NEWS
Zenyatta remains unbeaten with Hirsch victory
Posted: Saturday, August 07, 2010 9:35 PM
ZENYATTA
Benoit & Associates photo
For video of the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, click here.
by Mike Curry
Zenyatta was tested in the final furlong of the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) by runner-up Rinterval (Ire) on Saturday at Del Mar, but the two-time champion older female never appeared to be in any serious danger of tasting defeat for the first time.
The six-year-old Street Cry (Ire) mare took command in early stretch under regular rider Mike Smith and held the runner-up at bay through the final furlong of a neck victory. Zenyatta won for the 18th time in as many starts after completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.03 on the synthetic Polytrack surface as the 1-to-10 favorite.
“She literally was playing,” Smith said of the stretch run. “I hit the front too soon, and when she gets to the front she wants to salute the fans.
“She started looking around. She does that sometimes in her works. She'll make the front and then start to shut down a little bit. That mare that hooked her today [Rinterval] was game.”
Zenyatta won the Hirsch for the third straight year and secured her 12th career win at the highest level, joining the great two-time champion older female Bayakoa (Arg) for the most Grade 1 wins by a female racehorse.
“This is such a great moment for Zenyatta,” said winning trainer John Shirreffs, who conditions Zenyatta for owners Jerry and Ann Moss. “She’s in such rarified air; I just can’t describe it.”
Rinterval set the tempo through a leisurely half-mile in :50.61 with Dance to My Tune pressing from second. Smith reserved Zenyatta in fifth behind the soft fractions, significantly closer than in most of her races.
Smith asked Zenyatta to pick up the pace approaching the far turn, and she responded with a sweeping rally entering the stretch to put herself in contention for the lead much earlier than usual.
Rinterval, runner-up by a head to reigning champion female sprinter Informed Decision in the Chicago Handicap (G3) in her previous race, battled gamely with Zenyatta but could not spoil the champion’s unblemished record.
The only race Zenyatta won by a smaller margin was the 2009 Clement L. Hirsch, when she defeated Anabaa’s Creation (Ire) by a head.
Rinterval was 2 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Princess Taylor (GB).
Zenyatta boosted her bankroll to $6,254,580 and moved within one win of Peppers Pride’s modern North American record of 19 consecutive victories.
"There was a lot of pressure this week, but she's a great horse and we're grateful for that,” Jerry Moss said. “We want her to keep winning. She's just a miracle.
"She's a great star. She's brilliant and she has a great bunch of fans that recognize that. She hasn't let them down yet. … Zenyatta represents the best there is in racing. She's a great leader to follow."
Bred in Kentucky by Maverick Productions, Zenyatta is one of three winners from five starters out of the winning Kris S. mare Vertigineux, also the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Balance.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Yourboringme, Las Vegas, NV on September 03, 2010 at 12:47 PM
Oh my god, this afleetalexforever has some serious issue's, these blogs are about horses, it is scary to read your blogs, you need some help !!!! why do you bash these beautiful animals that entertain us and are great to look at. CAN ANYONE SAY STRAIGHT JACKET !!!!
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Posted by: Handicapper, Inglewood, CA on September 02, 2010 at 06:56 PM
Leonard get it right if Goldikova does run in the Classic then she will only be considered an optional claimer or an alw. horse from over sea's that she beat. Don't you know by know that everytime Zenyatta beats someone there is always an excuse for who she is beating, or the track she run's on, or the time's she post upon winning, the excuses just keep piling up. The bottom line is no-one want's to line up against Zenyatta and now tell me who the COWARD'S are ????
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Posted by: Leonard, Lawndale, CA on September 02, 2010 at 06:44 PM
Everytime Zenyatta beats her competition they are considered just an optional claimer or an alw. horse's that she is beating, just for arguments sake let's say that Goldikova does enter to run in the Classic, then will she also be labeled a NOBODY, just like everyone else that Zenyatta has beaten is labeled NOBODIES. Hmmmmm......
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Posted by: afleetalexforever, Little Rock, AR on September 02, 2010 at 09:07 AM
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/racing-news/2010/September/02/Head-says-competition-sets-Goldikova-apart-from-Zenyatta.aspx
I just want to say thank you to Freddie Head, I love that someone told the truth, I bet that the connections of Goldikova laugh at the cowardice of Zenyatta’s connections and constantly placing her against allowance quality competition, this gives you an indication that the connections know she can’t handle a championship campaign.
he isn’t bashing Zenyatta he’s just saying that his horse actually runs against top competition each time out, she doesn’t duck and dodge anyone, she faces the best each time out and if she wins great if she loses like he said: “She always runs her heart out”, undefeated is over rated, give me a horse like Goldikova with 6 loses and a horse like Rachel Alexandra with 6 losses also, they show great heart in stepping up and so do the connections. Its wonderful to see that Head and the connections of Goldikova recognize this, could you see Goldikova ducking males or scratching from a race because of rain and soft going.
That’s not championship material, that’s called being a coward. I love the connections of these two mares, as they recognize what horse racing is about, taking on all comers and challenges not ducking and racing not to lose against optional claimers and allowance horses each and every time during the year and then begging for eclipse award votes due to being the freshest horse each year for the Breeders Cup. (COWARDS)
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Posted by: Larry, Kennewick, WA on August 26, 2010 at 11:11 PM
There's no reason to bash either of these great mares. They are the best out there and deserve the chance to run in the BCC. It's at the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles, it's supposed to be a race for the most classic horses on the track at the time. To see both of these mares compete with the best of the males is what racing is supposed to be about. It would be a great thing for the sport of racing, and God knows we could use it.
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