The Zenyatta Stakes-GI [BC]
SA Race 11 1 1/16M- Dirt
Purse $300.000
Three Year Olds and Up Fillies and Mares
Another great race this weekend and this is another grade one race and it’s for fillies and mates and they will be trying to earn a free spot in the Breeders Cup Distaff. It’s a very nice field that has been assembled and I think it is going to be a pretty exciting race. Let’s take a look at this big field.
1. Molly Magne (14-4-3-1 $498.760), trained by Gdp Inc
One of the best three year old fillies in the game when she shows up and she has most of the time this year. Her biggest win of the year was in the grade two Mother Goose and she also ran second in the grade one Hirsch. She didn’t run well last time but that was going seven furlongs and she is definitely better around two turns.
2. Wicked Heat (29-10-5-3 $3382.020), trained by Mb Stables
One of the old class mares in the field right here is surprisingly the only entry that comes from Mb Stables barn. She is a very good mare and her very best day she could easily be the one to beat in this field. I just think she has lost a step from her absolute best and I don’t see her winning.
3. Sports Creek (14-4-3-0 $424.430), trained by Estero Farms
Another one of the three year olds in the field is this filly that is coming from the Estero Farms barn. Her best race of the year was when she won the Delaware Oaks two back but other than that she hasn’t showed a whole lot of promise. She definitely looks outclassed to me with this company.
4. Destination Ny (9-2-3-2 $364.320), trained by Maxmillion Farm
Another one of the three year old fillies in the field and this is the winner of the grade three Iowa Oaks and she was also the third place finisher in the grade one Alabama. She ran very good in both of those races and a performance like those two could give her a longshot chance of winning.
5. Viking Vania (16-6-5-1 $2342.410), trained by Delta Farms
Right here is last years Breeders Cup Distaff winner and also this year’s Houston Ladies Classic winner. But other than her win at Houston she’s only hit the board one other time this year and that was a third place finish. I think she has lost a step from last year and she’ll have to run a huge race to win.
6. Manifest (9-2-2-1 $362.200), trained by Smokey Stover
Well here is another three year old filly and this one is coming out of the grade one Ballerina where she ran fifth and got beat by a length. She also ran second in the grade one Acorn before that. If she can run as good as she did that day I wouldn’t be totally surprised if she got the money.
7. Ivanka (10-4-1-0 $353.900), trained by Winning Link Stables
Once again we come across a three year old taking on the older mare and this one here has fallen on some hard times since the spring. She made it to the Kentucky Oaks but she finished last that day by a big margin and hasn’t ran good in either of her two starts since. She looks way outclassed.
8. Dirty Deeds (28-10-5-3 $2231.060), trained by Aer Stables
Finally we come across one of the older mares and this one is definitely a very tough old mare. She hasn’t gotten a win this year except for one time but she has been knocking on the door in most of her starts. She is coming off of a lackluster effort but I think she could rebound to her old form.
9. Eviction (32-12-13-5 $840.970), trained by Nakamura Stables
Another one of the old classy mates right here and she is one of only two entries who are coming into this race off of a win. She beat Wicked Heat in allowance at Del Mar last out and she may have gotten a big boost of confidence from that win. She may be heading in the right direction.
10. The Reaper (34-10-5-5 $2654.150), trained by John Henry
At one point in her career this old classy mare was a very good runner but she has fallen on hard times and especially this year since she hasn’t even won a race yet. She did run a second in the Apple Blossom but since then she hasn’t even thought about running any good I don’t think since she hasn’t been close lately.
11. City Never Sleeps (11-3-2-3 $230.020), trained by Saratoga Stud
The second to last three year old filly that we come across is one of two that is coming off of a win in their last start. She won the grade three Pine Stakes at Del Mar last out and I think she may be on the improve now. She will still have to run a career best to have any shot to win this race though.
12. Ghost Havoc (12-2-2-4 $195.920), trained by D J C Racing Stables
The last entry in the field and the last three year old in the field also is this filly that is coming out of the barn of the wizard. She is coming off of a second place finish in the Monmouth Oaks where she lost to the pretty good filly La Terrifiant. She will have to run a career best to win this spot though.
Summary
Well this race is a hard race to handicap to me because most of the runners aren’t coming off of wins they are coming off of races that were definitely not their best. I’m going to make Eviction my top pick mainly because she is coming off of a win and she did beat the pretty good mare Wicked Heat that day.
9-2-8-1
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
