Indian Blessing

Last updated
Indian Blessing
Sire Indian Charlie
Grandsire In Excess
DamShameful
DamsireFlying Chevron
Sexfilly
Foaled2005
CountryUnited States
Colour Dark Bay/Brown
BreederPatti & Hal J. Earnhardt III
OwnerPatti & Hal J. Earnhardt III
Trainer Bob Baffert
Record16: 10-5-0
Earnings$2,995,420 [1]
Major wins
Frizette Stakes (2007)
Santa Ynez Stakes (2008)
Silverbulletday Stakes (2008)
Prioress Stakes (2008)
Test Stakes (2008)
Gallant Bloom Handicap (2008, 2009)
La Brea Stakes (2008)

Breeders' Cup wins:

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (2007)
Awards
American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly (2007)
American Champion Female Sprint Horse (2008)

Indian Blessing (foaled April 9, 2005, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly in 2007 and Champion Female Sprint Horse in 2008.

Contents

Background

Indian Blessing was bred by and raced for Patti and Hal Earnhardt, who also raced both her sire, Indian Charlie, and dam, Shameful. Indian Charlie won the 1998 Santa Anita Derby and then finished third in the Kentucky Derby, his final start. Shameful was purchased on behalf of the Earnhardts for $50,000 and went on to win several races including the Pine Tree Lane Stakes. [2]

Racing career

2007: two-year-old season

Trained by Bob Baffert, Indian Blessing went undefeated in three starts at age two in front running fashion. She won her first start on August 30 in a sprint race at Saratoga Race Course, running very close to the track record. She then won the one-mile Grade I Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park on October 6 by 4+1⁄2 lengths. 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. [3]

2008: three-year-old season

Indian Blessing began her three-year-old campaign on January 13 with a win in the Grade II Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita Park in California. Her time of 1:19.64 for 7 furlongs set a record for the then new Cushion-track surface. [4] 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 Louisiana, holding off Proud Spell in the stretch to win by a length. [5] However Proud Spell then beat her in the Fair Grounds Oaks on March 8. Baffert said, "[Her jockey] tried to get her to slow down, but she was fighting him. We realized that you've got to just let her go or she's not going to give you that extra kick." [6]

Baffert gave the filly a layoff, then entered her in the Acorn Stakes on June 7 at a distance of one mile. Indian Blessing set fast opening fractions but was passed by Zaftig (Horse) in the stretch, finishing second by 4½ lengths. [7] Acorn Stakes She rebounded with a win in the six-furlong Prioress Stakes, where she broke poorly and then raced from off the pace for the first time, pulling clear of the field in the stretch. Baffert said, "So, now we know she can rate and that is a dimension you always want to see." [8]

On August 2 in the Test Stakes, heavily favored Indian Blessing left five other 3-year-old fillies at the quarter pole and drew away to a 7-length victory, covering the 7 furlongs in 1:22.70. [9] On September 20, she took on older mares for the first time, winning the Gallant Bloom Handicap by 6¼ lengths. [10] She entered the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on October 24 at Santa Anita as the favorite, but was passed in the stretch by Ventura to finish second. [11]

Indian Blessing 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 battled Indian Blessing for the win. “This was a bittersweet win," Baffert said. "I’m very sad about what happened to (Indyanne)." [12] Indian Blessing was awarded the Eclipse Award as American Champion Female Sprint Horse for 2008. "We feel very, very fortunate. It's an 'all-in-the-family' situation starting many years ago," said her owner Hal Earnhardt, referring to the fact that he had also bred Indian Blessing's sire. "We might not ever be in this position again, so, like her name says, we're blessed to be here." [13]

2009: four-year-old season

In her first start in 2009, the $2-million Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-I) on March 28 at Nad Al Sheba, Indian Blessing lost by barely half a length to Big City Man after stumbling at the start. Scheduled to race next in the Grade I Humana Distaff Handicap on Derby Day, the filly was scratched after behaving listlessly before the race. [14] Indian Blessing ran in the Desert Stormer Handicap, her first start at Hollywood Park, and finished fourth, the first time she had ever run out of the money. 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 rebounded to win her second consecutive Gallant Bloom Handicap, this time by a nose over Sara Louise after a lengthy stretch battle. |She put up a really good fight today," said jockey John Velazquez. "I tell you, the other filly was a brave one, too. She kept coming back to me. The more I asked my filly, the more the other one kept coming back. It was a good effort for both fillies." [15]

Baffert decided to bypass the 2009 Breeders' Cup as he felt the filly did not run her best on the synthetic surface then in place at Santa Anita. Instead Indian Blessing was retired with a record of 10 wins and five second place finishes from 16 starts. [16]

Breeding record

As of 2020, Indian Blessing has produced five named foals: [17]

Related Research Articles

The Gallant Bloom Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old and older run over a distance of 6+1⁄2 furlongs on the dirt held annually in late September at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Ashado is an American Thoroughbred racemare whose seven Grade I wins included the 2004 Breeders' Cup Distaff. She won Eclipse Awards as the Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 2004 and Champion Older Female of 2005, and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2014. At the end of the 2005 racing season, her owners sold her at the Keeneland Sales November auction for $9 million, a world-record price for a broodmare/broodmare prospect.

Silverbulletday is an American Thoroughbred champion racehorse. Bred in Kentucky, she was sired by Silver Deputy and out of the GII winning mare Rokeby Rose. Her damsire was Tom Rolfe, the 1965 Preakness Stakes winner and that year's U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt. Her grandsire was Deputy Minister, the 1981 Canadian Horse of the Year and a very important North American sire.

Life Is Sweet is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who in early 2009 was thought to be a threat to her unbeaten stablemate, Zenyatta, after winning three straight stakes races. Though beaten by Zenyatta.

Informed Decision American Thoroughbred racehorse

Informed Decision is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2009 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on her way to being named the American Champion Female Sprint Horse.

Blame (horse) American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Blame is a retired American champion Thoroughbred racehorse, a winner of nine races in 13 starts including the prestigious Breeders' Cup Classic.

Groupie Doll is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. A specialist sprinter, she is best known for winning the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2012 and 2013. Unraced as a two-year-old she showed good form as a three-year-old in 2011, winning three races including the Gardenia Stakes. In 2012, she emerged as a world-class sprinter, winning the Madison Stakes, Humana Distaff Handicap, Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes, and Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes before taking the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. In 2013 she repeated in the Masters Stakes and won a second Breeders' Cup. She was then sold as a prospective broodmare for $3.1 million. Her new owner chose to keep her in training into early 2014, running her against males in the Cigar Mile, and then in the Hurricane Bertie Stakes, where she won the final race of her career, to be retired and become a broodmare.

Bayern (horse) American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Bayern is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2014, he won the Grade I 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic, following wins in the Haskell Invitational and the Pennsylvania Derby. He is owned by Kaleem Shah, who purchased him as a two-year-old, based upon the advice of his teenaged son. He was named after Shah's favorite soccer team, FC Bayern Munich. The horse was trained by Bob Baffert, and was retired in 2015.

Proud Spell is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. As a two-year-old in 2007 she was rated one of the best juvenile fillies in the United States, winning her first three races including the Matron Stakes before finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She was even more successful in her second season, winning four races including the Fair Grounds Oaks, Kentucky Oaks, Delaware Oaks and Alabama Stakes. She was retired from racing after a single unsuccessful appearance as a four-year-old.

Wait A While is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Although she showed some good form on dirt she had her greatest success on turf and won twelve of her twenty-four races in a track career which lasted from August 2005 until October 2008. As a two-year-old she won two of her four races including the Miss Grillo Stakes. In the following year she won the Davona Dale Stakes, Sands Point Stakes, American Oaks, Lake Placid Stakes and Yellow Ribbon Stakes in a campaign which saw her being voted that season's American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. Her third season was disrupted by illness and injury but she did win the Honey Fox Stakes and the Ballston Spa Handicap. In her final season Wait A While won the San Gorgonio Handicap and recorded repeat victories in the Ballston Spa Handicap and the Yellow Ribbon Stakes. Her racing career ended controversially when she was disqualified for failing a drug test after finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Judy the Beauty is a Canadian-bred, American-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Adena Springs in Ontario, she has been owned and trained throughout her racing career by Wesley Ward who bought her for $20,000 as a yearling. As a juvenile, she won her first three races before finishing second in the Spinaway Stakes. In a brief three-year-old season she finished second in all three of her races. In 2013 she established herself as one of the best female sprinters in North America, winning the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes and finishing second to Groupie Doll in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. She was even better at five, winning the Las Flores Handicap, Madison Stakes and Rancho Bernardo Handicap before ending her season with a win in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. After her retirement, Judy the Beauty was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2018.

Songbird (horse) American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Songbird is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a two-time Eclipse Award winner. She won thirteen times, nine of them in Grade I races, and had career earnings of almost $4.7 million.

Tepin (horse) American Thoroughbred racehorse

Tepin is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who was named the American Champion Female Turf Horse of 2015 and 2016. She showed very promising form as a two-year-old in 2013 when she won the Delta Princess Stakes on the dirt. After a disappointing three-year-old season when she failed to win in four starts, she emerged as a top-class turf performer in 2015. Her wins as a four-year-old included the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes, Just A Game Stakes and First Lady Stakes before recording her biggest success when defeating male opposition in the Breeders' Cup Mile. In 2016, she won her first four starts and was then sent to England, where she defeated a field of leading European milers to win the Queen Anne Stakes. On returning to North America, she extended her winning streak to eight in the Woodbine Mile. The streak included three Grade/Group 1 wins against male horses in three different countries. Although Tepin finished second in her next two starts including an effort to defend her title in the Breeders Cup Mile, she was still named the Champion Female Turf Horse for the second year in a row.

Capricciosa was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In a racing career which lasted from June 1990 until April 1992 she won four of her seven races. She was one of the best juvenile fillies in Britain and Ireland in 1990 when she won four races including the Debutante Stakes, Moyglare Stud Stakes and Cheveley Park Stakes. She missed the whole of the next season and was then sent to race in the United States where she made no impact in two starts. She was retired from racing to become a broodmare in Japan and produced at least eleven winners.

Stellar Wind (horse) American Thoroughbred racehorse

Stellar Wind is an American Thoroughbred racehorse, known for her Eclipse Award winning three-year-old season, and later for her rivalry with the champion mare Beholder. Bred in Virginia, she raced in Maryland as a juvenile, winning one minor race from two starts. As a three-year-old, racing mainly in California, she improved to become arguably the best filly of her generation. In the spring of 2015, she won the Santa Ysabel Stakes and the Santa Anita Oaks before finishing a troubled fourth in the Kentucky Oaks. On her return to California, she recorded further victories in the Summertime Oaks and the Torrey Pines Stakes, and then ended her season by finishing a strong second in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. She was voted American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 2015.

La Verdad was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. She was bred in New York by Eklektikos Stable and was owned by Sheila Rosenblum's Lady Sheila Stable. A winner of 16 races from 25 starts, she won the Eclipse Award as American Champion Female Sprint Horse for her accomplishments in 2015.

Bast is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 2019 Del Mar Debutante Stakes, Chandelier Stakes, and Starlet Stakes.

Gamine is a multiple graded stakes-winning American Thoroughbred racehorse. She has won nine races from eleven career starts, including the 2020 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and four other Grade One events. She was named 2020's champion female sprinter.

Covfefe is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who won two Eclipse Awards in 2019 as the American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and American Champion Female Sprint Horse. She won five of six starts that year including the Test Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. She also broke the Pimlico track record for six furlongs by over a second in the Miss Preakness.

Musical Romance was an American National Champion Thoroughbred racemare purchased for $22,000 who is best known for her 2011 win of the $1,000,000 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint hosted that year by Churchill Downs. Ridden by Juan Leyva, she was trained by Bill Kaplan, co-owner with the Pinnacle Racing Stable headed by managing partner Adam Lazarus.

References

  1. ↑ "Indian Blessing statistics". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Mitchell, Ron. "Indian Blessing Thoroughly Homebred". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Conley, Ryan. "Indian Blessing: 2-Year-Old Filly". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  4. ↑ Shandler, Jason. "Indian Blessing Makes Perfect Gift". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  5. ↑ Shandler, Jason. "Indian Blessing Stays Perfect". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Indian Blessing Could Miss Kentucky Oaks". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  7. ↑ "Zaftig Zooms, 'Blessing' Second in Acorn". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  8. ↑ Shandler, Jason. "Prioress: Indian Blessing Back On Top". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  9. ↑ Shandler, Jason. "Indian Blessing Cruises in Test". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  10. ↑ Shinar, Jack. "Gallant Bloom: Indian Blessing Opens Up". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  11. ↑ Mitchell, Ron. "Ventura Takes Filly & Mare Sprint". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  12. ↑ Shinar, Jack. "Indian Blessing Claims Marred La Brea". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  13. ↑ Marr, Esther. "Female Sprint Eclipse: Indian Blessing". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  14. ↑ Privman, Jay. "A listless Indian Blessing will skip Distaff". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  15. ↑ Shandler, Jason. "Indian Blessing Holds On To Win Gallant Bloom". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  16. ↑ Privman, Jay. "Indian Blessing retired". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  17. ↑ "Indian Blessing Offspring". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.