Zenyatta likely to the Vanity
 

From Brad Free's article today:

"John Shirreffs did not confirm Zenyatta for the Vanity, but he and owners Jerry and Ann Moss may be leaning that way.

"We'll see what the weights are for the Vanity and go from there," Shirreffs said. "This is a place we like to run - we have to play at home some of the time."

Zenyatta, who has been based at Hollywood throughout her career, looks magnificent physically. When she returned to training last week after winning the Apple Blossom on April 9 at Oaklawn, the 6-year-old was dappled and full of energy. Zenyatta would be seeking her 17th consecutive victory in the Vanity, a race she won the last two years. A Zenyatta bobble-head giveaway is scheduled for Vanity day, June 13."

http://www.drf.com/news/article/112294.html

NT

Well you have played at home nearly all of the time actually.

:rolleyes:

i thought they planned new things for her, for the fans?

What a clown. Yeah, that freaking globetrotter has to play in front of the home folks once in a while!

"John Shirreffs did not confirm Zenyatta for the Vanity, but he and owners Jerry and Ann Moss may be leaning that way.

"We'll see what the weights are for the Vanity and go from there," Shirreffs said. "This is a place we like to run - we have to play at home some of the time."
Zenyatta, who has been based at Hollywood throughout her career, looks magnificent physically. When she returned to training last week after winning the Apple Blossom on April 9 at Oaklawn, the 6-year-old was dappled and full of energy. Zenyatta would be seeking her 17th consecutive victory in the Vanity, a race she won the last two years. A Zenyatta bobble-head giveaway is scheduled for Vanity day, June 13."

In the context of the article the statement is correct. I doubt he intended to imply Zenyatta was a world traveller of any sort or pretending that her recent trip to Oaklawn was proof of her adaptability to a variety of different race tracks.

To him, and at least to Zenyatta, Hollywood Park is home.

Someone get me a fainting couch!

There needs to be a bulletin sent out--we have a dapple-sighting! :)

Who else is looking at the Vanity?

Names won't matter.

It will be more of the same soft serve as usual.

If she's going to play at home all year,

then I hope Quality Road goes undefeated and wins Horse of the Year.

"A Zenyatta bobble-head giveaway is scheduled for Vanity day, June 13."

Is that why they're staying home? lol

They could at least run her against males if they're going to keep her in Cali for the next start.

I think they're more concerned with winning 17 consecutive races and scratching track management's back by running on the same day as the Zenyatta bobble-head giveaway (which makes this "possible next start" a near certainty).

Let's see if track management scratches Zenyatta's back in return. My guess is, the one of the bobble-heads will weigh more than Zenyatta's saddle...

I think you're right.

I'll bet you're a Giant fan, or should I say a Dodger hater.

This would be, what...her third time running this race? Don't her people have any imagination?

Maybe Anabaa's Creation is available to get beat by a dirty nose?

why run in the Foster?? No Rachel or Quality Road... Plus, I think the folks at Hollywood deserve to see her run more time. I don't see any way they run her at DelMar, so I think its logical to get a start at Hollywood, then ship to New York or Monmouth over the summer, one last start at Santa Anita, and then the Breeders' Cup.

Would've been nice to see the champ in that Foster. Perhaps there's still a chance if the Alexander filly can get her act together and finally win a race soon. Then maybe CD will try to lure them to that open contest.

At any rate, can't blame the connections for wanting to give her a shot at breaking the record at home.


17-0 … immortal :tro:

I don't know, all signs point to Rachel giving the La Troienne a go next weekend. At least that's my bet if I were a betting man and all.

ETA - sorry, not the La Troienne, but that CD handicap or whatever it's called that Zenyatta scratched out of last year.

"We'll see what the weights are for the Vanity and go from there," Shirreffs said.

What I'm wondering is how little weight Hollywood can assign Zenyatta without completely embarassing themselves. Talk about conflict of interest. If they assign anything approaching a fair weight, they risk halving their attendance fig.

--Dunbar

Hey, it's only her seventh race at Hollywood.

It's not like she ran ten of thirteen at Belmont.

The Louisville BC/Distaff. The race Zenyatta ducked because Shirreffs didn't want to face One Caroline and a potential wet track.

Didn't DUCK the BC and didn't DUCK the AB.

But the point is certainly well made/taken.:rolleyes:

Yes, if there's one thing Zenyatta will be remembered for, it's taking on all possible comers at every possible venue. I still haven't heard an excuse for that chickenshit move at Churchill.

Why do you even bother responding to him?

yeah, I think everyone would run a priceless, undefeated champion mare on wet track off a 6 month layoff... what a bunch of pu$$ies! here's some summer's eve for you Jerry Moss!

Oh no! A wet track! Surely no priceless champion super incredible awesome horse has ever navigated one of those!

i'm pretty sure that personal ensign, a priceless, undefeated champion mare ran on an off track. of course, that wasn't off a layoff....

I'm just saying, off a 6 month layoff, would you put her out? Do I think she would have lost; no... Do I blame them for not running her; no... none of their "goals" for her lived or died with scratching out of that race.

It's more the fact that when Z passes on a race it's a smart move, but when RA passes she is a p*ssy....some hypocricy from the Z fans I think

Yes, I would have run her. It wasn't a freaking monsoon. FFS, the track was labeled 'good' by post time.

I'm a FAN of both, so I don't want to be put in either camp... The "undefeated" streak is something that can't be taken lightly. Again, nothing against Rachel, but I think Jess thought she was unbeatable (much like he does/did with Curlin) and never envisioned that his horse off a 7 month layoff wouldn't be the "same". There were alot of peple who thought Z was "lame" or "amiss" this time last year; clearly z wasn't and neither RA is this year, so let's just hope we see them both on the track for the rest of 2010 and hopefullly in the B/C Classic (regardless of path).

Hear hear!

(wine glass in hand)

(I woke up with it this morning.... :)....)

I'd be interested to know how many racing fans really care about her being undefeated. I'm not talking about the Zenstapo who cling to her record as some sort of proof that she's an all-time great, I'm talking about people who have no dog in the fight. I think seeing her actually take on the best competition race in and race out would earn her more respect and admiration (even if she suffered some losses) than hanging out in her backyard and beating the same listed stakes horses all year does.

If they put out a bet that this would be her last race, I would take it. Just an out in left field hunch.

Where is her best competition... One is running in the Met Mile and the other at Churchill on Oaks day. Do we really need to see her run by Macho Again or Mind That Bird? If you want, want I want, you want to see Quality Road, Rachel and Zenyatta in the starting gate for the Classic. Everything else is a "prep"...

No doubt about it. In another sense I think she risks more by running against
so called patsies in California because if she loses to them it is a larger blemish on her record.
I would love to see her stay undefeated and run against the best. No one has control over where she runs except the connections and wherever it is I'll be rooting.
People don't need to hold on to her record as any "proof" that she's an all time great. She already is.

Who knows if they'll even last that long. Might as well run against each other now while the horses are injury-free.

But ten of thirteen were at Belmont. I don't recall any knock on PE for not touring the country. Not knocking her, in fact I was a huge fan and caught her BC win at Churchill. But you have to admit Belmont is a surface that some horses thrive on and she did most of her damage there.

I disagree, and it's for that specific reason.