Indian Blessing seeks Silverbulletday

Unbeaten champion INDIAN BLESSING (Indian Charlie) will bring her speed to

New Orleans in Saturday's $200,000 Silverbulletday S. (G3) at Fair Grounds.

Winner of the January 13 Santa Ynez S. (G2) in her seasonal debut, the Bob

Baffert-trained lass will square off against six rivals in the 1 1/16-mile race.

She's the prohibitive 4-5 favorite on the morning line.

Indian Blessing opened her racing career with a pair of smashing wins in New

York, breaking her maiden by 5 1/4 lengths at Saratoga prior to a 4 1/2-length

score in the Frizette S. (G1) at Belmont Park. She improved to three-for-three

on dirt with a 3 1/2-length triumph in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1)

and easily earned championship honors in her division. Indian Blessing narrowly

captured the seven-furlong Santa Ynez at Santa Anita last time out, holding on

by a fast-diminishing head, and the dark bay lass will switch back to dirt on

Saturday. Regular rider Garrett Gomez will be up.

Matron S. (G2) winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up PROUD

SPELL (Proud Citizen) is the top challenger. Conditioned by Larry "Cowboy"

Jones, the bay filly suffered her first setback in the slop at Monmouth Park,

winning her first three starts in good fashion. She captured the White Clay

Creek S. at Delaware Park by five lengths before romping by 4 1/4 lengths in the

Matron at Belmont. Proud Spell will keep Gabriel Saez in the saddle, and she's

listed as the 7-2 second choice.

JOLIE THE CAT (Tale of the Cat), an authoritative winner of the January 12

Tiffany Lass S. at Fair Grounds, is also in the field. The Steve Asmussen charge

will break from the rail with Shaun Bridgmohan. Tiffany Lass third-placer

HIGHEST CLASS (Mineshaft), multiple stakes victress MISS MISSILE (Golden

Missile), turf stakes heroine ABSOLUTELY CINDY (Arch) and maiden winner HIGH

SURF (Storm Cat) round out the line-up.

The contestants, in post order, are Jolie the Cat, 122, 5-1; Highest Class, Robby

Albarado, 116, 10-1; Miss Missile, Diego Saenz, 122, 12-1; Absolutely Cindy, Julien

Leparoux, 122, 6-1; Proud Spell, 122; High Surf, John Velazquez, 116, 15-1; and Indian

Blessing, 122.