ZENYATTA - 2009 Milady Handicap May 29th, 2009
Unbeaten champion Zenyatta showed her class and brilliant turn of foot as she put away five challengers, including Grade 1-winning stablemate Life Is Sweet, to win the $150,000 Milady Handicap (G2) on Saturday at Hollywood Park.
The five-year-old Street Cry (Ire) swept into contention on the turn and powered clear with minimal urging from jockey Mike Smith to complete a last-to-first rally and prevail by 1¾ lengths in her first start in nearly seven months. Sent off as the 1-to-5 favorite, Zenyatta completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.30 on the synthetic Cushion Track surface to improve to ten wins in as many starts.
Zenyatta closed her four year-old campaign with a last-to-first win in the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic (G1) on October 24 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park to cement the Eclipse Award as champion older female. She showed no rust in her return from the extended layoff.
I’m numb. I’m looking for some emotion now but I’m just numb. She’s just amazing, Smith said. Physically, I think she’s better than she was last year.”
Trainer John Shirreffs plotted out a game plan that would keep Zenyatta and Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (G1) winner Life Is Sweet from facing off until late in the year. He shipped Zenyatta to Churchill Downs for a planned start in the Louisville Distaff Stakes (G2) on May 1, but Shirreffs scratched her on the morning of the race to avoid a possible off track.
With Life Is Sweet unbeaten in three previous starts this season entering the Milady and Zenyatta ready to compete, Shirreffs made the difficult choice to enter his two talented females in the same race.
“[Zenyatta] is just special. Nine for nine, that streak is always in the back of your mind. We knew she had to start somewhere and that first race back you want to make it as easy as possible, but that wasn’t possible, Shirreffs said. We had to deal with Life Is Sweet and believe me, she is a great running filly. It rained over there in Kentucky, so we did not do a lot with her. The last three days in Kentucky she was just walking. When she got home she was fresh.
Gamblers Justice set the pace in the Milady. Champagne Eyes, Allicansayis Wow, and Tastes Sis tracked just behind the leader while Life Is Sweet and Zenyatta dropped well off the pace through an opening quarter in :23.79 and a half-mile in :47.14.
Smith moved Zenyatta up on the inside of Life Is Sweet on the backstretch, but he was forced to check in tight quarters. Smith angled Zenyatta to the outside of her stablemate and both horses closed willingly on the turn. Life Is Sweet split foes in early stretch and was angled to the inside by Garrett Gomez. Zennyatta accelerated willingly from the outside and put away Life Is Sweet and third-place finisher Allicansayis Wow to win easily.
“Garrett and I were playing some serious jockey games out there. It was all clean and fair, Smith said. She’s so handy that when I eased up on the pedal she backed up for me, came around and it was over.
Zenyatta, a finalist for the 2008 Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year, boosted her earnings to $2,234,580. She is out of the winning Kris S. mare Vertigineux, the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Balance.
Runner-up Life Is Sweet edged Allicansayis Wow by three-quarters of a length.
Duration : 0:3:2
funshipM174
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
That is correct. …
That is correct. MTB was checked hard around the turn if you watch the aerial view that ESPN showed. They both ran a great race, but it’s no surprise that the handlers of RA are hesitant about the Belmont. She will never be able to get the distance and hold off MTB.
thefreshprince28
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Ruffian was the …
Ruffian was the best filly ever, rachel alexandra is good, but zenyatta is close if not right there with ruffian. if rachel alexandra wants to get 2nd money she know where to find the true living legend zenyatta!
maxiii24
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
spectacular race
spectacular race
ahsans786
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
A customary …
A customary brilliant race for Z. Life is Sweet actually ran quite well, but Z makes it look so easy. The ladies have had more stars of late (Zenyatta, Rags to Riches, Ouija Board, Rachel, Stardom Bound, etc).
derbydreamer103
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
can’t beat a …
can’t beat a perfect 10 !!!!
iWaterbender
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
That was incredible …
That was incredible. Pure, raw speed. This filly has the right stuff to go all the way.
Hmmm….? What would you think of a match race between her and Rachel Alexander?
BE109
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
For Rachel and …
For Rachel and Zenyatta to meet would be great. In a full field race I think it would a tightly run thing,though I would favor Zenyatta. In a match race,I think Rachel would get it. Zenyatta’s from the back running style isn’t the formula for winning match races . Speed kills in match races,but Zenyatta would be very tough to turn aside in a full field race. BOTH ARE INCREDIBLE!!!!!
BE109
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
No doubt, RA is …
No doubt, RA is incredible,and I really like her. In the end she may prove to be superior to MTB,but thats not what I saw in the Preakness. I like both horses,and win or lose they are genuine racehorses. I just got the Preakness issue of the BH. Haskins said RA ran her final 3/16 in an excellent 19 1/5,and he said MTB must have run his in 18 3/5,which,like his final 1/4 in the Derby was exceptional! So maybe she wasn’t tiring,but rather “The Bird” was rolling a bit faster than her? GREAT RACE!
funshipM174
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Anyone who watched …
Anyone who watched the aerial view of the Preakness knows that Mine Bird was checked hard, midway around the final turn, otherwise he blows by RA.But that is part of racing as we know. RA is a wonderful horse, but no where in the class of Zenyatta, IMO.
rusinrockt
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Zenyatta is a mare. …
Zenyatta is a mare. Zenyatta has beaten everyone. RA wants a piece, she knows where Zenyatta can be found. Until RA beats Zenyatta, its Zenyatta’s world, we just live in it.
6deerhunter5
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
RA handlers should …
RA handlers should pull her out of Belmont. She has no chance. Probably comes in 4th or 5th…,
And for those that think RA can beat Zenyatta…well maybe if RA is given a headstart of 1 furlong and 20 pounds in weight…lol
thecorvis
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I’m going with BE …
I’m going with BE on this one. RA is a great horse but I think Bird takes her in the Belmont. Tell me he wouldn’t have passed her with ease in the Preakness if the race was another 1/4 longer.
BE109
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
CONT-Then watch the …
CONT-Then watch the stretch run,and watch “The Bird” and explain away the fact that even with his traffic trouble,he made up 8 or 9 lengths on her and he did it with emphatic rush. He was the one flying at the end. She hasn’t proven she is better than him,not by a long shot. We will hopefuly see them matched again in the Belmont. Thats a long race and she will most likely get some pressure like she did in the Preakness. “The Bird” may uncork his 23 1/5 final quarter like he did in the Derby.
BE109
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I see the comment …
I see the comment that when a closer meets a “complete” racehorse thats faster and keeps going,its over… Excuse me what race were they watching during the Preakness. RA is actually fortunate MTB got caught up a bit in traffic. Otherwise he would have beat her in the Preakness. Borel really got after her,he used the stick a bunch and she was showing signs of tiring. She was fortunate the wire came when it did,because MTB was running her down. And if you want to argue she was faster,CONT-
wolfzagaro
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
This is Zenyatta’s …
This is Zenyatta’s race.
Willyrooster
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
what the are …
what the are you talkin about ?
Willyrooster
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
yea my favorite …
yea my favorite part is when he checks and almost clips heel’s with life is sweet. Zenyetta could have been on the rail or 8 wide and she would have won under wraps, why put her in tight quarters..
kijuuki
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I’d like to see her …
I’d like to see her race against males, even one time. Just to see how it turns out (:
It looks like she’s only going to have another California campaign though, racing against mares and fillies
fivedemonbag
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I still think she …
I still think she could’ve won the derby. Shes an amazing giant lady.
funshipM174
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I tend to disagree. …
I tend to disagree. Zenyatta would have been very competetive against Curlin and the Europeans in the BCC if the owners would have givenher a chance. Very rarely will a younger great horse beat an older great horse.Hopefully this will get settled on the racetrack. Racing needs a big race like RA VZ Zenyatta!
SayItAll0ne2
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
men are fuck**n …
men are fuck**n disgusting. to breed female horses with a longer body, so that this automatically makes them slower and not competable with proud male “stallions”. because their hooves wont match into each others steps. effin pervs, i swear to hogs. go breed your sons into effin retards you sick f**cks.
realeasygoer
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
that is just one …
that is just one race
realeasygoer
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
zenyatta does not …
zenyatta does not have a prayer against RA. when a closer meets a complete racehorse thats faster and will keep going, its over. i like zenyatta more than any colt in training she is probarbly better than them but your not the best till you beat the best
shoelover25
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
that is a brilliant …
that is a brilliant race Zaenyatta what a style. That is brobably a record from behind to win the race.
midastouched69
May 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Wow!
If you had …
Wow!
If you had the money down, you’d have been worried 4 out.
great ride!