The 6-year-old mare prevailed by a half-length, putting a scare into her connections and much of the crowd before rallying late under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.
“She seems to know where the wire is at and she likes to make it a little dramatic,” he said. “It’s just incredible.”
Trainer John Shirreffs pounded his rolled-up racing program against his chest after Zenyatta sailed across the finish line of the 1 1-16-mile race, which she won for the third straight year.
“She’s a heart-stopper in so many ways,” he said, smiling.
Zenyatta‘s exercise rider Steve Willard held his right hand over his heart, a relieved smile on his face.
“I’m sweating so much. Oh my God! It’s just fabulous,” said Dottie Ingordo Shirreffs, racing manager for owners Jerry and Ann Moss, and Shirreffs’ wife.
It was Zenyatta‘s final prep before she heads to Churchill Downs next month to take on the boys again in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, which she won last year.
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