India left her rivals in the dust (Will Kenser/Coady Photography)

Lyon Stables' INDIA (Hennessy) made a successful four-year-old bow on Saturday with a head victory in the $175,000 Azeri Breeders' Cup S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park under Chris DeCarlo. The Todd Pletcher trainee took a narrow lead through a half in :47 3/5 and went on to withstand the late run of Kettleoneup (Victory Gallop) to finish 1 1/16 miles on the fast dirt in 1:44 1/5. Sent off the 4-5 favorite, India was worth $3.80, $3.20 and $2.60 while keying the $22.60 exacta and $111 trifecta.

Kettleoneup and Calvin Borel raced in last for the first six furlongs but began moving on the turn, coming four wide into the stretch and brushing with the winner late before settling for second at 7-1. Borel lodged a claim of foul against the winner for interference in the stretch, but it was disallowed by the stewards, resulting in Kettleoneup paying $5.60 and $4 to her backers. A True Pussycat (Yes It's True) was 2 1/2 lengths back of the runner-up, returning $4.20 at 10-1, and was followed by Plaid (Deputy Commander), Gasia (Silver Deputy) and Christmas Lily (Marquetry).

India broke her maiden by 12 lengths in 2005 and ran third in that year's Valley Stream S. (G3). She was second in last season's Forward Gal S. (G2) and earned her first stakes win two prior to this one, taking the Without Feathers S., and she rounded out her sophomore season with a victory in the Cotillion Breeders' Cup H. (G2). The chestnut lass now boasts an 11-5-2-1 mark with $557,859 in lifetime earnings.