Melnyk Racing Stables’ INDIAN VALE (A.P. Indy) stepped up to face top
distaffers for the first time in Thursday’s $338,700
Falls City H. (G2) and
emerged from the 1 1/8-mile test as perhaps the divisional leader entering 2006.
The Todd Pletcher-trained sophomore rated in hand behind pacesetter Flying
Glitter (Glitterman) through the opening six furlongs before quickly seizing
command on the far turn and opening a daylight advantage by the top of the
stretch. Indian Vale sparkled through the lane, easily winning by 6 1/2 lengths
under John Velazquez.
Now five for six in her career, Indian Vale didn’t make her career bow until
July and earned her first stakes victory in early November at Aqueduct. The
rapidly improving filly captured the 90th running of the Falls City in 1:50 1/5
over the fast Churchill Downs track.
“It’s a shame that she kind of got a late start to the season, because I
think she’s probably one of the best — if not the best — three-year-old
fillies around,” Pletcher said. “But she made up ground in a hurry and to beat
older mares of the caliber that she did today in her only her sixth lifetime
start…she’s obviously something special.”
Favored at 2-1 over nine rivals, the chestnut miss returned $6, $4 and $2.80
to her supporters. Spinster S. (G1) heroine Pampered Princess (Indian Charlie)
finished a non-threatening second in her final career start, paying $4 and $3
after going postward as the 3-1 second choice. It was another 2 3/4 lengths back
to the late-running Miss Fortunate (Deputy Minister), who was off at nearly 10-1
and gave back $3.60. The exacta paid $25.80, the trifecta $181.80 and the
4-9-2-8 superfecta ($1), with La Reason (Labeeb [GB]) in fourth, was worth
$328.40.
Kristy Beethoven (Kris S.), Journey Fever (Gold Fever), Rahys’ Appeal (Rahy),
Flying Glitter, Bending Strings (American Chance) and Joint Aspiration (GB)
(Pivotal) rounded out the order of finish. Cotopaxi (With Approval) and Winning
Season (Lemon Drop Kid) were scratched.
“She was giving weight to that filly (Indian Vale) and that filly, I think,
proved that she can be a great one,” said Marty Wolfson, trainer of runner-up
Pampered Princess. “I think to have to give eight pounds to a filly of that
ability,
that’s a lot to ask.”
Bred in Ontario by her owners, Indian Vale captured her career debut at
Monmouth Park and won a pair of allowances at Saratoga before making her stakes
bow in October’s Cotillion H. (G2), suffering her first setback with a
fifth-place effort. She rebounded to capture the Turnback the Alarm H. (G3) by 9
1/2 lengths in her previous outing and has now earned $364,674.
Velazquez thinks the best is still yet to come.
“I think if she matures a little more and she gets a little more serious
about things she needs to do, she’ll be all right,” Velazquez said. “It was a
good test for her today because I wanted to rate her. She seems to do it so
easy. She’s still kind of switching her leads and everything, so I think that she’s
just getting better. I think she needs to mature even more.”
Indian Vale is the first foal out of 1999 Test S. (G1) winner Marley Vale (Forty Niner), who earned $569,502 from a 17-6-5-2 mark.
She is also the dam of the unraced two-year-old colt Manor Lodge (Dixieland Band), an unnamed yearling
filly by A.P. Indy and a weanling colt by the same sire.