Zenyatta shows her class in Vanity

Zenyatta made a mockery of her 129-pound burden (Benoit Photo) Jerry and Ann Moss’ ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) overcame her toughest assignment to date on Saturday when giving 13-16 pounds to her rivals in the $287,000 Vanity H. (G1) at Hollywood Park. Going for a title defense in the 1 1/8-mile test, the dark bay mare had to carry 129 pounds for the first time in her career and, for a brief moment in the stretch, appeared on the verge of suffering her first loss. Once again settling near the rear of the field when the gates opened, Zenyatta was allowed to lope along as Mike Smith tried to conserve her strength. Briecat (Adcat) set the early pace in :24 2/5, :48 and 1:11 1/5 with Allicansayis Wow (Street Cry [Ire]) tracking to the outside and Dawn After Dawn (Successful Appeal) running just in behind along the rail. The rest of the field began catching up nearing the turn, and Smith gave Zenyatta the signal to begin her rally.  Allicansayis Wow couldn’t sustain her run and began to fade, leaving the way open for Dawn After Dawn to move up and takeover the mile split from Briecat in 1:35 2/5. Zenyatta was on the outside and Hot n’ Dusty (Unusual Heat), who had been tracking in fourth early, was putting forth her best effort as well.

The reigning champion older mare seemed to stall for a moment in midstretch,
but then her ears pricked forward and she kicked it into gear. Overtaking her
rivals, Zenyatta was 2 1/2 lengths clear on the wire and completed the Cushion
Track feature in 1:48.

“It’s just amazing. She’s just incredible,” Smith said. “It was a short field
and she had a lot of weight on her and I didn’t want her to have so much to do,
so I stayed a little closer than normal. Dawn After Dawn ran a great race, she
kind of skipped away from me. I was trying not to hit the front too soon and she
got away from me a good three-quarters to a length. But when I asked (Zenyatta)
she lengthened her stride and it was pretty much over then.

“I watched Rachel Alexandra’s race in the (jockeys’) room before I went to
the paddock. I thought she ran dynamite. Maybe down the road we can have a
little race together. It would be nice and it would be great for racing, I
believe.”

Sent off the 1-5 favorite, Zenyatta gave back $2.60 and $2.10 while starting
the $7.10 exacta ($1). Briecat re-rallied to take second over Dawn After Dawn by
three parts of a length on the line, returning $5.80 at 10-1. Show wagering was
canceled, but the $1 trifecta with the 9-1 Dawn After Dawn paid $36. Hot n’
Dusty took fourth by a head over Allicansayis Wow and ended the 8-6-1-4
superfecta ($1) that totaled $134.20. Modification (Vindication) trailed the
field all the way home after You Lift Me Up (Lord Carson) and Forest Melody
(Forest Camp) were scratched.

Zenyatta’s fans came prepared to show their support (Benoit Photo) “She’s a big strong horse and obviously we weren’t afraid of the extra three pounds,” trainer John Shirreffs stated. “She’s a champion and that’s what champions do. You can’t run from it. Embrace it. She was very steady throughout the race. Mike (Smith) said he timed his ride. He didn’t want to move too soon. He didn’t want to try to open up. I thought that she responded to everything he asked of her. She has one of the best closing kicks in any horse I’ve been around. If she’s close, then she has a chance.” Zenyatta was making just her second start of the year in this spot, having ended 2008 with a 1 1/2-length score in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1). That race easily wrapped up the Eclipse Award for the dark bay, as she also captured, in succession, the El Encino S. (G2), Apple Blossom H. (G1), Milady H. (G2), Vanity, Clement L. Hirsch H. (G2) and Lady’s Secret S. (G1) during her four-year-old campaign.

Originally scheduled to make her 2009 bow in the Louisville Distaff S. (G2)
on Kentucky Oaks Day, Shirreffs opted to scratch his charge because
of the off track. Zenyatta was then rerouted to a title defense in the May 23
Milady H. (G2), and with this one has now gone undefeated from 11 starts and
earned $2,414,580.

Bred by Maverick Production Limited in Kentucky, Zenyatta is out of the
winning Vertigineux (Kris S.), making her a half-sister to multiple Grade 1
queen Balance (Thunder Gulch), a juvenile colt named Souper Spectacular (Giant’s
Causeway) and a 2009 filly by Bernardini. Zenyatta, who is from the same family
as 2001 Canadian champion turf mare Sweetest Thing (Candy Stripes), was a
bargain at only $60,000 for her owners at the 2005 Keeneland September Yearling
Sale.

Shirreffs mentioned that Zenyatta could go for yet another title defense in
the July 30 Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1) at Del Mar.