Zenyatta Makes It 17
Every year a number of top fillies and mares, three years old and older, make their way to the Hollywood Park Racecourse in California to participate in the Vanity Invitational Handicap. This premier Grade 1 stakes race was inaugurated in 1940 and has remained one of the most popular events of the year. The 2010 Vanity Invitational Handicap took place on Sunday, 13 June, and spectators were witness to the seventeenth consecutive victory for the magnificent Zenyatta. Once again delivering a breathtaking performance, Zenyatta proved to the world why she is seen as one of the best fillies to date.
Zenyatta, owned by Jerry and Ann Moss, is trained by John Shirreffs, and was paired up with Mike Smith, a Hall of Fame jockey, for the big event. The elegant six-year old is known to keep spectators in suspense during her races and Sunday was no different. She remained off the pace for most of the race, with five contenders leading the way. In the backstretch, Zenyatta was fourteen lengths behind the front runner, putting fans on the edge of their seats. Jockey, Mike Smith, was not too worried as he has grown accustomed to her style by now, and when he asked her to turn on the heat and go wide, Zenyatta responded without question. She managed to fight her way into the leading position, even though St Trinians was not giving up easily. The two horses gave it their all, but it was to be Zenyatta’s day for victory.
Capturing her seventeenth consecutive victory has put Zenyatta in a league of her own, and has ensured that she will go down in horse racing history as an undisputed legend. Historical champion horses such as Cigar and Citation that won the elusive Triple Crown, could not take their victories to seventeen, as most of these iconic horses were only able to secure sixteen consecutive wins. The victory attained by Zenyatta is a moment that spectators, trainer, jockey and owners will never forget, as they watched history in making while Zenyatta crossed the finish line at the 2010 Vanity Invitational Handicap.
