Zenyatta seeks ultimate citation of excellence
Some may see it as a coronation but John Shireffs views the Vanity Handicap for what it really is – a horse race.
Tomorrow Zenyatta goes into the gates for the 17th race in her stellar career. The previous 16 have seen her pass the post first for every prize from a maiden at Hollywood Park three years ago to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita last November.
The markets make her the overwhelming favourite to win the Vanity for a third time but her trainer knows that aside from the five rivals, which includes a stable companion, and the 129lbs that she must carry there is another, unseen, burden the mare will have to drag around the nine-furlong course at Hollywood.
The weight of history.
A 16-race unbeaten streak puts her alongside Cigar and Citation on the pantheon reserved for the best of modern-day American racing. True, Peppers Pride retired with an unbeaten record of 19 but can anyone aside from connections name many of the races she won down in New Mexico?
Cigar made the headlines when he won - and when he lost. A crowd of 40,000 flocked to Del Mar in August 1996 when he was running in the Grade One Pacific Classic. The race seemed to be going according to script with Cigar tracking Siphon coming to the home turn. Jerry Bailey looked to have Cigar ready to claim the race when he wished, taking the lead before the home stretch, but outsider Dare And Go lived up to his name as he beat the star of the show by three-and-a-half lengths.
So perhaps Shirreffs was right when he said to the Daily Racing Form: “It's never a slam dunk. When the horses step in the gate, a lot of things can happen. In sports, there are endless possibilities. It's a legitimate Grade One.”
The point is underlined by the formbook. His other runner in the race, Zardana, beat Rachel Alexandra earlier this year in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes at the Fair Grounds in March and St Trinians has proved herself to be no pushover either. “Those are awfully nice horses,” Shirreffs added.
St Trinians’ trainer, Mike Mitchell is certainly not expecting his mare to merely play the part of a lady-in-waiting for Zenyatta to sweep through with her trademark late run for the post with jockey Mike Smith. “Zenyatta is the greatest mare I have seen in my lifetime, and if she beats me there is no shame in that. But my mare is sharp, and champions do get beat,” Mitchell said.
St Trinians may have been virtually unknown when she was trained in Newmarket by Ed Vaughan – with three wins on the all-weather at Wolverhampton to show for seven starts – but she has won her first four starts in America, including the Grade Two Santa Maria Handicap at Santa Anita in February, and the trainer believes that she is in prime form. “If you're going to run against Zenyatta, you want to do it the way things are going right now. Everything is clicking,” Mitchell said.
She receives 9lbs from Zenyatta and Mitchell wants her new jockey, Martin Garcia, to make use of that advantage and not to play any waiting games. “At some point, Martin is going to say 'It's time to go.' I don't want to be close to [Zenyatta] at the quarter pole," Mitchell said.
The intriguing element of the race is that Shirreffs, and owner Arnold Zetcher, have provided some potent opposition to Zenyatta – who is owned by Jerry and Ann Moss – with Zardana, who runs in the Vanity rather than over at Belmont Park in the Grade One Ogden Phipps Handicap which is run today. “Zardana is a good addition to the race for Zenyatta,” Shirreffs said. “Mr. Zetcher and I talked about that. Zardana would be the speed.”
Despite the magnitude of the moment, Shirreffs remains calm – outwardly at least. “I think she's gotten easier to train,” he said. “She knows the routine better now.”
Doubtless he would settle for a routine win and just hopes that, in this case, vanity does not prove to be a lady’s downfall.
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