NEWS
Zenyatta shows heart of a champion in Vanity
Posted: Sunday, June 13, 2010 7:56 PM
ZENYATTA
Benoit & Associates photo
To view the Vanity Handicap, click here.
by Mike Curry
Unbeaten champion Zenyatta reeled in Grade 2 winner St Trinians (GB) in the closing strides of the Vanity Handicap (G1) on Sunday at Hollywood Park to win the race for a record third time and improve to 17 wins in as many career starts.
“She’s just amazing. She just doesn’t want to get beat; she won’t get beat,” said Jerry Moss, who owns Zenyatta with his wife, Ann. “What can I say; I’m in love with her.”
Zenyatta's perfect record looked like it might be in serious jeopardy at the sixteenth pole as St Trinians had a clear lead, but she lengthened stride under regular rider Mike Smith to take charge despite conceding nine pounds to the runner-up. Carrying 129 pounds, Zenyatta covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.01 on the synthetic Cushion Track surface for trainer John Shirreffs.
With her 17th straight victory, Zenyatta passed Cigar, Citation, Hallowed Dreams, and Mister Frisky—all winners of 16 races in a row—in the record books. Peppers Pride holds the modern North American record for consecutive wins with 19.
“I’m so happy for her and for all of her fans,” Ann Moss said. “She always gives you a thrill, doesn’t she?”
Miss Silver Brook set the pace through an opening quarter in :24.05 and a half-mile in :47.54 with Cherryblossommiss pressing from second. St Trinians was reserved in fifth while Zenyatta was taken back to her customary spot at the back of the six-horse field.
Santa Maria Handicap (G2) winner St Trinians got the jump on Zenyatta entering the stretch and spurted clear of Zardana (Brz) leaving the eighth pole. Zenyatta launched her winning bid from the center of the track under Smith, but for several strides she was not gaining ground on St Trinians. Zenyatta showed the heart of a champion in the final sixteenth, however, to surge past her game opponent and keep her unblemished record intact.
“Oh my lord, that mare ran her eyeballs out, she really did,” Smith said of St Trinians. “We just kept on grinding and kept on grinding and she finally hit her stride with about 100 yards out, and I knew we had it then.”
St Trinians was six lengths clear of third-place finisher Zardana, Zenyatta’s stablemate who defeated 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes on March 13 at Fair Grounds.
Annie-Lu-San (1957-‘58), Convenience (1972-‘73), It’s in the Air (1979-‘80), and Azeri (2002-‘03) won the Vanity twice but no horse had won the race three times until Zenyatta’s triumph on Sunday. The 2008 and ’09 Eclipse Award winner as champion older female won the race by 2 1/2 lengths last year and by a half-length in ’08.
Jerry and Ann Moss purchased Zenyatta for $60,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale. The 2010 Vanity was her 11th Grade 1 victory overall and seventh straight at the top level. Bred by Maverick Production Ltd. out of the multiple Grade 1 producer Vertigineux, by Kris S., Zenyatta boosted her earnings to $6,074,580.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: John, somerset, KY on June 24, 2010 at 04:55 PM
It doesn't take a lot to explain Zenyatta's now legendary career. 17 races started. 17 races won. Two Breeders Cup World Championships. One in each Classic Division. The only female to ever win the Classic Division open to both colts and fillies. Finally, surpassing the immortal Citation and the legendary Cigar atop racings list for most consecutive wins without a defeat. I think all that is pretty self explanatory. Show me another horse, male or female, anywhere in the world that's still undefeated with this many victories that also has two world championships to their credit? Enough said!!!
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Posted by: Connie, Belgrade, MT on June 18, 2010 at 08:09 PM
I don't believe anyone is "bashing" RA as much as they are bashing her connections. Her connections have a big ego, and nowhere to place it. The connections put their ego's on the line and lost, not once but twice. If they would take their ego's down a few notches, they would of seen that RA wasn't at her best earlier this year. They chose to run her and then their "ego's" made all the excuses. If Zen ever lose, her connections will not blame anyone, it's just that a better horse showed up on that day. Zen is getting up there in years (6), and should never have to compete in a weight race that is determined by age, sex, or wins. They would pile so much weight on her, that no amount of courage, heart or stamina could possible hope for her to win. That is why Zen stays west, the east coast handicappers would drive her into the dirt!!!
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Posted by: Liz, Mahtomedi, MN on June 18, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Although we would all ove to see it, in my opinion, there will never be a match race between Rachel and Zenyatta. To my knowledge, since Ruffian's death running against Foolish Pleasure, there have not been any match races. It's not good for the horses. Being a strong Rachel supporter, I have come to see, however, the greatness of Zenyatta. But, there has never been a greater female runner than the great Ruffian. Undefeated, until her death, and setting track records every time she ran!!
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Posted by: Laura, Monroe, GA on June 17, 2010 at 07:11 AM
Love it. I just wish they'd share her with her east coast fans! I started a Facebook group "Bring Zenyatta East!" Please join, and let's see if we can get the attention of her connections.
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Posted by: Laurie K, Fullerton, CA on June 16, 2010 at 02:05 AM
If you denigrate or in any way run down the accomplishments of either Zenyatta or Rachel, you are not a fan of horse racing. Some people need to stop running their mouths and open their eyes and enjoy the wonders in front of them, because wonders are what we're being given with these two, if we've got the brains enough to appreciate it.
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