Zenyatta ‘stepped it up a notch’ for Breeders’ Cup
The theory about strength in numbers does not always work out.
Todd Pletcher leads the field most of the time in terms of success in America but, when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup, he is neck-and-neck with John Shirreffs in the most important statistic of all.
In the last 10 years Pletcher has saddled 66 starters in the Breeders’ Cup, including 17 in 2006, with three winners - Ashado (Ladies Classic 2004), Speightstown (Sprint, 2004) and English Channel (Turf, 2007). By comparison Shirreffs has been more selective with only 18 runners, dating back to 1994, but has come up with the same number of victories with Life Is Sweet (Ladies Classic, 2009) and Zenyatta (Ladies Classic, 2008 and Classic, 2009).
Having relied on Zenyatta for the past two years, which has worked out as a pretty successful plan, Shirreffs will be doubling his chances by running Harmonious against hot favourite Midday in the Filly & Mare Turf.
But, hardly surprisingly, all eyes were still fixed on Zenyatta when she worked for 12 furlongs on the synthetic track at Hollywood Park. Having used two workmates for her last outing, just to keep her “focussed”, connections seemed pleased enough as they prepare the mare for what they hope will be the perfect conclusion to her racing career when she puts her unbeaten 19-start record on the line in the Classic at Churchill Downs on Saturday week.
The excitement may be building but, on a quiet morning on the track, Shirreffs kept it simple. “She’s in the bridle,” he told the Daily Racing Form, but adding. “I’d have to say she’s stepped it up a notch. She’s a little more intense.”
Steve Willard, Zenyatta’s regular work rider, seemed just as happy as jockey Mike Smith had been the week before when he rode Zenyatta in her previous work. “Is superb adequate enough?” Willard said, describing the gallop. “Judging by her aggressiveness, she’s training really forwardly. If I gave her head, she’d go [three furlongs] in 35 and change. Her mind is in a different place.”
Pletcher could still have as many as 12 runners ready to go to work at Churchill but his thoughts were turning to the colt who gave him so much but will not be running again.
The statistic that had been haunting Pletcher, even if he professed otherwise, through the spring was the 0-24 for his runners in the Kentucky Derby, which was finally broken when Super Saver won in the slop at Churchill in May. From there he has been made to look somewhat ordinary in three subsequent defeats in the Preakness, Haskelll Invitational and Travers Stakes.
The problem was found to be bruising to all four cannon bones and the decision has now been taken to retire the colt. While Super Saver is expected to recover his owners WinStar took the decision in conjunction with Pletcher based on the prospect of the colt returning to his best form.
“I’ve dreamt of winning the Kentucky Derby since I was six years old,” Pletcher said. “Super Saver was my fastest two-year-old last year, and his stakes-record performance in the Kentucky Jockey Club told me he was a Derby horse. I just had to harness that speed and get him ready. Thank God it happened just that way.”
The gods do not always work that way and Super Saver was joined on the sidelines by Discreetly Mine, the winner of the Grade One King Bishop Stakes, but scratched from the Sprint three weeks ago with a stifle injury.
However, Pletcher has still assembled a powerful team for the Breeders’ Cup, led by the likes of Quality Road in the Classic and Uncle Mo in the Juvenile, but Al Stall Jnr is working with slightly more limited material in terms of numbers at least.
He has just the two entries but JB's Thunder has a good chance in the Juvenile, and Blame will be out so spoil Zenyatta’s record in the Classic. Blame won his first three starts this year, including Grade One victories in the Stephen Foster and Whitney Handicaps only to be turned over by four lengths in at short odds by Haynesfield in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
However Stall remains undeterred. “I don’t feel any pressure or anything like that, but I’ve never been here before,” he said a few days ago. “Maybe I’m too green to know what it’s like.”
Then again the theory about ignorance is bliss does not always work out.
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