All Hail Zenyatta
rayphil
Senior Member
ARCADIA, Calif. - Let the Horse of the Year debate begin.
Zenyatta, the superstar California-based mare, conquered the biggest challenge of her career, beating a stellar field in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, unleashing her patented late kick to roar past Gio Ponti to become the first female to win the Classic in the 26-year history of the race. She won by one length over Gio Ponti. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to Twice Over in third. It was another three-quarters of a length to Summer Bird in fourth.
She kept her undefeated record intact at 14 for 14 and now enters the discussion for Horse of the Year honors with superstar 3-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra, who went 8 for 8 this year but who skipped the Breeders' Cup due to her owner Jess Jackson's aversion to synthetic surfaces.
Asked on television if that was a Horse of the Year performance, Zenyatta's trainer, John Shirreffs, said, "You tell me, brother."
"She's Horse of the Decade," winning rider Mike Smith said. "She's one of the greatest horses of all time."
Zenyatta defeated eight Grade 1 winners, including Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who finished ninth, and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird (fourth) as well as European standout Rip Van Winkle, Einstein and Gio Ponti.
The start of the Classic was delayed 12 minutes when Quality Road acted up at the gate and eventually was scratched.
Zenyatta, under Smith. was last early about 15 lengths off the pace. She advanced into contention along the inside, then tipped to the six path turning for home and unleashed a hellacious kick to run past Gio Ponti, who had split horses in midstretch to get the lead.
She returned to a wild ovation from a crowd of 58,845 at sun-drenched Santa Anita.
Zenyatta, a 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry owned by Jerry and Ann Moss, covered the 1 1/4 miles over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface in 2:00.62 and returned $7.60 to win.
Zenyatta, the superstar California-based mare, conquered the biggest challenge of her career, beating a stellar field in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, unleashing her patented late kick to roar past Gio Ponti to become the first female to win the Classic in the 26-year history of the race. She won by one length over Gio Ponti. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to Twice Over in third. It was another three-quarters of a length to Summer Bird in fourth.
She kept her undefeated record intact at 14 for 14 and now enters the discussion for Horse of the Year honors with superstar 3-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra, who went 8 for 8 this year but who skipped the Breeders' Cup due to her owner Jess Jackson's aversion to synthetic surfaces.
Asked on television if that was a Horse of the Year performance, Zenyatta's trainer, John Shirreffs, said, "You tell me, brother."
"She's Horse of the Decade," winning rider Mike Smith said. "She's one of the greatest horses of all time."
Zenyatta defeated eight Grade 1 winners, including Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who finished ninth, and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird (fourth) as well as European standout Rip Van Winkle, Einstein and Gio Ponti.
The start of the Classic was delayed 12 minutes when Quality Road acted up at the gate and eventually was scratched.
Zenyatta, under Smith. was last early about 15 lengths off the pace. She advanced into contention along the inside, then tipped to the six path turning for home and unleashed a hellacious kick to run past Gio Ponti, who had split horses in midstretch to get the lead.
She returned to a wild ovation from a crowd of 58,845 at sun-drenched Santa Anita.
Zenyatta, a 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry owned by Jerry and Ann Moss, covered the 1 1/4 miles over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface in 2:00.62 and returned $7.60 to win.
Comments
(had a $300 future ticket on Gio Ponti @ 25/1)