After much speculation in the press and among fans, on Saturday January 15 owner Jerry Moss announced that Zenyatta, the only female winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic, will race this year rather than be retired to broodmare duty. After her historic win in November at Santa Anita Park, it was assumed her racing career was over, but she remained in the care of trainer John Shirreffs at Hollywood Park and continued her routine of timed workouts, which would not be expected for a mare preparing for a trip to the breeding shed. Since the Breeders' Cup, Zenyatta has worked three times, each at 1/2 a mile over the fast Cushion Track at Hollywood. She posted a 50.40 breeze on December 7, a 49.40 breeze on December 21, and a 48.00 handily on January 6. The day after the announcement, she breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01.40.
Moss made the decision in consultation with both co-owner and spouse Ann, and trainer Shirreffs. He said, "We saw her gallop today, and I talked to Ann and then I talked to John, and she looks too good. It's what she likes to do and that's what we decided to do, so we're going to run her. It had nothing to do on whether she is Horse of the Year or not. If she's Horse of the Year, she'll run as Horse of the Year and if she's not, she'll run as not Horse of the Year. It was very emotional when I retired her, because I thought she absolutely did as much as any horse could do in their career. But I love racing and also believe racing needs stars, and we've got one. I love to see her run. She's healthy and well and I think she's going to carry on very well." Ann Moss added, "Seeing her today, she's so radiant."
Although most racing fans are hoping to finally get the matchup they were denied last year pitting the two 2009 Horse of the Year finalists Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra on the track together, some speculate the connections have a bigger target, the Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 27, which had its already record purse increased to $10 million this year for its first running over synthetic at the new Meydan Racecourse. Asked when the 6-year-old daughter of Street Cry would start next, Moss added, "We're going to take our time. We'll pick a spot. We're open to all sorts of races. She needs to get into a little bit better shape and John will let us know when she's ready to run."
Trainer John Shirreffs said, "She's just been training so well since the Breeders' Cup. You know Mr. Moss is such a great sportsmen and he really wanted to see her run again. Obviously (a race against Rachel Alexandra is) something everyone would like to see. Like last year, we would want to take it one race a time. But she's a lot farther along right now than she was at this time last year. A lot of options are open to us." Shirreffs added that Zenyatta's schedule would likely be different from previous years when she rarely strayed from her home base of Southern California.
Regular rider Mike Smith, expected to retain the mount, said, "She definitely knows who I am. Without a doubt, I think she does. If you spend enough time around these horses, they get to know you. She knows when she sees me, she's going to get to do something. Whenever I get on her back, she gets excited and starts dancing. Her comeback is definitely great for racing. She's a star, and people love to watch her run. She's doing great and she's happy and healthy. Hopefully, she'll stay that way and keep on winning."
