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.

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 Citizen will keep Gabriel Saez in the saddle.

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; Highest Class, Robby Albarado, 116; Miss Missile, Diego Saenz, 122; Absolutely Cindy, Julien Leparoux, 122; Proud Spell, 122; High Surf, John Velazquez, 116; and Indian Blessing, 122.