Zenyatta Stakes

Last updated
Zenyatta Stakes
Grade II race
Location Santa Anita Park
Arcadia, California, United States
Inaugurated1993 (as Lady's Secret Handicap)
Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website Santa Anita
Race information
Distance1+116 miles
SurfaceDirt
TrackLeft-handed
Qualification Fillies & Mares, three-years-old and older
WeightBase weights with allowances:
4-year-olds and up: 126 lbs.
3-year-olds: 122 lbs.
Purse $200,000 (2020)
Bonuses Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" - Breeders' Cup Distaff

The Zenyatta Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, age three and older the distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt scheduled annually in September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000. [1]

Contents

History

The event was named after Hall of Famer Lady's Secret [2] who had won the 1986 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park.

The event was inaugurated on 11 October 1993 as the Lady's Secret Handicap and was won by the odds-on favorite Hollywood Wildcat who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye in a time of 1:41.05. [3] In her following start Hollywood Wildcat won the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park. The following year Hollywood Wildcat repeated her victory leading all the way to a comfortable 2+14 length margin. [4]

After two runnings of the event was classified by the American Graded Stakes Committee as Grade III and was upgraded to Grade II status in 1996. [5] In 2007 the event was upgraded to Grade I. [1]

After the 2009 running, it was announced that the race would be renamed the Zenyatta Stakes, on the assumption that Zenyatta (who had won the race in 2008 and 2009) would retire at the end of 2009. That change, however, was held off for 2010 at the behest of the mare's connections. [6] For 2010, it was again run as the Lady's Secret Stakes because Zenyatta was in the field, winning the race for the third time. The race was again run as the Lady's Secret Stakes in 2011 but was then run under its new name in 2012.

Beholder was able to equal Zenyatta's record of winning the event three times in 2015. After winning the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita, Beholder won this event as a three-year-old before winning the Breeders' Cup Distaff which also was held at Santa Anita. After winning this event in 2014 and 2015 Beholder did not enter the Breeder's Cup. In the 2016 running of the event, Beholder ran for the fourth time and was beaten by a nose by Stellar Wind, [7] however she turned the tables winning the Breeders' Cup Distaff for a second time in her last career start.

In 2019 the event was downgraded to Grade II. [8]

Records

Speed record:

Margins:

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

YearWinnerAgeJockeyTrainerOwnerDistanceTimePurseGradeRef
At Santa Anita Park Zenyatta Stakes
2023Adare Manor4Juan Hernandez Bob Baffert Michael Lund Petersen1+116 miles1:43.70$196,000II [9]
2022Midnight Memories3Ramon Vazquez Bob Baffert Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman1+116 miles1:45.07$200,000II [10]
2021Private Mission3 Flavien Prat Bob Baffert Baoma Corporation1+116 miles1:43.77$201,500II [11]
2020Harvest Moon5 Flavien Prat Simon Callaghan Alice Bamford & Michael Tabor 1+116 miles1:43.03$196,000II [12]
2019Paradise Woods5Abel Cedillo John Shirreffs HS Stable & Martin J. & Pam Wygod 1+116 miles1:44.31$200,351II [13]
2018Vale Dori (ARG) 6 Joseph Talamo Bob Baffert Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum 1+116 miles1:44.88$300,345I [14]
2017Paradise Woods3 Flavien Prat Richard E. Mandella Steven Sarkowsky & Martin J. & Pam Wygod 1+116 miles1:44.34$294,000I [15]
2016 Stellar Wind 4 Victor Espinoza John W. Sadler Hronis Racing1+116 miles1:41.80$300,000I [7]
2015 Beholder 5 Gary L. Stevens Richard E. Mandella Spendthrift Farm 1+116 miles1:42.83$300,750I [16]
2014 Beholder 4 Mike E. Smith Richard E. Mandella Spendthrift Farm 1+116 miles1:42.19$300,000I [17]
2013 Beholder 3 Gary L. Stevens Richard E. Mandella Spendthrift Farm 1+116 miles1:42.11$250,500I [18]
2012Love and Pride4 Martin Garcia Todd A. Pletcher Green Hills Farm1+116 miles1:43.09$250,000I [19]
Lady's Secret Stakes
2011Zazu3 Joel Rosario John W. Sadler Ann & Jerry Moss 1+116 miles1:41.59$250,000I [20]
At Hollywood Park Lady's Secret Stakes
2010 Zenyatta 6 Mike E. Smith John Shirreffs Ann & Jerry Moss 1+116 miles1:42.97$250,000I [21]
At Santa Anita Park
2009 Zenyatta 5 Mike E. Smith John Shirreffs Ann & Jerry Moss 1+116 miles1:42.89$299,000I [22]
2008 Zenyatta 4 Mike E. Smith John Shirreffs Ann & Jerry Moss 1+116 miles1:40.30$245,000I [23]
2007Tough Tiz's Sis3 Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert Watson & Weitman Performances1+116 miles1:41.64$196,500I [24]
Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap
2006Healthy Addiction5 Victor Espinoza John W. Sadler Pamela C. Ziebarth1+116 miles1:43.60$233,500II [25]
2005Healthy Addiction4 Garrett K. Gomez John W. Sadler Pamela C. Ziebarth1+116 miles1:43.23$235,000II [26]
2004§ Island Fashion4Kerwin JohnMarcelo PolancoEverest Stables1+116 miles1:43.43$235,000II [27]
2003 Got Koko 4 Alex O. Solis Bruce Headley Aase Headley & Paul Leung1+116 miles1:42.92$300,000II [28]
2002 Azeri 4 Mike E. Smith Laura de Seroux Allen E. Paulson Trust 1+116 miles1:41.10$217,500II [29]
2001Queenie Belle4 Brice Blanc Ben D. A. CecilGary Seidler1+116 miles1:43.64$209,400II [30]
2000Smooth Player4 Eddie Delahoussaye Dan L. HendricksJohn Spohler & Martin J. Wygod 1+116 miles1:42.27$204,600II [31]
1999 Manistique 4 Corey Nakatani John Shirreffs 505 Farms 1+116 miles1:42.39$197,500II [32]
1998Magical Allure3 David R. Flores Bob Baffert Golden Eagle Farm 1+116 miles1:42.55$173,800II [33]
1997 Sharp Cat 3 Alex O. Solis D. Wayne Lukas The Thoroughbred Corporation 1+116 miles1:41.45$179,400II [34]
1996Top Rung5 Earlie Fires Willard L. Proctor Glen Hill Farm 1+116 miles1:41.84$178,450II [35]
Lady's Secret Handicap
1995Borodislew5 Gary L. Stevens Eduardo Inda 505 Farms 1+116 miles1:41.61$130,250III [36]
1994 Hollywood Wildcat 4 Eddie Delahoussaye Neil D. Drysdale Irving & Marjorie Cowan1+116 miles1:40.61$106,400 [4]
1993 Hollywood Wildcat 3 Eddie Delahoussaye Neil D. Drysdale Irving & Marjorie Cowan1+116 miles1:41.05$106,700 [3]

Legend:
  All Weather Track  Dirt
Notes: § Ran as an entry

See also

List of American and Canadian Graded races

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breeders' Cup Classic</span> American Thoroughbred horse race

The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of 1+14 miles (2,000 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October or early November. All of the races to date have been held in the United States except for the 1996 edition held at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old or older over the distance of six furlongs on the dirt scheduled annually in September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.

The Shuvee Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are four years old or older over a distance of  1+18 miles on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.

Azeri is an American Hall of Fame champion thoroughbred racehorse who was 2002 US Horse of the Year and Champion Older Female from 2002 to 2004.

The 2007 Kentucky Derby was the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 5, 2007. The announced attendance was 156,635, the third largest in Derby history.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of Thoroughbred horse races in which the winner earns an automatic spot in a specified Breeders' Cup race. The challenge races change somewhat each year. The Challenge series began in 2007 with 24 "Win and You're In" races from 2 countries. By 2014, the series had grown to 71 races across 13 countries. During that period, 24 winners of Breeders' Cup races had qualified via the challenge series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hystericalady</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Hystericalady, is a multiple stakes winning American Thoroughbred race horse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zenyatta</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Zenyatta is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic and Breeders' Cup Distaff and 19 of her 20 starts. She was the 2010 American Horse of the Year, and Champion Older Female in 2008, 2009 and 2010. She was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2016.

John W. Sadler is an American horse trainer in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing. He’s got over 2,600 race wins, including the 2018 Breeders' Cup Classic with Accelerate, who was subsequently named American Horse of the Year. He has won multiple training titles at Santa Anita Park, Del Mar and the now defunct Hollywood Park. Sadler trained Flightline, the winner of the 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic.

The 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships were the 26th edition of thoroughbred racing's season ending premier event, and took place on November 6 and 7 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event was telecast by ESPN. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December.

The Autumn Miss Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies that are three years old, over a distance of one mile on the turf track held annually in October at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $100,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blame (horse)</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Blame is a retired American champion Thoroughbred racehorse, a winner of nine races in 13 starts including the prestigious Breeders' Cup Classic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beholder (horse)</span> American Thoroughbred racehorse

Beholder is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and multiple Eclipse Award winner. Her most memorable performance was defeating the champion filly Songbird by a nose in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Her other notable wins include the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, the 2013 Breeders' Cup Distaff and the 2015 Pacific Classic against male horses. She is the first horse since 1976 to win a Grade One race at age 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and one of only two horses to have ever won three Breeders' Cup races. She was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2022, her first year of eligibility.

The 2014 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 31st edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. It took place on October 31 and November 1 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North American racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December. The 2014 Breeders' Cup results were highly influential in the Eclipse Award divisional championship voting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stellar Wind (horse)</span> American Thoroughbred racehorse

Stellar Wind is an American Thoroughbred racehorse, known for her Eclipse Award winning three-year-old season, and later for her rivalry with the champion mare Beholder. Bred in Virginia, she raced in Maryland as a juvenile, winning one minor race from two starts. As a three-year-old, racing mainly in California, she improved to become arguably the best filly of her generation. In the spring of 2015, she won the Santa Ysabel Stakes and the Santa Anita Oaks before finishing a troubled fourth in the Kentucky Oaks. On her return to California, she recorded further victories in the Summertime Oaks and the Torrey Pines Stakes, and then ended her season by finishing a strong second in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. She was voted American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Breeders' Cup</span> Horse race

The 2016 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 33rd edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. A total of 185 pre-entries were announced on October 26 in what was considered a highly competitive year in most divisions. The races, all of which were Grade I, took place on November 4 and 5 at Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California and were telecast by NBC. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forever Unbridled</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Forever Unbridled is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who was named the Champion Older Mare of 2017 after winning the Fleur de Lis Handicap, Personal Ensign Stakes and Breeders' Cup Distaff. She also won two Group I stakes races in 2016 before finishing third in that year's Distaff.

Ce Ce is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2020 Apple Blossom Handicap and 2021 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss Skydiver</span> American thoroughbred racehorse

Swiss Skydiver is a retired American champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2020 Preakness Stakes, only the sixth filly to win the second leg of the Triple Crown. She also won the 2020 Santa Anita Oaks, 2020 Alabama Stakes, and 2021 Beholder Mile.

Blue Stripe is a dual-hemisphere Argentine-bred multiple Graded Stakes winning Thoroughbred racehorse. Her graded wins include the Group 1 Gran Premio Criadores in Argentina and the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Stakes in 2022 at Del Mar in Southern California. She was named the 2021 Argentine Champion Older Mare.

References

  1. 1 2 "Zenyatta Stakes (Gr. 2)". equibase.com. 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  2. "LADYS SECRET (USA) gr. M, 1982 - 45 Starts, 25 Wins, 9 Places, 3 Shows Career Earnings: $3,021,325". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online. 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  3. 1 2 "1993 Lady's Secret Handicap Listed - (race 8)". Equibase. 11 October 1993. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 "1994 Lady's Secret Handicap Listed - (race 8)". Equibase. 10 October 1994. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  5. "ZENYATTA STAKES - MULTIPLE TRACKS". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online. 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  6. Shandler, Jason. "Zenyatta Stakes Changed Back to Lady's Secret". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
  7. 1 2 "2016 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 1 - (race 9)". Equibase. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  8. BloodHorse Staff (30 November 2018). "Graded and Listed Races for 2019 Released". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  9. "2023 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 2 - (race 4)". Equibase. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  10. "2022 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 2 - (race 4)". Equibase. 2 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  11. "2021 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 2 - (race 9)". Equibase. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  12. "2020 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 2 - (race 4)". Equibase. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  13. "2019 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 2 - (race 5)". Equibase. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  14. "2018 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 1 - (race 5)". Equibase. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  15. "2017 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 1 - (race 5)". Equibase. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  16. "2015 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 1 - (race 7)". Equibase. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  17. "2014 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 1 - (race 5)". Equibase. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  18. "2013 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 1 - (race 9)". Equibase. 28 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  19. "2012 Zenyatta Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  20. "2011 Lady's Secret Stakes Grade 1 - (race 6)". Equibase. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  21. "2010 Lady's Secret Stakes Grade 1 - (race 7)". Equibase. 2 October 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  22. "2009 Lady's Secret Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  23. "2008 Lady's Secret Stakes Grade 1 - (race 5)". Equibase. 27 September 2008. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  24. "2007 Lady's Secret Stakes Grade 1 - (race 5)". Equibase. 7 October 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  25. "2006 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 3)". Equibase. 1 October 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  26. "2005 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 7)". Equibase. 2 October 2005. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  27. "2004 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 6)". Equibase. 3 October 2004. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  28. "2003 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 6)". Equibase. 28 September 2003. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  29. "2002 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 8)". Equibase. 2 October 2002. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  30. "2001 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 6)". Equibase. 29 September 2001. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  31. "2000 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 8)". Equibase. 9 October 2000. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  32. "1999 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 9)". Equibase. 10 October 1999. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  33. "1998 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 5)". Equibase. 11 October 1998. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  34. "1997 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 5)". Equibase. 19 October 1997. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  35. "1996 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap Grade 2 - (race 5)". Equibase. 6 October 1996. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  36. "1995 Lady's Secret Handicap Grade 3 - (race 7)". Equibase. 8 October 1995. Retrieved 24 September 2020.