A winner of the Grade I Clement Hirsch at Del Mar on Aug. 4, Jay Em
Ess Stable’s Include Me Out is a winner of four of her last five
starts—all this year—and she could be the horse to beat Saturday in the
Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles—a prep for the
Grade I Ladies Classic at 1 1/8 miles on Nov. 2.
Trained by Ron Ellis and ridden by Joe Talamo, Include Me Out, a
4-year-old filly by Include, is three for three at the distance and has a
5-3-1-0 record at Santa Anita.
The lone blemish on her 2012 resume is a second-place finish in
the Grade I Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 16, at odds of
3-5. Include Me Out has a tractable style and usually stalks the early
pace. Her career record stands at 11-6-3-0, with earnings of $683,600.
Trainer Todd Pletcher will send out Grade I Personal Ensign
winner Love and Pride in Saturday’s Zenyatta. The Personal Ensign, run
Aug. 26 at Saratoga, was contested at 1 1/8 miles and was the third win
of the year for the 4-year-old daughter of A.P. Indy. Love and Pride
has been on or near the lead in all of her career wins and is expected
to vie for the lead again Saturday.
George Krikorian’s homebred Star Billing, who was second, beaten a
neck from well off the pace by Include Me Out in the Hirsch at Del Mar,
would appreciate a fast pace. She’ll be reunited with Victor Espinoza,
who was aboard for her lone Grade I tally in Hollywood Park’s Matriarch
last November. Trained by John Shirreffs, the 4-year-old filly by
Dynaformer is 9-3-3-1 lifetime, with earnings of $415,067.
CRK Stable’s multiple Grade I winning Switch, who opened up early
in Del Mar’s Hirsch and was fourth, beaten 2 ½ lengths, will again be
ridden by Martin Garcia and will attempt to pad her lifetime bankroll of
more than $1.3 million. Trained by John Sadler, the 5-year-old mare by
Quiet American has a 5-1-2-1 record at the distance of 1 1/16 miles.
Trainer Larry Jones and jockey Rosie Napravnik will venture west
to team up with Joyful Victory, one of many Zenyatta entrants with a
forwardly placed running style. Most recently second in the Grade II
Gardenia Stakes at Ellis Park on Aug. 11, the 4-year-old daughter of
Tapit’s lone graded stakes win came in the Grade II Fantasy at Oaklawn
Park in April, 2011.
Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale has procured the services of
Rafael Bejarano for the Chilean-bred Amani, who was a non-threatening
sixth against males in the Aug. 26 Pacific Classic. A multiple Group I
winning champion in her native Chile, Amani will be making her third
stateside start on Saturday.
The complete Zenyatta field, which will be run as the eighth
race, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Amani, Rafael
Bejarano, 121; Love Theway Youare, David Flores, 124; Switch, Garrett
Gomez, 119; Joyful Victory, Rosie Napravnik, 119; Star Billing, Victor
Espinoza, 121; Include Me Out, Joe Talamo, 124; Love and Pride, Martin
Garcia, 124; Via Villaggio, Martin Pedroza, 116, and Miss Mittagong,
Mario Gutierrez, 119.