Indian Burns Ruthless Rivals

Terrible start, great finish.

That’s how jockey Richard Migliore summed up his winning trip aboard Crossed Sabres Farm’s Indian Burn in the $65,000 Ruthless Stakes Sunday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Forced to check after being pinched at the start, the 3-year-old daughter of Indian Charlie trailed through the early going as Milc Kids and Argent Affair led through a half in 47.70.  Gaining momentum approaching the quarter pole, Migliore swung the filly wide and she drew off to win by 1¼ lengths. 

Her final time for the six-furlong race, which was rescheduled from last Sunday because of inclement weather, was 1:14.05.

“She was just a little bit anxious in the gate,” Migliore said.  “I couldn’t get her to get all four feet on the ground at once, so when they broke, she broke a half-step slow and I got pinched.  I figured on being last early, but I just would have liked to have done it more smoothly.  But at about the three-eighths pole she really found her stride and I knew she was going to be very tough to beat.”

It was the first stakes win for Indian Burn, who made only the third start of her career and had not raced since breaking her maiden going seven furlongs at Belmont Park on October 23.

“The speed set up for her,” said trainer John Hertler.  “She likes to close like that. She broke slowly, but Richie [Migliore] was going to be back there with her anyway.”

With the winner’s purse of $39,000, Indian Burn more than doubled her career earnings to $69,100.  She returned $17.40 to her backers in the crowd of 2,801. 

Hertler said he had not yet picked out a spot for the filly’s next start.

Argent Affair narrowly held on to second over favored Funny Feeling, and Wild News, E Z Passer and Milc Kids completed the order of finish.