Prepping
for a possible third victory in the $250,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes on Oct. 2,
Zenyatta worked six furlongs in 1:13 1/5 Friday morning at Hollywood Park.
Undefeated
in 18 starts for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs, the
6-year-old Street Cry mare worked with stablemate El Vino and completed the
last quarter mile of the drill in 23 1/5, according to Hollywood Park
clocker Russ Hudak.
Successful
in the Lady’s Secret, a Grade I at 1 1/16 miles the last two years at Santa
Anita, Zenyatta will seek to defend her title this time at her home track with Hollywood Park playing host for the first time to
the Oak Tree meet. The inaugural Oak Tree at Hollywood Park
season will begin with the first of three Thursday night programs – 7:05 p.m. post
– on Sept. 30.
The
Lady’s Secret is one of four Grade 1’s that will be run on Oct. 2. The others
are the $250,000 Norfolk Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles over Cushion
Track, the $250,000 Goodwood Stakes for older horses at 1 1/8 miles over Cushion
Track and the $250,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1
1/4 miles on turf.
Each
of those events are Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In’’ races. Winners
will automatically qualify for corresponding divisional races in the Breeders’Cup,
which will be held on Nov. 5-6 at Churchill Downs.
Zenyatta,
who has earned seven of her victories at Hollywood Park,
is being pointed for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6, a race that is
scheduled to be her final career start. Zenyatta became the first female to win
the Classic with a memorable victory last fall at Santa Anita.