Zenyatta, the next great mare?

Lost in the shuffle of the all media encompessing derby preps last weekend was a performance so impressive it needs to have further discussion. The Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park has become the spring time event for older fillies and mares and while this years field was small in numbers it contained two talented fillies, including last years Champion, Ginger Punch. The real question for handicappers though was not the known quantitiy but the lightly raced behemoth of a filly from socal, Zenyatta. Unbeaten and never really tested she had never run fast, and she likes to make a move from the back of the pack and the pace was expected to be slow. Here is the race, Ginger Punch in the black, Zenyatta in the familar colors of Jerry Moss (Giacomo fame).



The pace was moderate, 47.3 and 111.6 for 6 furlongs, at that point Zenyatta was 7.5 lengths behind, basically in about an impossible spot at Oaklawn. The move she made was breathtaking makeing up the last 2.5 furlongs in 31 seconds (the fourth quarter of the mile in just over 23!). This type of move is impressive if it was a mdn special race but this was a Grade 1 against last years champion. I have attached the Equibase Chart. http://equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/OP040508USA8.pdf

Zenyatta cost a paltry 60K because at the time no one had heard of her sibling, Balance, who would later become a multi grade 1 winning mare. Her sire Street Cry is one of the hot young and coming stallions, having already sired Derby winner Street Sense. Had she been sold after Balance's wins, she would have cost a tremendous amount of money and substantially more than the bargain price of 60K.

I believe the filly division has been blah since the great Azeri retired, good horses in the division but nothing anyone will remember but this youngster has the look, and in a division that has little talent it might be a long time until she loses.