Indian Blessing holds on in Santa Ynez

Hal & Patti Earnhardt's homebred INDIAN BLESSING (Indian Charlie) took the lead soon after the start of Sunday's $150,000 Santa Ynez S. (G2) and just took the win by a diminishing head for trainer Bob Baffert. The sophomore miss, who is favored to be named champion juvenile filly at the upcoming Eclipse Awards ceremony on January 21, completed her three-year-old bow in a track-record 1:19 4/5 for seven furlongs on Santa Anita's Cushion Track.

"It was supposed to be an easy out, but those are the hardest ones to win," said Baffert, who was celebrating his 55th birthday. "She ran her heart out today. She just digs in, she just keeps winning. I don't know what I'm going to do with her (next race). She ran pretty hard today, so I'll let her dictate where she wants to run next, but we're not in a hurry with her."

Jockey Garrett Gomez, who could pick up an Eclipse of his own, settled Indian Blessing just off the rail through splits of :22 1/5 and :43 3/5. Peisinoe (Yes It's True) pressed the pace just to her outside, but began backing up entering the stretch as Indian Blessing pulled away to be three lengths clear through six furlongs in 1:07. However, the stretch run still had to be traversed, and Golden Doc A (Unusual Heat) was just game enough to make a race of it late.

The Barry Abrams-trained Golden Doc A rallied late under Rafael Bejarano, making up ground on her tiring rival. The wire came just in time for Indian Blessing, who paid $2.20, $2.10 and $2.10 as the 1-9 favorite.

"She was a little fresh today," Gomez explained. "Alex (Solis aboard Peisinoe) put quite a bit more pressure on us than I expected, and I wasn't able to get her to settle like I wanted. I knew with the pressure we got, somebody might be coming at us and at the sixteenth-pole, I could feel that filly (Golden Doc A) coming. At that point I had to get after her a little bit. She's a very honest filly."

Golden Doc A was tough in defeat, galloping out past Indian Blessing and returning $4.40 and $2.80 as the 12-1 fourth shot in the five-horse field. It was another 7 3/4 lengths back to Peisinoe, who gave back $3 at 11-1. The $1 exotics were worth $5 (exacta) and $15.20 (3-7-6 trifecta). Champagne Eyes (Flatter) never challenged and finished another 2 1/2 lengths back in fourth while 6 3/4 lengths up on 6-1 second choice Izarra (Distorted Humor). Nook and Granny (Impeachment) and P. S. U. Grad (Harlan's Holiday) were both withdrawn.

"She ran great," Abrams praised Golden Doc A. "I'm very happy, she's a very, very good horse. We haven't seen the best of her yet."

Indian Blessing began her career at Saratoga in August, taking her maiden debut by a front-running 5 1/4 lengths. She moved south to Belmont Park for her stakes debut, taking the mile Frizette S. (G1) by another easy margin of 4 1/2 lengths, before facing the toughest test of her career at that point in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Dominating her 12 rivals by 3 1/2 lengths over the sloppy, sealed Monmouth dirt, the dark bay lass captured her sophomore debut here to move her record to a perfect four-for-four with $1,447,200 in lifetime earnings.

The Kentucky-bred Indian Blessing is out of the stakes-winning and multiple Grade 3-placed Shameful (Flying Chevron). She has a pair of younger half-brothers, a juvenile named He's Shameful (Candy Ride [Arg]) and an unnamed yearling by Roman Ruler. Shameful is herself a half-sister to 2004 Whirlaway S. victor Little Matth Man (Matty G), and the female family also includes such notables as Grade 1 winners Cat's Cradle (Flying Paster) and Roamin Rachel (Mining) as well as 2004 Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy (Sunday Silence).