Racing Post
Brilliant Zenyatta tops
the bill at Hollywood
Preview: USA, Saturday BST 12.15am Sun
Hollywood Park: Lady's Secret Stakes (Grade 1) 1m½f, AW, 3yo+, f/m
THE brilliant Zenyatta (John Shirreffs/Mike Smith) will face a customary small field - albeit one featuring a couple of Grade 2 winners - as she bids to extend her unbeaten record to 19 races at her home track, Hollywood Park, on Saturday.
On a weekend full of Breeders' Cup trials across the States, the magnificent six-year-old faces five rivals as she bids for a hat-trick in the Lady's Secret, one of six Grade 1 events at Hollywood this weekend as the track hosts the prestigious Oak Tree meeting, switched from Santa Anita for the first time in its 41-year history.
The Lady's Secret, set to have been renamed in honour of Zenyatta, has reverted to its original title after the mare's 'unretirement' at the start of the year.
The $250,000 event on the Cushion Track will be Zenyatta's final race before she is tested for only the third time in her life on dirt as she defends the Breeders' Cup Classic crown she won in such breathtaking fashion 12 months ago.
Seeking the 13th Grade 1 success of a thrilling career, she was described this week as a "blessing" by Shirreffs and a "guided missile" by rival trainer Bob Baffert, who saddles Del Mar stakes winner Moon De French (Joe Talamo).
Be that as it may, Zenyatta hasn't routinely impressed everybody this term. Although she has completed hat-tricks in typical come-from-behind style in the Vanity at Hollywood and the Clement Hirsch at Del Mar, neither race was won by a comfortable margin.
And this time she faces the useful three-year-old Switch (John Sadler/Alonso Quinonez), who already has one notable scalp this term after beating Blind Luck, the best filly of her generation, in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks in June.
Zenyatta's jockey Mike Smith, though, doesn't sound overly concerned and is confident the mare's pummelling stretch-devouring drive will see her through again.
"There were a couple of times I thought she was in trouble, but like a true, true champion, she pulls it off somehow," he said.
"She's training as well if not better than she did last year."
Switch's trainer John Sadler isn't exuding confidence about the chances of an upset either. "We'd have to be happy to be second," he told the Form.
On her most recent outing at Del Mar, Zenyatta got up by only a neck last time from the game front-runner Rinterval (Eric Reed/Rafael Bejarano), who reopposes on Saturday in the company of supplemented stablemate Satans Quick Chick (Junior Alvarado) who will bid to 'do a Zenyatta' from the rear on her first start since January.
Perhaps she is a potential fly in the ointment, having won a Grade 2 on the Polytrack last term and also breaking a track record at Presque Isle, but anything other thananother victory for Zenyatta would, understandably, be greeted with nothing short of disbelief by her adoring fans.
A 19th victory for Zenyatta would equal the mark of the New Mexico's Peppers Pride, who won 19 consecutive races against lowly opposition to establish a modern-day US record in 2008.
Also on Saturday. . .
Hollywood Park: Yellow Ribbon Stakes (Grade 1) 1m1f, turf, 3yo+ f/m (BST 12.50am Sun)
Godolphin's Ribblesdale Stakes winner Hibaayeb (SaeedBin Suroor/Rafael Bejarano), down the pan in the Yorkshire Oaks, has shipped to California in search of fast ground and she bids for a Grade 1 victory in this $250,000 event.
Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said: "Hibaayeb was disappointing at York and she didn't really cope with the soft ground in Ireland and Germany earlier in the season. She did a couple of nice pieces of work before travelling to America and she handled the journey very well.
"Hopefully, she can get quicker ground out there and the drop back down to 10 furlongs will be no problem. She is a Group One winner in Britain who deserves another chance in a top contest and I am hopeful that she can run a nice race."
Rivals include South African Group 1 winner Gypsy's Warning (Graham Motion/Mike Smith) and Michael Tabor's Grade 3 winner Turning Top (Simon Callaghan/Brice Blanc), plus Lilly Fa Pootz (Jerry Hollendorfer), narrowly beaten by top-class Wasted Tears and a big player from the inner.
Hollywood Park: Goodwood Stakes (Grade 1) 1m1f, AW, 3yo+ (BST 1.20am Sun)
Breeders' Cup Classic favourite Zenyatta may be appearing elsewhere on the card, but this $250,000 event is the designated trial for America's richest race at the Oak Tree meeting.
The 2008 Racing Post Trophy winner Crowded House (Ben Cecil/Corey Nakatani) has done well since being transferred to the States, finishing a fine second to Saturday's rival Richard's Kid (Bob Baffert/Alonso Quinonez) when the latter completed back-to-back victories in the$1m Pacific Classic, signature race of the Del Mar summer meeting.
Crowded House is back quickly after coming a decent fourth in the Woodbine Mile a couple of weeks ago.
Last season's Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up Crown Of Thorns (Richard Mandella/Rafael Bejarano) is a fascinating contender stepping up in trip but the name of everyone's lips is the unbeaten three-year-old Twirling Candy (John Sadler/Mike Smith), who exits the grass to return to the synthetic onwhich he has won twice..
His jockey could have partnered Richard's Kid but opted instead for the young pretender, who is on a five-timer.
Hollywood Park: Norfolk Stakes (Grade 1) 1m½f, AW, 2yo (11.39pmBST)
Although he is going around two turns for the first time, JP's Gusto (David Hofmans/Patrick Valenzuela), who has won four straight stakes races, is expected to confirm his status as the best two-year-old on the west coast under his rejuvenated jockey.
Jaycito (Mike Mitchell/Mike Smith), more than four lengths adrift when runner-up to JP's Gusto in the Del Mar Futurity, takes up the challenge once more.
Paul Reddam's Boxeur Des Rues (Doug O'Neill/Rafael Bejarano) won a maiden on the Kempton Polytrack for William Haggas before being shipped to California.
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