To view the Lady's Secret Stakes, click here .

by Steve Bailey

All hail the Queen of 13!

It is no use trying to tell the connections of unbeaten Zenyatta that 13 is an unlucky number. The five-year-old Street Cry (Ire) mare came from her usual spot at the back of the pack and powered through the stretch to remain unbeaten in her stellar career.

Zenyatta will make at least one more start before she heads off into the sunset and into the breeding shed.

The victory in the $299,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Santa Anita Park gave Zenyatta an automatic berth in the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (G1)—a race she won last year en route to champion older female honors—as part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” series.

It also tied her with beloved champion Personal Ensign, who closed her three-year racing career by catching Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Winning Colors at the line in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). That dramatic triumph gave her 13 wins from as many starts—the most of any unbeaten horse at racing’s highest levels since *Ribot retired after 16 straight victories in Europe in 1956.

“She ran her race; that’s Zenyatta,” trainer John Shirreffs said. “She does whatever is necessary. I’m like everybody else. I love to watch her. She’s like a ship when she’s coming down the stretch. You hardly ever see any horses inside of her because she takes up so much of the picture you’re looking at.

“Thirteen in a row. Personal Ensign … I mean, it’s historic. It’s a once in a lifetime horse, believe me. You don’t see Zenyattas. They come so seldom; it’s unbelievable that she’s here, in Los Angeles, at Santa Anita, and it’s a blessing, really.”

Zenyatta’s history-making moments may not quite be finished if owners Jerry and Ann Moss and Shirreffs decide to run her in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), which would be her first career start against males, instead of having her go after a second consecutive Ladies Classic win.

“We certainly have to see how she’s doing, obviously,” Jerry Moss said. “We want her to do well and be safe and be happy, but we also want to see how much she’s got in her tank so we’ll see what happens.”

Zenyatta broke slowly and dropped right to the back of the field under regular rider Mike Smith as Briecat took the field through a half-mile in a dawdling :49.58 and six furlongs in 1:12.93

Smith, as has become the norm, asked Zenyatta to begin moving up in the turn, and as soon as the field hit the top of the stretch, he angled her to the outside four wide and let her gobble up groun. It took mere seconds before she was in the lead and powering home to a 1¼-length victory, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.89.

“Ability-wise, she can run with anyone, anytime, anywhere,” Smith said. “She has an amazing turn of foot—one that I’ve never seen before. No disrespect to the other horses today, but she only ran about four jumps when we turned for home and then she shut it down.

“I knew the pace was slow and, going to the far turn, everybody has to get into some kind of position. I just have so much confidence in her and today, she had ten gears and she only had to use four of them. She really loves this track over here.”  

Zenyatta was given a rock star’s welcome on her way back to the winner’s circle as the Santa Anita crowd roared its approval. 

Multiple graded stakes winner Lethal Heat, runner-up in the California Cup Classic Handicap on October 3 for trainer Barry Abrams, closed with determination but could not catch the winner. She finished a neck in front of fast-closing multiple Grade 1 winner Cocoa Beach (Chi).

Life is Sweet a Grade 1-winning stablemate of Zenyatta, finished fourth in the field of seven.

For the season, Zenyatta has won four times, capturing the Milady Handicap (G2) on May 23 and the Vanity Handicap (G1) on June 27, both at Hollywood Park; the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) on August 9 at Del Mar; and the Lady’s Secret.  
 
Bred in Kentucky by Maverick Productions, Zenyatta has earned $2,774,580 with the $2-million Ladies Classic or the $5-million Classic looming in less than a month.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times