the ZEN master..
rayphil
Senior Member
Zenyatta gets job done yet again
By Jay Privman
ARCADIA, Calif. - Zenyatta kept up her end of the bargain, weaving through traffic to capture her 15th straight victory in the Grade 1, $250,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita.
Her race took place less than a half-hour after Rachel Alexandra was upset in her first start of the year. Both Zardana, who won the New Orleans Ladies Classic, and Zenyatta are trained by John Shirreffs.
Zenyatta ($2.60) was last, per usual, in the eight-horse field before beginning her late charge. Her jockey, Mike Smith, elected to come inside because there was a wall of horses preventing him from getting out, and for a moment Zenyatta looked in trouble. But that moment passed quickly, and she flew past her rivals in the final furlong without feeling Smith's whip.
She completed 1 1/8 miles on Pro-Ride in 1:48.20 and returned to the cheers of an adoring crowd.
A large crowd surrounded the paddock and cheered for Zenyatta when she entered the walking ring and began her trademark strut. Several celebrities, including actors Dustin Hoffman and Dennis Farina of the upcoming HBO series Luck, were in the walking ring before the race.
By Jay Privman
ARCADIA, Calif. - Zenyatta kept up her end of the bargain, weaving through traffic to capture her 15th straight victory in the Grade 1, $250,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita.
Her race took place less than a half-hour after Rachel Alexandra was upset in her first start of the year. Both Zardana, who won the New Orleans Ladies Classic, and Zenyatta are trained by John Shirreffs.
Zenyatta ($2.60) was last, per usual, in the eight-horse field before beginning her late charge. Her jockey, Mike Smith, elected to come inside because there was a wall of horses preventing him from getting out, and for a moment Zenyatta looked in trouble. But that moment passed quickly, and she flew past her rivals in the final furlong without feeling Smith's whip.
She completed 1 1/8 miles on Pro-Ride in 1:48.20 and returned to the cheers of an adoring crowd.
A large crowd surrounded the paddock and cheered for Zenyatta when she entered the walking ring and began her trademark strut. Several celebrities, including actors Dustin Hoffman and Dennis Farina of the upcoming HBO series Luck, were in the walking ring before the race.
Comments
Rachel - Never really looked right. Toward the middle half mile she looked to relax a little but just didn't look like the same horse. At the top of the stretch when Borel did his usual turn around and her still in hand and I figured maybe she would still blow these away. Flattened out tremendously in the stretch and showed little response to the whip and lead change.
Zenyatta - Brilliant. Wasn't really thrilled with Mike Smith's ride, looked to me like he tried to copy his breeder's cup ride until the 3-4path hole closed up and he hit the rail with her. Despite the shifting in and out she wins going away, in hand, without a single whip crack.
IMO, consider April 5th tentative at the very best. Rachel may return to the work tab for awhile before coming back.
She's already won @ Oaklawn, so it's not much of an issue at all.
Btw, here you go kids. We all knew this was coming.........
from the Bloodhorse article:
There was some doubt from Rachel Alexandras camp after the race as to whether she would still be pointed toward the Apple Blossom.
"We'll have to be cautious. We want to do what's right for the mare," Asmussen said. "The filly's lacking fitness. It was my job to have her there, and I didn't do it.
How tired she is off of that will be established in the coming days. Shes not where I thought she was and if I had thought shed get beat she wouldnt run. You take her back, you evaluate her, you see how her mood is, her diet, how she goes back to the racetrack, how she breezes. No crystal ball could see that far ahead."
in the jocks room word is she is coming to oaklawn next week