PREFERS TEMPLE'S OFFENSE TO PRINCETON'S
Zenyatta will break from the No. 4 post in Saturday's 11/4-mile race at Santa Anita.
She had also been pre-entered in Friday's $2 million Ladies' Classic, which she won last year.
But owners Jerry and Ann Moss, along with trainer John Shirreffs, had a bigger goal in mind for the 5-year-old mare, who has won all four of her starts this year.
"There's an opportunity to make history in the Classic, that's why we chose the Classic," Shirreffs said, referring to the fact that no female horse has ever won in the race's 25-year history.
Zenyatta will be just the fourth female to run in the Classic. Jolypha had the best result, finishing third in 1992. Azeri was fourth in 2004 and Triptych was sixth in 1986.
With a victory, Zenyatta would better Personal Ensign's career mark of 13-0 set from 1986 to 1988. That filly retired as the first undefeated champion in American racing in more than 80 years.
Missing from America's richest race is Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra, the 3-year-old filly who won all eight of her races this year, including three victories over male competition.
Her owner, Jess Jackson, shut her down for the year because he doesn't like Santa Anita's synthetic surface.
Mine That Bird, winless in four races since his stunning upset in the Kentucky Derby, was listed at 12-1, along with six other horses.
Shocking Melbourne Cup. Shocking captured the $5-million Melbourne Cup yesterday for his second victory in four days, outdueling Crime Scene in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length before a crowd of more than 100,000 at Flemington racetrack in Australia's biggest sports event.
|
|
|
|
|
|
