One Fast Filly !

[Norm]

Wow, I was just reading the chart for today's Santa Ynez G2 at SA which was won by Indian Blessing in new track record time for 7f of 1:19:4 with a 6f split of 1:07 flat. That's kinda fast for a just-turned-3 y.o. filly isn't it ? She's technically 3 but she was foaled in April; she's still a 2 y.o. by real-world calculations. I'm impressed.

[46zilzal]

And the track record at old Bowie was made on a day when the track was frozen.

Surface as much as filly until proven otherwise.

[Norm]

I dunno, if it's the track, they must have done something strange to that cushion track out there. Her time beat the old dirt track record that's been standing since '72.

[jballscalls]

dont all the track records start over when they put the new surface in?? I mean malo el gato broke the 'track record' by over a second in the stake race yesterday, so the track is obviously a touch quick. I mean they set a different world record every year at Emerald downs,does that mean the horses are great?

(note that i havent seen the race you are speaking of, just know how the track has been playing this weekend)

[cmoore]

Wow, I was just reading the chart for today's Santa Ynez G2 at SA which was won by Indian Blessing in new track record time for 7f of 1:19:4 with a 6f split of 1:07 flat. That's kinda fast for a just-turned-3 y.o. filly isn't it ? She's technically 3 but she was foaled in April; she's still a 2 y.o. by real-world calculations. I'm impressed.

There's been 3 or 4 track records in the last few days at SA I think...It's the track..They should ignore all track records beaten in the last week. Or at least they should carry an asterisk...LOL!!!

[kenwoodallpromos]

Gee, I wonder why they never re-ordered the RIGHT rubber and are having such a long time finding the "perfect" dirt! Oh well, Stronach will have to suffer with having records broke left and right on this track! Not to worry- it will be slowed down plenty to match GP's on Sunshine Millions Day! (May have to seal GP's that day too!) LOL!! How many breakdowns since the big storm? I haven't heard. Maybe the one today counts.

[46zilzal]

Yes, this little girl is faster than Dr. Fager.......

[Norm]

I just checked a more recent source. The 'Thoroughbred Times' says the old dirt track record was set in 1980. This filly just took 1/5 off of Spectacular Bid's record set on the old dirt track. Geeze, what kinda rubber are they using there ??

[exiles]

Wow, I was just reading the chart for today's Santa Ynez G2 at SA which was won by Indian Blessing in new track record time for 7f of 1:19:4 with a 6f split of 1:07 flat. That's kinda fast for a just-turned-3 y.o. filly isn't it ? She's technically 3 but she was foaled in April; she's still a 2 y.o. by real-world calculations. I'm impressed.

Don't read too much into this times,and the numbers are worthless,i could run that fast on that asphalt.

[Burls]

She's definitely quite the young filly.

Her last 3 workouts going into the race were:
Dec 23 HOL 6f - 1:11
Dec 30 SA 6f - 1:12
Jan 04 HOL 6f - 1:10
The surprising thing is that she almost got nosed out by Bejarano on Golden Doc A.
I'm always tempted to bet against the favorite; especially at 1/9, but I passed the race.
It was a pretty exciting finish, I thought.

[Norm]

She's definitely quite the young filly.

Her last 3 workouts going into the race were:
Dec 23 HOL 6f - 1:11
Dec 30 SA 6f - 1:12
Jan 04 HOL 6f - 1:10
The surprising thing is that she almost got nosed out by Bejarano on Golden Doc A.
I'm always tempted to bet against the favorite; especially at 1/9, but I passed the race.
It was a pretty exciting finish, I thought.

Thanks for posting those work-out times, I didn't have access to that.

She looks like she might be something special. I reviewed her first-try maiden win. Her splits were :21:2 :44:1 1:03:1. (at Saratoga). She was 1/5 off the track record even though she was under wraps for the last 1/16th. I watched the replay, Tom Durkin's voice raised three octaves while he was calling the race as he noted the time.

Curious thing, Bejarano, who rode Golden Doc A at SA on Sunday, rode Indian Blessing in her Maiden win.

We'll never get good betting odds on her but, it might be fun to watch her career develop. She has won at four different distances, at four different tracks on very different surfaces.

[Bruddah]

until she comes East and faces better competition. (JMHO) But, for her West Coast fans, I hope she does better. :ThmbUp:

[Burls]

until she comes East and faces better competition. (JMHO) But, for her West Coast fans, I hope she does better. :ThmbUp:

Her first three races were: MSW 62k at Saratoga, Frizette-G1 at Belmont, and the BC JuvFil-G1 at Monmouth. So she's been to the big venues already.

Burls

[Si2see]

we are talking about a very likely champion 2 year old filly..... the question is will she be champion 3 year old ?? any thoughts if she improves after that race, or did it take too much out... I am on the side of taking too much out of her

[ryesteve]

When a horse wins by a head, there's no reason to get excited over raw final time (unless of course we've got an Affirmed/Alydar situation, which this certainly wasn't)

[wegoosewe]

i watched that race. yeah she won but it wasnt a performance that you said WOW! if there was an extra half furlong she was cought. with the turn for home you could see that she was losing it.

[joanied]

She IS technically still a 'baby'....Baffert loves speed...I hope he doesn't ruin this filly. She needs to learn to relax, not sure Baffert is up to that task.
She's proven herself back East too... she is something very special and I hope she gets through the entire race 'season' so we can enjoy her.
As a 3 yr old, she could likely hook up with Rags...

[46zilzal]

Most, but not all horses, have (unless they are champions like Forego) a hard wired best running style that usually presents itself consistently by age 3 1/2 to 4.

If this one can, it will.

[Bruddah]

I was thinking in a Fog and another filly. Thanks for the correction. :ThmbUp: :)

[joanied]

Yes, but some horses, with the right trainer & jock, and also excersise rider, can teach a horse to relax...I ain't saying Indian Blessing should be taken out of her 'game', but if they can get her to relax a bit just off a pace...it may serve her better as she matures and the distances get longer...about her getting caught if that race had been another furlong...sure looked like it from the gallop out, but ya really can't tell because we don't know if she was being pulled up stronger than the other filly was...I just don't think you can make a good judgment on watching them gallop out.

Time will tell....
:)

[Gittup]

Her first three races were: MSW 62k at Saratoga, Frizette-G1 at Belmont, and the BC JuvFil-G1 at Monmouth. So she's been to the big venues already.

Burls
Indian Blessing's BC Juvie Filly win was very impressive. I hope she stays sound as she definitely has the talent to be a great one.

[Norm]

Yes, but some horses, with the right trainer & jock, and also excersise rider, can teach a horse to relax...I ain't saying Indian Blessing should be taken out of her 'game', but if they can get her to relax a bit just off a pace...it may serve her better as she matures and the distances get longer...about her getting caught if that race had been another furlong...sure looked like it from the gallop out, but ya really can't tell because we don't know if she was being pulled up stronger than the other filly was...I just don't think you can make a good judgment on watching them gallop out.

Time will tell....
:)

She seems to be o.k. with being rated. In the G1 Frizette at a mile, she was reigned back into 2nd 'till the half-mile pole, then when let go she vaulted into an 8+ length lead and won while under wraps in the final 1/16th.

I think the episode in the Santa Ynez may have been a case of jockey over-confidence. She had a good lead at the top of the stretch and Gomez started to ease her a bit. When the other horse came at her in deep stretch, she had to be re-roused to win. Bejarano, jockey on the second horse originally rode Indian Blessing in her maiden race and knew what the "instructions" were. Being a clever jockey, he tried to cash-in on his insight and pull-off an upset. It almost worked.

These horses are so fragile, I hope she stays good. I'm an old-timer and I remember Idun, filly champion for two years in the late '50's. This one is like her. As you say, time will tell. I wish her well. :)

[joanied]

Norm & gitup,



How right you are...she may trun into one of our great ones!!

[46zilzal]

Norm & gitup,



How right you are...she may trun into one of our great ones!!
Every year during my apprenticeship of horse racing I would hear of the second coming of Man O' War and or the female equivalent (Personal Ensign) and while I hoped for that to be true, the LOGICAL side of me waits until they "get out of diapers" first. Too many flashes in the pan have done little else than stop some watches at two.

I logically thought it was the oft brilliant, but slow starting Easy Goer who, though absolutely amazing at times, had inconsistent efforts and hated the off going.

[Dahoss9698]

She IS technically still a 'baby'....Baffert loves speed...I hope he doesn't ruin this filly. She needs to learn to relax, not sure Baffert is up to that task.
She's proven herself back East too... she is something very special and I hope she gets through the entire race 'season' so we can enjoy her.
As a 3 yr old, she could likely hook up with Rags...

Not sure Baffert is up to the task of getting her to rate? Yeah, what has he really accomplished in this game? Couple meaningless Kentucky Derbies, trained a few champs, what does he know?

[Burls]

She IS technically still a 'baby'....Baffert loves speed...I hope he doesn't ruin this filly. She needs to learn to relax, not sure Baffert is up to that task.
She's proven herself back East too... she is something very special and I hope she gets through the entire race 'season' so we can enjoy her.
As a 3 yr old, she could likely hook up with Rags...

Here's a blurb from Bloodsport

Undefeated Indian Blessing cleared her first hurdle of 2008, but last year's Grey Goose Vodka Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) winner unexpectedly had to outlast the strongest challenge of her brief career in the $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Jan. 13.

Indian Blessing, the 1-10 favorite, held on to win by a head over Golden Doc A in the seven-furlong test for 3-year-old fillies. Patti and Hal Earnhardt's homebred daughter of Indian Charlie set blistering fractions but tired a bit in the final furlong, winning under urging by jockey Garrett Gomez. The likely 2007 Eclipse Award winner set a Cushion Track record of 1:19.89 for seven furlongs on Santa Anita's blazing main track.

Trainer Bob Baffert, celebrating his 55th birthday, was relieved to get the first start of the year out of the way.

"The easy ones are always the hardest ones to win, when you're 1-9," Baffert said. "But she ran her heart out today. When I saw the fractions, I thought it would be tough (to hold one). She came back tired. But it was good. All she does is win." ...


"This filly has just been a blessing, just like her name," Hal Earnhardt said.

Baffert said he was undecided on the next step for Indian Blessing. "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.”

I guess it remains to be seen if he'll follow through on this though.

Burls

[Norm]

Indian Blessing continued her dominance of the 3 y.o. filly ranks with a win in the Silver Bullet Day Stakes at Fair Grounds. She won the 1 1/16 m event by a length in 1:43:3, just 1 3/5 seconds over the track record. For the first time she had to work all the way to the wire and did not finish "under wraps" as in the past. She rated well allowing a 93-1 shot to lead the way 'til mid back stretch after which she took over. Foaled in April, she is still really only two, she may get better.

Seems to me that trainer Baffert has excercised good judgement in taking her away from California, bringing her east to run on dirt as she will in the Kentucky Oaks. For a while, I thought she might make a good Derby horse and take on the boys, but I've changed my mind. I haven't seen her in person yet, but she does not appear as massive as the fillies that have beaten colts in the past. It might ruin her to try.

[joeya]

What do we make of today's big races at Fair Grounds?

Risen Star Fractions:

:24.2, :49.2, 1:14.3, 1:38.3, 1:44.3

Silverbulletday Fractions:

:23.4, :47.0, 1:11.2, 1:36.3, 1:43.4



Unless we get revised times for these races, "rough estimates" would indicate that:

- The fillies ran to the half-mile 2.2 seconds faster than the boys ... roughly 20 lengths faster

- The fillies ran to the first six furlongs 3.1 seconds faster than the boys ... roughly 27 lengths faster

- The fillies ran the opening mile 2.0 seconds faster than the boys ... roughly 17 lengths faster

The big difference in these races is what happened from the six-furlong mark to the wire:

- The boys finished up in :30.0 vs. the girls in :32.1 ... the boys were roughly 19 lengths faster than the girls over the last 2 1/2 furlongs.


Safe to say the filly race fell apart late? Indian Blessing will get a higher Beyer than Pyro but if you ask me she was getting pretty tired there at the wire.

Of course the boys ran faster late in the race because no one was running hard early - it was simply a mad dash in the stretch. And of course the girls had reason to be tired late after the much faster early pace in their race.

Not sure I'm ready to make any solid conclusions based on these races, although Pyro would seem to get extra credit simply based on the way he won given the pace scenario (he was dead last turning for home).


(I've used 1.7 lengths for each 1/5 of a second at this distance for my "rough estimates")

[Tom]

Throw in the Mineshaft:

23.2 47.0 112.1 137.0 143.2


Nice "pace-lab" day.

[SaratogaSteve]

as a wise soul once said, "time only matters when your in jail"

[Hosshead]

..(I've used 1.7 lengths for each 1/5 of a second at this distance for my "rough estimates")
I'm not trying to nit-pik, and I know you said "rough estimate" but jeez:
That is equal to 8 1/2 lengths per second.

No Way does Any horse travel that far in One Second !
How about we keep it at 5 lengths/sec. for discussion purposes. (Yeah I know its estimated at a few feet more)
But this puts your lengths, .. thus your visual discription of the races, considerably off:

For example:
2:2 Sec.
From your estimate of 20 lengths faster to 12 lengths faster.
3:1 Sec.
From your estimate of 27 lengths faster to 16 lengths faster.

That's a huge difference.

I know Trevor sometimes says "they'd need to sprout wings to catch him", but it's just a phrase he uses,
it doesn't really happen !

[cj]

The Risen Star is actually a great example for pace. There were no "pace" horses that were any good at all. From a figures point of view, it is best to just put a line through these types of races for those that ran off the pace.

[Kelso]

The Risen Star is actually a great example for pace. There were no "pace" horses that were any good at all. From a figures point of view, it is best to just put a line through these types of races for those that ran off the pace.


I'm hoping this isn't a heavy-duty question. Can you give me a simple definition or explanation of what a "good" pace horse is? (It seems, from your post, to be a situation or characteristic that can be identified from past performances?)

Thank you.

[cj]

I just meant a horse that figures to be up front that also has a chance to win.