Zenyatta rolls again in the Vanity.
A 129-pound impost wasn't enough to stop the undefeated champion Zenyatta, who earned a repeat win in the $287,000 Vanity Handicap (gr. I) (VIDEO) at Hollywood Park June 27 for her 11th consecutive victory.
In her familiar come-from-behind style, the imposing 5-year-old mare rallied from fourth at the top of the stretch under jockey Mike Smith to draw off in the final sixteenth en route to a 2 1/2-length victory over the pacesetter Briecat on Hollywood's Cushion Track. She was the 3-10 favorite in the field of six older fillies and mares.
Zenyatta became the fifth repeat winner of the Vanity, joining Azeri in 2002-03. The others are Annie-Lu-San (1957-58), Convenience (1972-73), and It’s In The Air (1979-80). The 129 pounds was the highest impost of any Vanity victor since Cascapedia won under the same weight in 1977.
Winner of the Eclipse Award last year as the nation's best older female and top contender for Horse of the Year honors this season, the 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry is trained by John Shirreffs for owners Jerry and Ann Moss. Zenyatta is now six-for-six on her home track.
The winning time was 1:48.15. Briecat, who had a 15-pound weight advantage against Zenyatta, edged Dawn After Dawn for second.
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