Lady Z goes 19-0 in Lady’s Secret

Zenyatta is now headed for a date with destiny in the BC Classic (Benoit Photos) Jerry and Ann Moss’ ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) continued her spell-bounding saga with a third straight triumph in Saturday’s $250,000 Lady’s Secret S. (G1) at Hollywood Park. The Oak Tree fixture was actually renamed in honor of the super mare earlier this year following her retirement, but racing officials were more than willing to switch the name back when Zenyatta came back to race as a six-year-old with this race penciled in on her schedule. Moon de French (Malibu Moon) set the pace in the 1 1/16-mile Cushion Track test, posting splits of :24 4/5, :48 3/5 and 1:13 while tracked by Emmy Darling (Graeme Hall) to her outside and Switch (Quiet American) just in behind. It was Switch who took command in the stretch, and the bay sophomore powered away from her elders in dominating fashion. Zenyatta had already begun her rally, and the race was on as regular rider Mike Smith encouraged the massive dark bay down the center of the track. Though the margin was only a half-length, no one was really surprised when Zenyatta reeled in her younger rival to stop the clock in 1:42 4/5.

Sent off the prohibitive 1-9 favorite in the five-horse field, Zenyatta paid
$2.20 and $2.10 after show wagering was canceled and keyed the $2 exacta ($1).
Switch was game in defeat as the 4-1 second choice, returning $2.60, and it was
another 4 3/4 lengths back to Moon de French and Satans Quick Chick (Sky Mesa),
who dead-heated for third. The $1 exotics featuring Moon de French were worth
$2.80 (trifecta) and $5 (5-1-2-4 superfecta). Tickets with Satans Quick Chick
totaled $3.40 (exacta) and $5.80 (5-1-4-2 superfecta). Emmy Darling followed by
another 5 1/2 lengths to complete the field after Rinterval (Ire) (Desert Prince
[Ire]) was a paddock scratch.

Zenyatta is now a perfect 19-for-19 in her career and has banked $6,404,580.
Of her 19 career runs, 17 of them have come in graded events. This is but one of
the dark bay’s multiple wins in a particular race. She’s posted three straight
victories in the Vanity H. (G1) (2008-2010), two scores in the Apple Blossom H.
(G1) (2008 and 2010), and back-to-back decisions in the Milady H. (G2)
(2008-2009). The massive mare has also captured the past three runnings of the
Clement L. Hirsch, when it was a Grade 2 test in 2008 and after it was upgraded
to Grade 1 status in 2009 and 2010. Trainer John Shirreffs has wisely guided
horse racing’s leading lady throughout her career, and she’s garnered two
Eclipse Awards as champion older mare (2008-2009). Some of her other wins have
come in the 2008 runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) and El
Encino S. (G2), and this season’s Santa Margarita Invitational H. (G1).

Last year, Zenyatta capped off her season, and what was to be her career, by
becoming the first female ever to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). Following
a very brief retirement period in which she was still working bullets at her
home base of Hollywood Park, the she was officially un-retired by the Mosses for
another season of thrills. Her ultimate goal this year is to attempt to become
only the second dual Breeders’ Cup Classic winner following Tiznow (2000-2001)
and earn that elusive Horse of the Year title to go along with it.

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), a yearling filly named Eblouissante (Bernardini)
and a 2010 filly by Henrythenavigator. Her three-year-old half-brother, Souper
Spectacular (Giant’s Causeway), just broke his maiden when scoring at Saratoga
on September 4. 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 last 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).