Paul H. Saylor’s recent purchase of FLEET INDIAN (Indian Charlie) returned
instant dividends, as the five-year-old mare took the $101,200
Next Move H. (G3)
at Aqueduct on Sunday. The dark bay was purchased in January and made her debut
in the Todd Pletcher barn for this one, but she picked up right where she left
off as she ran her winning streak to three. Overlooked at odds of 4-1 in the
four-horse field, the winner returned $10 and $4.20 while topping the $25.40
exacta beneath Jose Santos.
No Sleep (Robyn Dancer) led the field out of the gate and coasted along
through splits of :23 3/5, :47 4/5 and 1:12 for the initial six furlongs. As the
field approached the turn for the stretch, Fleet Indian readily went by and put
the pacesetter away, needing only to hold off the tired but courageous Flaming
Heart (Touch Gold) in the latter stages. Santos kept his mount straight and
stayed one length clear of the hard-trying runner-up, who was worth $3.10 as the
9-5 second choice. No Sleep, the 7-5 choice, stayed 3 1/2 lengths clear of India
Halo (Arg) (Halo Sunshine) at the wire. The final time of the race was 1:49 1/5
for nine furlongs on the fast dirt. Tomorrows Lady (Tomorrows Cat) was an allowance winner
on Saturday and was scratched.
Fleet Indian has been through the sales ring on three occasions, most
recently attracting a bid of $290,000 at the Keeneland January Horses of All
Ages Sale. The five-year-old moved her career mark to a solid 13-8-0-1 with
earnings of $294,513, and registered her first graded tally in here. The lass
was victorious in the Montauk H. two prior.
The winner was bred in the Empire State by Thomas/Lakin and produced from Hustleeta
(Afleet), who is a half-sister to Cherokee Wonder (Cherokee Colony), the dam of
Grade 3 winner Cherokee’s Boy (Citidancer), and Mandy Tweedy (Cherokee Colony),
who produced multiple stakes winner and Saturday’s Distaff Breeders’ Cup (G2)
third-place finisher, Annika Lass (Mister Jolie).