NEWS
Zenyatta can equal feat of legend in Lady’s Secret
Posted: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 6:29 PM
ZENYATTA
Benoit & Associates photo
by Steve Bailey
Unbeaten Zenyatta will return to the track on Saturday in the $250,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes (G1) at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park with a legend in her sights.
A win in the 1 1/16-mile Lady’s Secret would give the five-year-old Street Cry (Ire) mare 13 career victories without a loss, which would tie Racing Hall of Fame member Personal Ensign’s unbeaten string of 13 straight victories while racing at the highest levels from 1986 through ’88.
The Lady’s Secret winner earns an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1), which Zenyatta won last year, as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series. There is a chance, however, that an overwhelming victory by Zenyatta could convince owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs to run her against males in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
Shirreffs knows exactly what he has in his special filly and would not trade her for any other horse, including Horse of the Year front-runner and multiple Grade 1 winner Rachel Alexandra.
“When you go to the track and she is running, there are so many people that are excited to see her and they're yelling and clapping for her … at Del Mar it was amazing,” Shirreffs said in a national teleconference on Tuesday. “The paddock was just—it was almost like the [Kentucky] Derby (G1) it was so crowded and walking from the tunnel people are yelling and screaming. I think that she has a lot of fans and she is really well appreciated.
“And I don't think it's such a good idea to compare who has more fans than the other one [with Rachel Alexandra]. So I'm just really happy for all the people that care about Zenyatta.”
Prestonwood Farms’ Anabaa’s Creation (Ire), runner-up to Zenyatta in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) by a head on August 9 at Del Mar, also is scheduled to run in the Lady’s Secret, as are multiple Grade 1 winner Cocoa Beach (Chi) Zenyatta’s Grade 1-winning stablemate Life is Sweet.
Life is Sweet has won three of six starts this season, including the El Encino (G2) and La Canada (G2) Stakes and the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (G1)—all at Santa Anita Park—to open the season. Two of her three losses have come behind Zenyatta, including a runner-up finish to her stablemate in the Milady Handicap (G2) on May 23 at Hollywood Park.
Also entered in the field of eight is Grade 2 winner Lethal Heat, who is winless on the season but has three second- and two third-place finishes from six starts for trainer Barry Abrams.
Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times
Zenyatta's 2009 campaign:
To view a replay of Zeynatta's win over Anabaa's Creation in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1), click here.
To view a replay of Zenyatta's win in the Vanity Handicap (G1), click here.
To view a replay of Zenyatta's win over Life Is Sweet in the Milady Handicap (G2), click here.
Lady's Secret S.
For Equibase entries of Saturday's Oak Tree card, click here.
October 10, $300,000, 3yo & up, f&m, 1 1/16M, Oak Tree at Santa Anita, 4:00 PM PT
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Cocoa Beach (CHI) 5, m. |
Doneraile Court
|
123 |
Richard Migliore |
Saeed bin Suroor |
| 2 |
Sweet and Flawless 3, f. |
Unbridled's Song
|
120 |
Joel Rosario |
Eric Reed |
| 3 |
Made for Magic 4, f. |
Cape Canaveral |
123 |
Omar Berrio |
A. Avila |
| 4 |
Life Is Sweet 4, f. |
Storm Cat |
123 |
Garrett Gomez |
John Shirreffs |
| 5 |
Zenyatta 5, m. |
Street Cry (IRE)
|
123 |
Mike Smith |
John Shirreffs |
| 6 |
Lethal Heat 4, f. |
Unusual Heat
|
123 |
Alex Solis |
Barry Abrams |
| 7 |
Briecat 4, f. |
Adcat |
123 |
Martin Garcia |
Vladimir Cerin |
| 8 |
Anabaa's Creation (IRE) 5, m. |
Anabaa
|
123 |
Rafael Bejarano |
Julio Canani |
