An impressive gate to wire winner of her last two starts, the Gary and Mary West homebred Fighting Mad looms a standout in the Grade II, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Sunday, September 27.
The Zenyatta Stakes, to be contested at a mile and one sixteenth, has attracted a field of four fillies and mares aged three and up.
Trainer Simon Callaghan's Harvest Moon, a 3-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo, has won her last three starts and is an up and comer that will attract considerable pari-mutuel attention.
Hard Not to Love, a Grade I winner and well accomplished, comes off a dull sixth behind Fighting Mad in the Grade I Clement Hirsch at Del Mar and will hope to rebound for trainer John Shirreffs.
Named for the legendary winner of the 2009 Grade I Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita who then became Horse of the Year in 2010 for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs, the Zenyatta is a Breeders' Cup "Win & You're In" Challenge Race qualifier to the Grade I Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland on Nov. 7.
Race 4 at Santa Anita on Sunday, September 27 - Post 5:07 PM
| Entry | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fighting Mad | 2-5 | Luis Saez 126 Lbs |
Bob Baffert |
| 2 | Proud Emma | 10-1 | Ricardo Gonzalez 122 Lbs |
Peter Miller |
| 3 | Harvest Moon | 4-1 | Flavien Prat 118 Lbs |
Simon Callaghan |
| 4 | Hard Not to Love | 3-1 | Mike Smith 122 Lbs |
John Shirreffs |
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Ridden aggressively on the lead going a mile and one sixteenth in her last two starts by Abel Cedillo, she took the Grade II Santa Maria Stakes by 3 ¼ lengths on May 31 and prevailed by a half length in the Grade I Hirsch on Aug. 2.
A winner of five out her eight starts, this 4-year-old daughter of New Year's Day is at the top of her game and looms strictly the horse to beat in the Zenyatta.
Owner: Gary & Mary West | Trainer: Bob Baffert
A one mile maiden winner in her second start on July 20 at Los Alamitos, she then rallied to win a first condition allowance at the same distance by 4 ¼ lengths on July 27 at Del Mar.
Off again as the 3-2 favorite, she responded with a solid 1 ¼ length score in the Grade III, one mile Torrey Pines Stakes Aug. 22 and looms a very legitimate danger on Sunday.
With Flavien Prat set to ride for the fourth consecutive time, Harvest, who has won three out of her four races, looms a legitimate threat.
Owner: Alice Bamford & Michael B. Tabor | Trainer: Simon Callaghan
Often quirky in the paddock and on the racetrack due to the fact she only has the use of one eye, Hard Not to Love will try to bounce back from a 13 ¼ length drubbing at the hands of Fighting Mad in the Aug. 2 Clement Hirsch.
Second, beaten 3 ¼ lengths by Fighting Mad two starts back in the Grade II Santa Maria, Hard Not to Love, a 4-year-old Ontario, Canadian-bred filly by Hard Spun is winless in three two turn starts since taking the Grade II, seven furlong Santa Monica Stakes on Feb. 15.
Owner: Mercedes Stables LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, Dorothy & David Ingordo, Steve Mooney | Trainer: John Shirreffs
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