by Pete Denk

Grade 1 winner Zenyatta will put her undefeated record on the line as the 124-pound highweight in the $300,000 Vanity Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

The field of seven fillies and mares also includes Grade 1 winner Tough Tiz’s Sis and Sealy Hill, last year’s Canadian Horse of the Year. All three of the top choices have flourished on synthetic surfaces.

Zenyatta, a four-year-old Street Cry (Ire) filly trained by John Shirreffs for owners Jerry and Ann Moss, has won all five of her career starts and earned $554,580. The stretch-running filly is a perfect four-for-four on synthetic tracks and also won her lone start on the dirt, the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park.

A big, dark bay with a long-stride, Zenyatta defeated Tough Tiz’s Sis by 1 ¾ lengths in the El Encino Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park on January 13. That was the smallest margin of victory of her career.

Tough Tiz’s Sis is coming off a pace-pressing victory in the Hawthorne Handicap (G3) at Hollywood on May 4. In six races over synthetic surfaces, the Tiznow filly has won three times and finished second three times.

Melnyk Racing Stables's Sealy Hill has won five of six career races on synthetic tracks. Her previous five races were on the turf, the best of which was a second-place finish in the $1,016,500 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) at Woodbine on October 21.

Silver Z, an allowance winner at Hollywood on May 29, and Fleetheart, who enters off a third-place finish in the Desert Stormer Handicap at Hollywood on May 17, are the likely pacesetters along with Tough Tiz’s Sis.

Pete Denk is sales editor of Thoroughbred Times