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Indian Blessing returns to winner's circle in Prioress Hal and Patti Earnhardt's homebred INDIAN BLESSING (Indian Charlie) returned to her winning ways on Saturday when pulling off a 5 1/4-length victory in Belmont Park's $245,000 Prioress S. (G1). The Bob Baffert-trained dark bay dropped her two starts prior to this one after taking her initial five races, but reasserted her dominance while shortening up to six furlongs here as the 3-5 favorite. It was a bittersweet victory for Baffert, who was at Hollywood Park in California saddling Tough Tiz's Sis (Tiznow) to a half-length second to Zenyatta (Street Cry [Ire]) in the Vanity H. (G1). "This was good because I was mad about losing the Vanity," he admitted via phone from Hollywood. "Man, we should have won that race. I could have had two Grade 1 wins today. Instead of winning a Grade 1 with a 7-1 shot, I get a Grade 1 with a 1-9 (shot)." Baffert added that Indian Blessing will now head to Saratoga for the August 2 Test S. (G1). Secret Gypsy (Sea of Secrets) set a quick early pace of :22 1/5 and 44 3/5 after the gates opened, with Indian Blessing and jockey John Velazquez running widest down the backstretch in fourth. As the field entered the turn, Indian Blessing drew even with Secret Gypsy while By the Light (Malibu Moon) moved up on her inside. Those two passed the longtime leader, but Indian Blessing was going best, easily drawing off to stop the clock in a swift 1:09 1/5. "She broke flat-footed, but I knew they were going to chase me anyway, so it was a blessing in disguise," Velazquez said. "I was able to take her to the outside. I rode her like she was the best horse and that was the way she ran. It was really easy." Indian Blessing, recipient of the Eclipse Award as champion two-year-old filly, paid $3.30, $2.60 and $2.10 to her faithful backers while starting the $8.80 exacta. By the Light easily held second by 3 1/2 lengths, giving back $3.40 and $2.40 as the 7-2 second pick, and Indian Way (Indian Charlie) filled out the $21.60 trifecta (3-4-1) while returning $3 as the 5-1 third choice. Secret Gypsy just missed holding third by a neck and was followed under the wire by Tale of the West (Tale of the Cat). Honest to Betsy (Yonaguska) and Palanka City (Carson City) were withdrawn. Indian Blessing immediately stepped up from a 5 1/4-length maiden win last year to capture the Frizette S. (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) during last year's championship season. She opened 2008 with victories in the Santa Ynez S. (G2) and Silverbulletday S. (G3), then suffered her first loss when second in the 8 1/2-furlong Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). The dark bay lass received a three-month freshening and returned to fill the runner-up spot in the Acorn S. (G1) prior to this one, and has now accumulated $1,847,200 in lifetime earnings. The Kentucky-bred Indian Blessing is out of stakes winner and multiple Grade 3-placed Shameful (Flying Chevron), who has also produced a juvenile colt named Spaniard (Candy Ride [Arg]) as well as unnamed yearling and 2008 colts by Roman Ruler. She comes from the same family as Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy (Sunday Silence), Grade 1 heroines Cat's Cradle (Flying Paster) and Roamin Rachel (Mining), and Grade 3 victress Another (Seattle Slew).
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