Horse Racing: Zenyatta, the reigning Queen (Part 2)
The 6-year-old American thoroughbred has a perfect career. She has won all the races that she ran in her career so far. Most run under the jockey Mike Smith, Zenyatta is a strong contender of this year’s Horse of the Year title. Zenyatta has the American
Champion Older Female Horse (2008, 2009) award in the list of credentials as the most prestigious award. The undefeated race horse is also the winner of NTRA Moment of the Year (2008, 2009). The horse racing event at Oak Tree has also been renamed in her honour,
Zenyatta Stakes. In continuation of the first part, her other major wins are elaborated in this edition.
September of 2008 was another lucky month to witness the great mare win at Santa Anita Park. She won the Grade I Lady’s Secret Stakes in a time of 1 minute and 40.30 seconds. Ridden by Mike Smith, she finished 2 ½ lengths ahead of the runner-up.
The last race contested by Zenyatta in the 2008 horse racing season was the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic at Santa Anita Park. She won the 1 1/8 miles in a time of 1 minute and 46.85 seconds. Cocoa Beach was the runner-up to the winner in this race.
She finished 1 ½ lengths ahead of Cocoa Beach in this event.
In the beginning of the 2009 Horse Racing Season, Zenyatta was awarded The Eclipse Award for Older Female of the 2008 racing season. Besides this award, she also became the voted runner-up to the 2008 Horse of the Year Curlin award. Later that year, Zenyatta
carried 126 pounds to her first meet at the Hollywood Park Racetrack that season. This was the Grade II Milady Handicap in which Zenyatta defeated Life Is Sweet by finishing the 1 1/16 miles race in a time of 1 minute and 42.30 seconds under the American “Hall
of Fame” jockey Mike Smith.
In June 2009, Zenyatta took over the field at Hollywood Park Racetrack by winning the Grade I Vanity Handicap for the second consecutive year. Once again ridden by Mike Smith, Zenyatta carried 129 pounds to this meet.
In August 2009, Zenyatta proved herself at the Del Mar racetrack. She won the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Handicap under Mike Smith in a time of 1 minute and 43.24 seconds. Zenyatta started the 1 1/6 miles race with a slow pace and then circled the entire
field.
Running in her distinctive come-from-behind manner, Zenyatta won the Lady’s Secret in October 2009. Ridden by Mike Smith, she won the race ¼ lengths ahead of the second place finisher.
Then came the most significant race of the season, the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic. Under the “Hall of Fame” jockey Mike Smith, Zenyatta held off 12 horses including the all-time champions of the horse racing arena. These were Mine That Bird (2009 Kentucky
Derby winner) and Summer Bird (2009 Belmont Stakes). The 1 ¼ miles race was finished by Zenyatta in a time of 2 minutes and 00.62 seconds.
The Grade I Lady’s Secret Stakes was renamed as the Zenyatta Stakes by the Oak Tree Association on the 24th of November 2009.
Zenyatta was the second most voted nominee for the 2009 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. This title is also won by the tennis player Serena Williams.
On the opening day of the 75th horsing year of Santa Anita Park, 26th December 2009, Zenyatta gave an amazing performance with her original dance moves. Some experts and Zenyatta’s admirers thought this was going to be the unbeaten
champion’s last parade of her athletic career.
The list of Zenyatta’s major wins in the 2009 racing season including the Milady Handicap, Vanity Handicap, Clement L. Hirsch, Lady’s Secret Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
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