NEWS
Zenyatta shoots for record third Vanity win
Posted: Thursday, June 10, 2010 5:51 PM
ZENYATTA
Benoit & Associates photo
by Steve Bailey
Unbeaten two-time champion older female Zenyatta will face five challengers, including stablemate Zardana (Brz), as she attempts to make history in the $250,000 Vanity Handicap (G1) on Sunday at Hollywood Park.
Trained by John Shirreffs for Jerry and Ann Moss, the six-year-old Street Cry (Ire) mare will shoot for her 17th consecutive victory as she tries to become the first to win the 1 1/8-mile Vanity three times.
Zenyatta is one of five to have won the race twice, joining Annie-Lu-San (1957-‘58), Convenience (1972-‘73), It’s in the Air (1979-‘80), and Azeri (2002-‘03) with her 2½-length win in 2009. She defeated Tough Tiz’s Sis by a half-length in the ’08 Vanity.
A victory also would enable her to surpass Cigar, Citation, Hallowed Dreams, and Mister Frisky, all winners of 16 races in a row, in terms of consecutive wins. A win would place Zenyatta’s streak second only to the one set by Peppers Pride, who holds the modern North American record for consecutive wins with 19.
Zenyatta enters Sunday’s race off victories in the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (G1) on March 13 at Santa Anita Park and the Apple Blossom Invitational Stakes (G1) on April 9 at Oaklawn Park.
“Mentally and physically, she’s doing terrific,” exercise rider Steve Willard said. “She’s like her regular old self. Every time she runs, you wonder if she’s going to make it through another race. But she always comes through.”
Racing Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who has been aboard for her last 13 wins, again will get the mount as she carries 129 pounds, the same impost she had for last year’s Vanity. Zenyatta will spot her opponents between nine and 17 pounds each.
Shirreffs also will saddle speedy Grade 2 winner Zardana, who beat reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes on March 13 at Fair Grounds.
The six-year-old Crimson Tide mare, who won the 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa Handicap (G2) on the same synthetic Cushion Track surface in December, enters off a fifth-place finish behind Unrivaled Belle and Rachel Alexandra in the La Troienne Stakes (G2) on April 30 at Churchill Downs.
Zardana originally was scheduled to be shipped to New York for the Ogden Phipps Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Belmont Park.
“She worked too fast here Sunday, five furlongs in [:58.80], to ship across the country,” Shirreffs said of the change of plans. “Then the plane that was supposed to take her was delayed a day until Wednesday. All things added up to ‘don’t go.’ It was in the horse’s best interests to stay here.”
Grade 2 winner St Trinians (GB) will make her first start since finishing sixth as the 3-to-1 favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) on March 6. The loss was the first in five starts in the U.S. for the five-year-old Piccolo mare, who is trained by Mike Mitchell for Dan Capen and Laura Chavers.
Her biggest victory came in the Santa Maria Handicap (G2) on February 13, beating the Shirreffs-trained Life Is Sweet, who made her first start since capturing the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) on November 6.
Martin Garcia, who won the Hollywood Oaks (G2) aboard Switch last Sunday, will ride St Trinians.
Also entered are Will O Way, who won last year’s California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields; stakes-placed winner Cherryblossommiss; and two-time winner Miss Silver Brook.
Television Games Network (TVG) will broadcast the Vanity live during a one-hour special from 4 to 5 p.m. PDT. The race also can be seen live via web stream at www.ntra.com. Post time for the Vanity is 4:35 p.m. PDT.
Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times
June 13, $250,000, 3yo & up, f&m, 1 1/8M, Hollywood Park, 4:35 PM PT
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Miss Silver Brook 4, f. |
Cozzene |
112 |
Joseph Talamo |
Julio Canani |
| 2 |
St Trinians (GB) 5, m. |
Piccolo (GB) |
120 |
Martin Garcia |
Mike Mitchell |
| 3 |
Zardana (BRZ) 6, m. |
Crimson Tide (IRE) |
118 |
Victor Espinoza |
John Shirreffs |
| 4 |
Will O Way 4, f. |
Broken Vow |
114 |
Tyler Baze |
Vladimir Cerin |
| 5 |
Zenyatta 6, m. |
Street Cry (IRE) |
129 |
Mike Smith |
John Shirreffs |
| 6 |
Cherryblossommiss 5, m. |
Langfuhr |
112 |
Rafael Bejarano |
John Sadler |
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: arianna, cincinnatti, OH on June 13, 2010 at 05:10 PM
the two dominant fillies of the year!! no, im not saying one is better than the other...when will there be a match race? zenyatta and racheal alexandra!!! what has happened to racing in the past ten or so years? twenty years ago this is what kept racing alive! the struggles for the top! to be champion above all! america would thrive on the excitement! there needs to be that thrill again. between two of the tops.....
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Posted by: John, London UK, AK on June 13, 2010 at 07:53 AM
I flew over to Santa Anita from London for her last two Breeders' Cup wins and felt honoured to witness what I believe is the greatest racemare I have ever seen. This looks another ideal opportunity for her to stamp her greatness in the record book. I will be booking my tickets for Louisville shortly and I pray she will be there at the Cup again. We have a brilliant horse in Workforce in England, but he is someway behind the great Zenyatta. Go girl!!!!
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Posted by: KAREN L., DAYTON, OH on June 12, 2010 at 04:49 PM
ZENYATTA RULES!
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Posted by: Zen, Yatta, NY on June 11, 2010 at 10:37 PM
my bad it was the woodward, and if you break down the fractions the other jackson phony curlin came home in 27 and change. then sputtered badly in his breeders cup race. dude i dont sleep at saratoga i sit in my lounge chair back there with my cooler and friends all weekend during racing season. dont try to defend the ordinary rachel alexandra and if you really think she was better than zenyatta last year or at any time during her life the joke is on you. WTF does english channel have to do with anything here? rachel will probably drop back into allowance non winners and win again dont worry. zenyatta would bury her anytime anywhere so dont waste your money fool.
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Posted by: Sheila, Lexington, KY on June 11, 2010 at 02:57 PM
Racel Fan: Is this what you do all day? Make nasty comments about someones writing skills? Certainly you have better things to do...don't you? Do you have friends? Your comments were not necessary.
ZENYATTA FAN
KENTUCKY
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