'Sensational' first winner for Zensational

Multiple Grade 1 hero Zensational (Unbridled's Song) was represented by his

first winning progeny on Sunday when his juvenile daughter Sensational Nikki

captured the

2ND race at Hollywood Park. The chestnut miss, trained by Peter Miller and

ridden by Edwin Maldonado, was sent off the 6-5 favorite and scored in her

racing debut by three parts of a length over 32-1 longshot Wired for Fun (Birdonthewire).

The Rockingham Ranch colorbearer ran five furlongs on the Cushion Track in 1:00.

Zensational wasn't able to find success in his debut for trainer Bill Mott at

Saratoga as a juvenile, but after being transferred to Bob Baffert and shipped

to the West Coast the front-running gray posted a 3 3/4-length victory at Santa

Anita in February 2009. He was just caught while stretching out in a one-mile

optional claimer after holding a wide margin early in his next try, and was

given a slight break.

The Kentucky-bred returned two months later at Hollywood Park to take a 6

1/2-furlong optional claimer and was thrown to the wolves in his next race, the

Triple Bend H. (G1), while making his stakes bow. Zensational didn't falter,

conquering that seven-furlong event before adding the Bing Crosby H. (G1) and

Pat O'Brien (G1) in succession to his resume.

The Zayat Stables runner tried to go out with a bang when contesting the 2009

Breeders' Cup Sprint, but was unable to gain his favored spot on the lead and

found himself boxed in on the turn. He wound up fifth, beaten just 1 3/4

lengths, on the wire as the 9-5 favorite, and retired with an 8-5-1-0 mark

having accumulated $669,300 in career earnings.

Bred by Claiborne Farm, Zensational is out of the multiple stakes-winning

Joke (Phone Trick), who is a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 heroine Trip (Lord

at War) as well as the dam of Illinois Derby (G3) victor Departing (War Front),

and passed through the sales ring twice. He brought $20,000 as a Keeneland

September yearling before attracting $700,000 from Zayat at the Fasig-Tipton

February Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Zensational currently stands for a $15,000 fee, stands and nurses, at Hill

'n' Dale Farms near Lexington, Kentucky.