2006 Cotillion Handicap Winner
India was a stylish filly trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher who put together a strong stakes winning career in the mid 2000s. She was foaled in 2003 and raced from 2005 through 2007. Her sire was the speedy Hennessy, a son of Storm Cat and a top sire of his era, and her dam was Misty Hour, a daughter of Miswaki. She had a pedigree built for speed and class on the dirt.
India showed her ability against the country's best three year old fillies in 2006. The signature win of her three year old season came in the Cotillion Handicap at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing), one of the most important Grade 2 races of the year for fillies. She faced top rivals and ran a powerful race to claim the trophy. The win stamped her as one of the leading sophomore fillies in training and earned her a spot in the Breeders Cup Distaff later that fall.
She came back as a four year old in 2007 with continued class. She added another stakes win in the Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park, beating older mares and proving she still had plenty of speed in her stride. The race was named for the great champion mare Azeri, and India added her own name to its list of winners. She also ran in stakes at Saratoga, Belmont Park, Gulfstream Park, and Oaklawn, hitting the board against some of the top mares in the country.
India retired after the 2007 season with a record that included multiple graded stakes wins and consistent placings against top company. She went on to a career as a broodmare in the years that followed. India is remembered as a smart, classy filly who made her mark for Todd Pletcher during one of the busiest periods of his career and who carried the colors of her connections with style and consistency.
Sources: