and trainer, whose horses have won three Kentucky Derbies, five Preakness Stakes, one Belmont Stakes and two Kentucky Oaks. He graduated from the University of Arizona's with a Bachelor of Science degree. -Early career:Bob Baffert began his...
, racing at age two Indian Blessing went undefeated, winning all three of her starts. Always a front runner, after winning her debut in a sprint race
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
, Indian Blessing won the one-mile Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Frizette Stakes
Frizette Stakes
The Frizette Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies raced annually at Belmont Park in the late fall. It is currently a Grade I stakes race at as distance of one mile. The Frizette is the female counterpart of the Champagne Stakes.The race is currently part of the...
at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
in Elmont, New York
Elmont, New York
Elmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
. In her final race of 2007, she won the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.-Automatic Berths:Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup...
by 3½ lengths on a sloppy track at Monmouth Park Racetrack
Monmouth Park Racetrack
Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.Monmouth Park's marquee event...
in Oceanport, New Jersey
Oceanport, New Jersey
Oceanport is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,832.Oceanport was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1920, from portions of Eatontown Township , based on the results of a...
. Her 2007 performances earned Indian Blessing the Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
as American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.
2008 racing season
Indian Blessing began her three-year-old campaign with a win in January's Grade II Santa Ynez StakesSanta Ynez Stakes
The Santa Ynez Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade II event, the race is open to fillies, age three, willing to race seven furlongs on the Pro-Ride synthetic dirt....
at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
in Arcadia, California
Arcadia, California
Arcadia is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and located approximately northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains....
.
She kept her unbeaten record intact with a win in the February 9 running of the Silverbulletday Stakes
Silverbulletday Stakes
The Rachel Alexandra Stakes formerly known as the Silverbulletday Stakes, is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana in early February. An important prep for developing fillies, the Grade III event is for three-year-olds and set at a...
at the Fair Grounds Race Course
Fair Grounds Race Course
Fair Grounds Race Course, often known as New Orleans Fair Grounds, is a thoroughbred racetrack and racino in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is operated by Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing Company, LLC....
in New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
,
Indian Blessing lost the Fair Grounds Oaks
Fair Grounds Oaks
The Fair Grounds Oaks is a race for Thoroughbred horses run in April at Fair Grounds Race Course each year. The Grade II Oaks is open to fillies, age three, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt, and offers a purse of $400,000. The Fair Grounds Oaks is one of the key prep races...
on March 8 to rival Proud Spell.
On June 7, Zaftig (Horse) roared past Indian Blessing to pull away to a 4½-length win in the $250,000 Acorn Stakes
Acorn Stakes
The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $250,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks...
After a two-race losing streak, Indian Blessing proved versatile in her Prioress win. With no one in the Prioress field as fast as her early on, Indian Blessing won the race at the shortest distance since breaking her maiden.
On August 2, heavily favored Indian Blessing left five other 3-year-old fillies at the quarter pole and drew away to a 7-length victory in the $250,000 Test Stakes
Test Stakes
The Test Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and run each summer at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is contested at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt and is an influential race in shaping the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint...
with Indian Blessing covering the 7 furlong distance of the Test Stakes
Test Stakes
The Test Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and run each summer at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is contested at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt and is an influential race in shaping the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint...
in 1:22.70. On September 20, she took on older horses for the first time, winning the Gallant Bloom Handicap
Gallant Bloom Handicap
The Gallant Bloom Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in laste September at Belmont Park on Long Island, New York. A Grade II event open to fillies and mares age three and up, it is contested at a distance of six and a half furlongs on the dirt.Gallant Bloom won the...
by 6¼ lengths.
She finished her three-year-old campaign by winning her fifth Grade I race, the 7 furlong La Brea Stakes
La Brea Stakes
The La Brea Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1974 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to three-year-old fillies, it was raced over a distance of seven furlongs on dirt until the track's new synthetic Cushion Track surface was installed in time for the...
, in 1:20:89 on December 27, 2008. The race was marred by the injury of Indyanne, who had been battling Indian Blessing for the win. “This was a bittersweet win," Baffert said. "I’m very sad about what happened to Indyanne."
To date, five of Indian Blessing's wins have been at a different racetrack. Much traveled, she has won at tracks on the U.S. Gulf Coast
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
plus on both the East
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
and West
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
coasts of the United States.
Indian Blessing was awarded the Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
as American Champion Female Sprint Horse
American Champion Female Sprint Horse
The American Champion Sprint Female Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to the top female horse in sprint races usually run at a distance of 6 or 7 furlongs...
for 2008.
2009 Racing season
In the $2-million Dubai Golden ShaheenDubai Golden Shaheen
The Dubai Golden Shaheen is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,200 metres on the dirt course at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai in late March....
(UAE-I) on March 28 at Nad Al Sheba
Nad Al Sheba
Nad Al Sheba is a locality in Dubai, United Arab Emirates . Situated south of the Dubai Creek, Nad Al Sheba is best known for its racecourse, the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, which hosted the Dubai World Cup annually until 2009...
, Big City Man, a 4-year-old colt
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
bred by Four Horse Ranch and out of the Valid Appeal mare Mini Appeal, defeated North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
’s champion female sprinter by barely a half-length in the six-furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
straight race.
Scheduled to race in the Grade I Humana Distaff Handicap
Humana Distaff Handicap
The Humana Distaff Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually on the first Saturday in May as part of Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky...
on Derby Day
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, the filly was scratched from the race, which was won by Informed Decision.
Indian Blessing ran in the Desert Stormer Handicap
Desert Stormer Handicap
The Desert Stormer Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid May at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. Raced on Cushion Track synthetic dirt at a distance of six furlongs, it is open to horses age three and older...
, her first start at Hollywood Park, and finished 4h. She was out of the money for the first time ever. She then got sick and was treated with antibiotics, which necessitated her being scratched from the 2009 running of the Grade I Princess Rooney Handicap
Princess Rooney Handicap
The Princess Rooney Handicap is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the second week of July at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida, the six furlong sprint on dirt is open to fillies and mares age three-years and older....
at Calder.
On August 29, 2009, Indian Blessing finished second behind Music Note
Music Note
Music Note is an American Thoroughbred racehorse sired by A.P. Indy and out of the Sadler's Wells mare Note Musicale...
in the Grade I Ballerina Stakes on a sloppy track. On September 26, 2009, she won her second consecutive Gallant Bloom Handicap
Gallant Bloom Handicap
The Gallant Bloom Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in laste September at Belmont Park on Long Island, New York. A Grade II event open to fillies and mares age three and up, it is contested at a distance of six and a half furlongs on the dirt.Gallant Bloom won the...
, which put her back in contention for the 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championship.
Just before the Breeders' Cup on 6-7 November, her trainer Bob Baffert
Bob Baffert
Robert A. "Bob" Baffert is an American horse owner and trainer, whose horses have won three Kentucky Derbies, five Preakness Stakes, one Belmont Stakes and two Kentucky Oaks. He graduated from the University of Arizona's with a Bachelor of Science degree. -Early career:Bob Baffert began his...
said that she will be retired.
At stud
Indian Blessing was bred to ZensationalZensational
- Zensational Backgrounds :Zensational is a Gray or Roan Colt born on Apr. 26, 2006, bred in Kentucky he was sired by Unbridled's Song out of the Phone Trick mare Joke. Like her son, Joke was also a speedster, winning the Vallejo Stakes...
in 2010. On January 30, 2011, she produced a dark bay or brown colt.