Unbeaten dual champion and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner ZENYATTA (Street
Regular rider Mike Smith decided not to circle extremely wide,
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“I don’t know what to say, I’m like a fan,” Smith said following the 1
1/4-length decision. “This was her first race back and I wanted to make it as
easy as possible. I could’ve wheeled wide when we turned for home, but I decided
to follow Chantal (Sutherland, aboard Pretty Unusual [Unusual Heat]) as far as I
could. I cut some corners and gambled a bit, but I was confident at all times
that if she needed to make room, she could.”
“Obviously, he (Smith) went to the inside, and then had to come back out,
so…I just have a lot of faith in Mike,” trainer John Shirreffs explained. “I
know once he gets her in the clear, he has a good chance. She’s cut in between
horses and everything, but when you have a big X on your back, a lot of places
don’t open up that normally would.”
Favored at 1-5 over seven rivals, Zenyatta paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10 to her
many supporters after completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 1/5 over the Pro-Ride.
Dance to My Tune, who established early fractions of :23 4/5, :47 3/5, 1:11 and
1:35 3/5, held second by a nose at 51-1 and gave back $19 and $9.40. Floating
Heart (Giant’s Causeway) returned $4.20 as the 11-1 fourth choice. The $1
exotics yielded $22.50 (exacta), $150.80 (trifecta) and $531.20 for the 8-1-9-5
superfecta that included 7-1 second choice Striking Dancer (Smart Strike) in
fourth. Pretty Unusual, Made for Magic (Cape Canaveral), Pretty Katherine
(Vindication) and Gripsholm Castle (Dynaformer) rounded out the order finish.
Powerofvoodoo (Unusual Heat) was withdrawn.
“She’s a bit of a bully,” Smith said. “This was a great, great race for her
and it wasn’t taxing at all. We got enough out of this race to move forward.”
Next up is the April 9 Apple Blossom Invitational (G1) at Oaklawn Park, with
the possibility of a $5 million purse if Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro) shows
up in the starting gate. Shirreffs not only saddled Zenyatta to her 15th
straight win on Saturday, he upset the reigning Horse of the Year earlier on the
afternoon with second-stringer Zardana (Brz) (Crimson Tide) in the New Orleans
Ladies Classic S. at Fair Grounds.
“I didn’t get a chance to see it (the New Orleans Ladies Stakes), but I heard
it, and it sounded great,” the conditioner said. “She’s (Zardana) tough.
California’s tough. We’re tough. Don’t take us short. Zenyatta will run in the
Apple Blossom regardless (of whether Rachel Alexandra shows up or not).
“(Beating Rachel Alexandra) was never really the thing, for us,” Shirreffs
added. “It really wasn’t. Zenyatta came back so we could have some fun with her
and other fans could see her. That was the whole thing.”
Owned by Jerry and Ann Moss, Zenyatta became the richest North American-based
distaffer in Thoroughbred racing history when recording her historic one-length
victory over males in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and she’s now earned
$5,624,580. Originally declared as retired following the Breeders’ Cup, she
continued to work at her Hollywood Park base and was officially “unretired” in
mid-January. The superstar became the first distaffer to shoulder 127 pounds to
victory in the Santa Margarita since Hall of Famer Bayakoa (Arg) in 1990, and
Zenyatta had already established her weight-carrying ability in the Vanity
Invitational H. (G1) last June, defending her title despite a 129-pound burden.
Zenyatta began her Hall of Fame career on November 22, 2007, at Hollywood
Park, winning by three lengths with David Flores in the saddle. Flores would
guide the then sophomore lass through her first allowance condition, which she
won by 3 1/2 lengths, and in her stakes and four-year-old bow, the El Encino S.
(G2).
Smith took over on Zenyatta when she made her only start on dirt, and outside
of California, next up in the Apple Blossom. She posted a dominating 4
1/2-length decision that day over then reigning champion older mare Ginger
Punch, and has been unstoppable since. Returning to Shirreffs’ shedrow at
Hollywood Park, the mare reeled off wins in the Milady H. (G2), Vanity, Clement
L. Hirsch H. (G2) and Lady’s Secret S. (G1) before running away with the
Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) under a hand ride. She returned to win the
same four-race sequence in Southern California prior to the Breeders’ Cup
Classic.
Bred by Maverick Production Limited in Kentucky, Zenyatta is out of Broodmare
of the Year Vertigineux (Kris S.), making her a half-sister to multiple Grade 1
queen Balance (Thunder Gulch), an unraced juvenile colt named Souper Spectacular
(Giant’s Causeway) and a Bernardini weanling filly named Eblouissante. Zenyatta,
who is from the same family as 2001 Canadian champion turf mare Sweetest Thing
(Candy Stripes), was a bargain at only $60,000 for her owners at the 2005
Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Other graded winners in Zenyatta’s family include this season’s Beaumont S.
(G2) victress War Kill (War Chant); 1977 Kentucky Oaks (G2) queen Sweet Alliance
(Sir Ivor); Irish Derby (Ire-G1) winner Shareef Dancer (Northern Dancer), who
was the 1983 champion three-year-old colt for England and Ireland; and Grade
1-winning sire Mizzen Mast (Cozzene).
“We’re just excited she’s back,” Jerry Moss exclaimed. “She looks amazing.
Everybody’s happy. Everybody really loves her. Everybody’s so pleased to have
her back and to root for her, and when she wins, she makes everybody happy. It’s
sort of like something going on inside each and every one of us. She’s perfect.
She’s the idol of perfection we all strive for. That’s about as profound as I
get.”