Zenyatta Beats Foes on Santa Anita Pro-Ride
Giant Filly Is Undefeated Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic Contender
Oct 18, 2008
Four-year-old gentle giant Zenyatta, a daughter of Street Cry (Vertigineux, by Kris S.), ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, is gathering plaudits race by race in her undefeated career, which she extended September 27 in the Lady's Secret Stakes (G1) on Santa Anita's newly installed Pro-Ride surface to qualify for the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic, (G1), (formerly BC Distaff), coming up on October 24 on the same course.
The Ladies Classic will be the headliner race for fillies and mares in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, a two-day event featuring 14 races this season.
Zenyatta's qualifying win came over Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Hystericalady, who has been anything but hysterical in a three-race win streak before she met the gentle female giant.
Trainer Shirreffs Started Zenyatta at Three
Unraced at two years of age, Zenyatta was held back by trainer John Shirreffs with the full approval of owners Jerry and Ann Moss, who also stabled 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo and his half-brother, Tiago, a grade one winner, both of which Shirreffs also schooled.
Smith has ridden Zenyatta enough to speak of her in more and more glowing terms, even risking the statement: "I'm really beginning to think she might be the best horse I've ever ridden" (The Blood-Horse magazine, October 4, 2008, page 4818).
This is a large claim, considering Smith also guided the well accomplished former Horse of the Year Azeri.
"She's (Zenyatta) flawless," Smith added.
Eligibles for Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic
As of October 13, the records of the eligibles look like this:
- Zenyatta, age 4, 6-0-0-0-(0 off board)
- Bear Now, 4, 6-3-1-2-(0)
- Cocoa Beach, 4, 3-2-0-1-(0)
- Ginger Punch, 5, 7-5-1-1-(0)
- Little Belle, 3, 9-3-3-1-(2)
- Music Note, 3, 5-4-1-0-(0)
- Seattle Smooth, 3, 7-3-1-1-(2)
- Spring Waltz, 5, 11-6-3-0-(2)
- Unbridled Belle, 5, 4-1-0-2-(0)
Zenyatta Biggest Wins
The Mosses are most proud of their flawless filly's adaptability. But as far as running with the boys in the October BC World Championships, Jerry Moss says no. "...I think that fillies deserve to be with fillies," he stated.
Zenyatta has won her six races this year on all surfaces. She captured the Ladies Secret on Pro-Ride synthetics, the Clement L. Hirsch Handicap on Del Mar's Polytrack, the Vanity Handicap and the Milady Handicap on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track, the Apple Blossom Handicap on Oaklawn Park's hard dirt, and in January the El Encino Stakes at Santa Anita on the track's former Cushion Track.
In the 1-1/16 miles Lady's Secret, Zenyatta faced Hystericalady, winner of three straight contests. The big bay hit the wire in 1:40.30, 3-1/2 lengths ahead of the best of her three competitors.
