There are no changes in positions three through eight: Blame (127), Rachel Alexandra (119), Lookin At Lucky (97), Rail Trip (61), Misremembered (48) and Super Saver (44).

Exchanging positions are Tuscan Evening and Blind Luck. Tuscan Evening jumps from 10th to ninth with 34 points and Blind Luck falls one spot with 29 points.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (June 13, 2010)-With a powerful closing kick she has never failed to deliver, Zenyatta remained perfect, running her way into history with a thrilling victory over St Trinians and four others in the $250,000 Vanity Handicap on Sunday at Hollywood Park.

The win was the 17th in a row for the 6-year-old daughter of Street Cry and the Kris S. mare Vertingineux, enabling her to surpass Cigar, Citation and Mister Frisky for the longest win streak by a modern day thoroughbred in races not restricted to state breds.

She also became the first three time winner of the Vanity, a Grade 1 which was run for the 69th time Sunday.

Owned by Jerry and Ann Moss and trained by John Shirreffs, who has won the Vanity a record five times, Zenyatta, the 1-2 favorite, was able to overtake a gallant St Trinians in the closing yards. The half-length win, accomplished in 1:49.01 for the 1 1/8 miles, increased Zenyatta’s earnings to $6,074,580.

Spotting the runner-up nine pounds as she carried the same 129 she did in last year’s Vanity, Zenyatta trailed for more than two-thirds of the race, came widest of all into the stretch, then had to run down St Trinians, who had gotten the jump on the two-time older female champion.

With about a sixteenth of a mile to go, it appeared Zenyatta’s streak could be in jeopardy, but she was able to do what she’s always done since beginning her career with a maiden victory at Hollywood Park on Nov. 22, 2007. She is 7-for-7 at the track she calls home.

Returning to loud cheers and applause from the 12,232 on hand, Mike Smith, who has been aboard for 14 of Zenyatta’s victories, acknowledged the excited crowd.

“It’s just incredible,’’ said Smith after his fifth win in the race. “It was a great, great race. It was a gallant effort on St Trinians part. She really ran huge.

“When we headed for home, I hit a real big gear and she hit another one right back at me and I said, ‘Whoa, she’s serious, she’s going to make me run.’ I was working at it until the last hundred yards and then I knew I would out grind her.’’

Jerry Moss believed Zenyatta would stay unblemished while watching the Vanity unfold.

“I had a feeling she was going to make it somehow like she always does, ever since she caught Anabaa’s Creation in that race at Del Mar (the 2009 Clement L. Hirsch where Zenyatta won by a head).

“She won, she got there, she gave away the nine pounds and she came about seven wide. She’s just awesome. What can I say. The reaction of the crowd was amazing. She’s such a fan pleaser. Everybody here loves her.’’

Shirreffs, who has accumulated his Vanity victories since 1999, was a little concerned entering Sunday’s race due to Zenyatta’s last two works not going exactly the way he had wanted.

“Her last couple of works were a little on the slow side, so we were kind of concerned about that,’’ he said. “She was always finishing well in her works, they just didn’t set up the way we wanted in the morning. When it’s done perfectly, you say, ‘OK, that’s done, we’ve taken care of that and we go on to something else,’ but when you can’t completely close the book it leaves some uncertainty.’’

Making her first appearance since finishing sixth as the 3-1 favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 6, St Trinians and new rider Martin Garcia took over the lead with about an eighth of a mile to run and had 2 ½ lengths on Zenyatta, but couldn’t quite stay.

Losing for the first time in five races against females in the United States, St Trinians finished six lengths clear of Zardana, who is also trained by Shirreffs.

Will O Way finished fourth, 6 ¼ lengths behind Zardana, then came Miss Silver Brook and Cherryblossommiss, who battled for the lead through the first six furlongs.

“I thought I had her just the way I wanted her and I knew John had his mare just the way he wanted her,’’ said Mike Mitchell, the trainer of St Trinians. “It was a good horse race. What can you say.

“I wanted to be a little farther in front of her turning for home because I know the kick that Zenyatta’s got. My mare has a big kick, too. She just got outrun. I’m happy. I just wanted it to be a good race. We’re all big fans of Zenyatta in my family. I know that (St Trinians) didn’t shame herself.’’

Garcia was certainly impressed by the first two finishers.

“I don’t know what to say,’’ he said. “I can’t say anything right now. I couldn’t have asked her for any more. The other mare is just too much horse. But mine is too.’’

In winning her seventh consecutive Grade 1, Zenyatta paid $3.00 and $2.10. There was no show wagering. The place price on St Trinians was $2.20.

Zenyatta came to Oaklawn Park as visiting royalty. After romping to victory
in the Apple Blossom Invitational, her 16th win in a row, racing’s
queen stood before her adoring public and bowed her head twice.

Zenyatta high-stepped her way to the starting gate Friday in her distinctive
Radio City Rockette style. She lagged behind early as usual before making a
sweeping move through the stretch turn on her way to a 41/4-length victory at Hot Springs, Ark.

“It’s kind of hard to say if she’s getting better and better because she’s so good,”
jockey Mike Smith said.

The 6-year-old mare tied the modern mark shared by 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation
and 1995-96 Horse of the Year Cigar in unrestricted races. Peppers Pride, who retired
last year with a 19-for-19 record, and Hallowed Dreams, who won 16 consecutive races,
achieved some of their success in state-bred stakes.

Personal Ensign, the filly who capped a brilliant unbeaten career with a stirring victory
in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, died in Lexington, Ky. She was 26.
Zenyatta’s Last Race
More

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.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0SwxIi11aI

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.

The Fields:
10th (5:15)
New Orleans Ladies S.
1 1/16 Miles | Fillies and Mares | 4 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $200,000
Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 Fighter Wing Lanerie C J Geier Greg 117 L 15-1
2 Rachel Alexandra Borel C H Asmussen Steven M 123 L 1-5
3 Zardana (BRZ) Flores D R Shirreffs John 121 L 5-1
4 Unforgotten Mena M Stewart Dallas 117 L 15-1
5 Clear Sailing Sellers S J Delahoussaye Glenn 117 L 6-1

7th (3:37)
Santa Margarita Invitational H. (G1)
1 1/8 Miles (All Weather Track) | Fillies and Mares | 4 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $250,000
Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 Dance to My Tune Garcia M Hollendorfer Jerry 111 L 50-1
2 Pretty Katherine Rosario J Hollendorfer Jerry 111 L 50-1
3 Made for Magic Berrio O A Avila A C 111 L 50-1
4 Pretty Unusual Sutherland C Abrams Barry 113 L 12-1
5 Striking Dancer Solis A McPeek Kenneth G 115 L 8-1
6 Powerofvoodoo Kaplan T Abrams Barry 108 L 50-1
7 Gripsholm Castle Espinoza V Cecil B D A 112 L 12-1
8 Zenyatta Smith M E Shirreffs John 127 L 1-9
9 Floating Heart Talamo J Pletcher Todd A 111 L 12-1

Rachel Alexandra@1-5 and Zenyatta@1-9! I don’t know if there ever is a sure thing in horse racing
but this has got to be as good as it gets. There
is some question about Rachel’s fitness but Zenyatta is good to go.

A friend called with the news when Little Rock was still more than an hour away on Interstate 40. A watcher of thousands of races, he said Zenyatta looked like she had no chance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and won anyway.

Sometimes, exaggeration infects the description of a happening in sports. Not this time. If anything, he undersold the drama of the final quarter mile when she passed eight males, the stress of loading into the gate twice and an awkward start.

Bloated with 14 races spread out over two days, heavy on horses with an affinity for Santa Anita’s artificial surface, and lacking a 2-year-old with solid Oaklawn Park connections, the Breeders’ Cup did not get as much attention as in years past.

The program has become such a mish-mash that the Dirt Mile has not been run on both dirt and at one mile since it was initiated.

The only race with more than a passing interest was the $5 million Classic and Zenyatta was the choice because Jerry Moss decided to risk her 13-of-13 record against males. Days after the Nov. 7 race, kudos for that decision were tempered with criticism for passing up various opportunities to ship his mare out of California to race against Rachel Alexandra.

Moss’ stand against going East and Jess Jackson’s refusal to risk Rachel’s perfect 2008 season on the home field of Zenyatta have created an unending argument.

Until the Breeders’ Cup, Rachel Alexandra was the favorite to be Horse of the Year. The winner of the Fantasy at Oaklawn, she won eight races over a variety of racetracks and beat the boys three times, including the Preakness. Much has been made of her being the first filly to win the race since 1924, but it is also worth noting that no filly has competed in the second jewel of the Triple Crown since 1999. Also know that Jackson chose to run her against older males at 1 1-8 miles instead of taking on 3-year-old males at 1 1-4 miles in the Travers on the same weekend.

Finishing behind Zenyatta in the Classic were the winners of more than a dozen Grade I races, including the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Travers, Pacific Classic, and a trio in England.

That said, there is a flaw in her resume — she won 13 of her 14 races on synthetic surfaces in California. Her victory in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn in 2008 was the exception and makes the Hot Springs track the only common ground of the two superb racehorses.

Eyewitnesses to the Apple Blossom in ‘08 and the Fantasy in ‘09, two Oaklawn executives recently agreed to disagree on Horse of the Year.

“For the good of the sport, they’ve got to give them both the Horse of the Year award because it just wouldn’t be fair for one of them to lose,” Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. said after the Breeders’ Cup. “I know one thing, if they do split it, nobody will be mad.”

Eclipse Award voters are not allowed to split their votes and the secret ballot is sacred. But, collusion to affect a tie would be well received.

If ever an award could be shared this is probably it.

She will be saluted at her home track on Nov. 29. She is set to start her breeding career next year in Kentucky.

Zenyatta will parade between races on the program and fans in attendance will receive a DVD entitled “Zenyatta, A Living Legend,” featuring all 14 of her races. A poster reading “Girl Power, Go Zenyatta” will be distributed.
Owners Jerry and Ann Moss will be on hand, along with trainer John Shirreffs and Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivpAzFvodVc

This horse just wins!