Zenyatta to make it 16 from 16 on Friday?

Only four set take on Zenyatta at Oaklawn


USA: Zenyatta has scared away most of the opposition in Friday's Apple Blossom Handicap, where she will face just four seemingly overmatched rivals at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.

In the absence of Rachel Alexandra, beaten on her seasonal debut at Fair Grounds last month, the purse for the Grade 1 event reverts to $500,000 instead of $5million.

Zenyatta, aiming to take her unbeaten record to 16 in the 1m½f event, where she will be making only her second start on dirt rather than the Californian all-weather strips.

The six-year-old's only previous outing on dirt came two years ago when she won her first Grade 1 in the Apple Blossom.

Zenyatta has been drawn four of five in Friday's race, where she is the only horse to have won at either Grade 1 or Grade 2 level, although Just Jenda has a couple of Grade 3s to her name, while last year's Kentucky Oaks fourth Be Fair won an allowance race at Oaklawn last month.

Just as Zenyatta's trainer John Shirreffs saddled Zardana to beat Rachel Alexandra last month, the latter's trainer Steve Asmussen will try to unseat Zenyatta with War Echo.

Zenyatta arrived in Arkansas on Tuesday morning, when she was greeted by fans at the airport before getting a police escort to the track.

>>Rachel Alexandra is now in situ with Steve Asmussen's team at Churchill Downs, where she had her first workout on Monday.

Montage of her wins

great montage hibs, gives me goosies watching such a fantastic race mare!

Brilliant Bob -D

Only four face Zenyatta as she chases 16th win

Preview: USA, Friday BST 12.25am (Sat)

Oaklawn Park: Apple Blossom Invitational Hcap (Grade 1) 1m1f, dirt, 4yo+, f/m

RACHEL Alexandra hasn't turned up so the prize fund is ‘only' $500,000 instead of $5,000,000 - and it is down to the great Zenyatta to provide the fireworks in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park on Friday.

The spectacular Breeders' Cup Classic winner faces a seemingly straightforward task on all known form, as she has to concede only 3lb-6lb to four markedly inferior rivals, none of whom has won at above Grade 3 level.

Rachel Alexandra was ruled out of the proposed $5m clash when she suffered a shock defeat to Zenyatta's stablemate Zardana on her seasonal debut at Fair Grounds.

Her trainer Steve Asmussen is looking to repay the compliment on Friday, when he saddles Grade 3 scorer War Echo (Shaun Bridgmohan) in a bid to dethrone the Californian queen.

Zenyatta is chasing the 16th straight victory of her unblemished career - a significant milestone as 16 is the number of consecutive victories achieved by those twin greats, Citation and Cigar.

Lower-league racemare Peppers Pride won 19 straight in lowly restricted state-bred races a couple of years ago, while the overall North American record sets the bar even higher with Puerto Rican legend Camarero, who holds the world record of 56 consecutive races from 1953-56.

Although Zenyatta is sure to start at long odds on for the Apple Blossom, the brilliant six-year-old faces a different challenge on Friday, when she runs outside California for the first time in two years and also runs on a dirt surface for only the second time.

The first time came in the corresponding event two seasons ago, when she landed the first of hermany Grade wins by slamming the previous year's Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Ginger Punch.

Trainer John Shirreffs admitted to a degree of worry about the return trip to the Arkansas dirt.

"We're kind of anxious - it's been a long time," he said, speaking to the Daily Racing Form. "But the thing we have in our favor is Zenyatta. That's a big edge.

"She's totally different from any other horse I've had," Shirreffs added. "She's sharp and fit and ready to run, yet so relaxed.

"There was a little girl, about 11, at the barn recently and before you know it, she (Zenyatta) turned around and had her backside next to this little girl. She just reached up and patted her on her butt. It was no big deal."

Despite her flawless record, a moment's worry is almost par for the course with Zenyatta given her heartstopping come-from-behind style of running.

Jockey Mike Smith habitually employs exaggerated waiting tactics, which again looked for a second likely to unseat her on her seasonal debut at Santa Anita a month ago before she barged her way between horses for a cosy victory.

Shirreffs added in the Form: "Running on a slightly different surface, I don't know where she'll be placed, but I imagine she'll be in the back somewhere and then make her run."

Zenyatta's rivals are headed by dual Grade 3 scorer Just Jenda (Cindy Jones/Terry Thompson) and last year's Kentucky Oaks fourth Be Fair (Wayne Lukas/Calvin Borel), a speedy filly who has been putting in some powerful workoutsin the morning.

Also on Friday

Keeneland: Maker's Mark Mile (Grade 1) 1m, turf, 4yo+ (10.05 BST, live on ATR)

Three-time Grdae 1 winner Court Vision (Rick Dutrow/Robby Albarado) has a favourite's chance of another top-grade success in this $300,000 event.

Main rival is likely to be Karelian (Rusty Arnold/Kent Desormeaux), who touched off Gio Ponti at Tampa Bay in February.

Court Vision and Karelian are old rivals. Court Vision just got up to beat Karelian in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile in October - at Keeneland.

Let me tell you what boys......The only slight, small, minute concern I had was if Zenyatta really does handle the conventional dirt as well as her beloved pro ride in California...................

She has now had two starts on the conventional dirt. First in the 2008 Apple blossom. She won that race by almost 4 lengths.....beating a horse called Ginger Punch by about 7 lengths. (Ginger Punch herself a great horse!)
Next start on the dirt was today in the 2010 Apple blossom where she was supposed to meet Rachel Alexandra. Unfortunately the field was sub par and she once again kicked their heads in by almost 5 lengths.

For me now if there was ever, ever any doubt about this lady's greatness it surely must now be put to rest. She is 16 from 16 which ties her with great MALE horses like Citation and Cigar for most consecutive wins by an American horse.

I salute you Zenyatta you are an amazing, wonderful, spectacular, superb, victorious, rediculously sublime, magnificent animal and I for one am lucky to have had the privilege of watching you race!!!!!

Thanks Tommy, -D

Sweet sixteen at Oaklawn for super Zenyatta

Report: USA, Friday

Oaklawn Park: Apple Blossom Invitational Handicap (Grade 1) 1m1f, dirt, 3yo+, fillies & mares

ZENYATTA stretched her unbeaten record to 16 as she ran out the easiest of winners, never getting out of a good gallop to win by four-and-a-quarter lengths as the 1-9 favourite in the field of five.

Jockey Mike Smith had her last from the start and sat off pacessetter Be Fair by around eight lengths as the field went down the backstretch off mediocre fractions.

As Smith asked Zenyatta nearing the final turn, she effortlessly picked up her field.

She was widest of all turning for home and delivered a tour de force to pass her rivals as a crowd of 44,973 roared her home.

The final time on fast going was 1min 50.1sec as Zenyatta landed the Apple Blossom for a second time, notching her sixth consecutive Grade 1 win.

The six-year-old's 16 straight victories put her on a par with 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation and 1995-96 horse of the year Cigar.

Brilliant!

Love the Yanks

"Is it a bird, is it a plane"? no its Zenyatta


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What a champion.