Zenyatta Stakes – Grade II [BC]
1 1/16 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $200.00 Filly & Mare 3 Year Olds And Up.
It was great to see the four year olds finish one two three in this race but i was left scratching my head a little. I didn’t see the three year old favorites being beaten so far in this especially as the race was won in a slower time than most of them had won with more weight. There was however some doubt about a few of them and this was never a clear cut clean sweep for the three’s that other races looked.
Here is how they finished.
1st Fabulous Angelina Allinthegate Hernandez R M
With just a fair pace i really didn’t see a wide drawn closer winning this race but this filly managed to get home from a mile back. Maybe it was the races name that inspired the finish as we saw Zenyatta do this so many times in her glittering career. Whatever it was, and there will always be a million theories, today this filly found a way through for her first win since taking the Royal Delta at the start of the year in an almost identical race time and splits.
It is tough for her trainer because each time they have tried to get her closer early on she has weakened out and yet when she is taken back she always flies home. At HRP with the closeness of horses and the odd spacing of the pixels it makes a horse like this look terribly inconsistent and it is really just a matter of a trainer clicking what works and keeping their fingers crossed. In this case Allinthgate kept their nerve and pulled off a great win.
2nd Fair On Friday Gdp Inc Stein J
Last years Spinster winner has found it tough as a four year old but as the weight allowances get skinnier so she is starting to get back to her old self. She went right on the speed today and was only beaten by the late flier and her trainer will be looking forward to the next 6 months with her of this signifies a return to form.
3rd Obvious Deception Nakamura Stables Franco G
The winner of the grade one Hirsch last time out she landed closer to a slower pace today but when it came to the sprint at the end she could not quicken. I think she either needs a really strongly run mile and sixteenth or further than this so i wouldn’t be writing her off in the BC just yet.
4th Zombie Storm La Canada Racehorses Bejarano R
the first three year old home she went a mile back off an even pace and just couldn’t get there in time. The huge late run she put in was pretty eye catching though and whilst it is doubtful she gets to the BC now i would imagine there’s a decent race in her future.
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
