Zenyatta makes it 19 straight wins in Lady’s Secret Stakes
Bring it on.
Zenyatta took her wining career record to 19 with victory in the Lady’s Secret Stakes at Hollywood Park.
In the week when that other queen of American racing, Rachel Alexandra, was retired to the breeding paddocks, Zenyatta remained the towering presence who will stand over this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs next month.
In her penultimate start, before she attempts to end her career with the perfect 20-20 record, the giant mare got a bigger cheer than most winners just for walking to the start, passing the massed ranks of the faithful on what is her home turf – or Cushion Track – at Hollywood.
Mike Smith was in no hurry, sitting eight lengths off the lead, as Emmy Darling took the field down the back stretch. Zenyatta closed with a half-mile to run as Moon de French led into the home stretch but it was Switch, the only three-year-old in the field, who grabbed the lead and threatened to rewrite the script.
Zenyatta had two lengths to make up and only a furlong left in which to do it. Could she be finally beaten?
Oh ye of little faith. Smith asked for a response and it was electric as Zenyatta turned off Switch to claim her place in the limelight in the last strides, with a dead-heat for third between Satans Qucik Chick and Moon de French.
“She’s done it again,” boomed the racecourse commentator. “Nineteen for 19, eight here at Hollywood Park, just another perfect day for the queen – Zenyatta!”
Now she has to prove it all over again - at least to some people.
The conservative element in American racing, those who disparage the efforts to introduce more equine-friendly synthetic surfaces over traditional dirt, have tended not to give Zenyatta her due for winning the Classic, on the Polytrack at Santa Anita, 12 months ago.
For them she will only be regarded as the classic American racehorse that so many others see her as already if she does the same in this year’s renewal by conquering all-comers on the dirt of Churchill Downs, the cathedral to those opposed to change.
As if riding Zenyatta was not enough to give a jockey supreme confidence, Smith won the preceding Grade One Norfolk Stakes on Jaycito for Mike Smith. There were four in a line at the top of the stretch with JP’s Gusto, ridden Patrick Valenzuela, the leader two off the rail.
JP’s Gusto was on a roll, having won the Grade One Del Mar Futurity last time out, by Jaycito, coming widest of all under a driving ride from Smith came through in the final 50 yards, with Riveting Reason in third.
Just a couple of hours after his first Grade One winner in America this year, when Girolamo won the Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont, Saeed bin Suroor doubled his total when Hibaayeb won the Yellow Ribbon Stakes, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, while Richard’s Kid won the fourth Grade One on the card, the Goodwood Stakes.
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