Zenyatta worked yesterday morning for the first of 3 works in preparation for her big dance on the 6th of November. The Thoroughbred Times reported the work in splits of 24.80, 38.40, 51.20 and the last eighth in 11.40. ( 5/8's in 1.02.6). She galloped out 6 furlongs in 1.16 and 4. A few quotes from her handlers:
John Shirreffs: “Nice work for her first one back. It was just to get her focus back on a routine. It’s not how fast. It’s about getting back to work and letting her know that another work will be coming. It’s about getting the proper spacing.”
Mike Smith: "It was perfect for what you want first work back. Not too fast. Not too slow. Her energy level is great. I tipped off the turn there and kinda let her run. Two jumps and she caught him [stablemate El Vino]. Whooo! She’s like driving the most incredible sports car and today we didn’t even need to get out of second gear. I let her run. She got past [El Vino] and then she just went right back to cruise control. Just incredible!”
Anne Moss: "I'm excited every time I see her. She's from beyond the beyond. Every day is a celebration. It's hard to keep describing her. They should come up with a new word in the dictionary to describe her."
It appears that the Big Girl is feeling fine and happy. You love to see a nice maintenance work, relaxed yet, enthusiastic. That last eighth of a mile shows me she still loves what she's doing. Incredible for a six year old.
Two more works are planned, most likely October 22nd and October 30th. She will ship to Louisville November 2nd.
The Breeder's Cup has just created a "Zenyatta focused" website, and she also has her own official site.
The Classic this year is shaping up to be such an exciting field! Zenyatta seems better than ever and Lookin At Lucky, Quality Road and Blame are all entering in tip-top shape.
ReplyDeleteJohn Shirreffs really wants to win Horse of the Year in 2010, he went on record today as saying that it would be a "slap in the face" if Zenyatta doesn't win the award even if she losses the Classic.
Hi Brian
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. John just stirred the pot a little bit more with those words, didn't he? But I side with him. Horses like Zenyatta are not only special, but rare. Twenty years from now, the critics MIGHT see that. Then again, maybe not. So yes, it would be a travesty if she does not get HOY. Not that it's a done deal yet. But you have to wonder, the results of the Breeder's Cup last year had no impact on the 2009 HOY, but this year it does? Go figure!!!