Is Zenyatta the greatest thoroughbred ever?
Better than Secretariat, the benchmark of excellence over the past 60 years? Better than Citation, the 1948 Triple Crown winner who rivals Secretariat as the best since World War II? Certainly better than Seabiscuit, Personal Ensign and Cigar.
Zenyatta has a real chance to surpass Secretariat among racing fans by winning Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, the pinnacle of racing’s annual divisional championships at Churchill Downs. The afternoon card often settles Horse of the Year, but this time immortality is on the line as well.
The 6-year-old mare is 19-0 with two previous Breeders’ Cup victories, including last year’s Classic — the top U.S. race. Before retiring after Saturday to become a broodmare, Zenyatta could become one of racing’s true legends.
She’s the 8-5 favorite over Preakness Stakes champion Lookin At Lucky.
Zenyatta is undoubtedly the greatest modern female runner. She’s better than Personal Ensign, who retired at 13-0 following one of the gutsiest Breeders’ Cup Distaff victories ever — willing herself in the final yards past Kentucky Derby champion Winning Colors. Personal Ensign has since become a champion broodmare of 2005 Derby winner War Emblem and stakes winners Miner’s Mark and My Flag.
Zenyatta can be knocked as simply an opportunist who beat nondescript challengers on her Southern California home base of synthetic tracks. She rarely kicks until the stretch — eight of her last 10 wins have come by less than two lengths.
But Zenyatta legitimized herself by winning the Classic last year. Perhaps the only time she has really been challenged, the mare rallied from sixth in the stretch to win by one length. Females rarely beat males in major stakes, but Zenyatta sealed her status.
Now she faces two solid rivals in the Classic. Lookin At Lucky rebounded from sixth in the Kentucky Derby to win the Preakness, Haskell Invitational and Indiana Derby. He has the same late style of Zenyatta, so the pair could run together over the last quarter-mile. Early pacesetter Quality Road may steal the race following a standout Woodward Stakes triumph.
A victory would boost Zenyatta’s career earnings to $9 million — not bad for a $60,000 yearling. Two Classic victories would put to rest critical slights that she simply beat up on fillies.
But can Zenyatta overcome Secretariat’s legendary status? Big Red did lose five of 21 races. Not one or two but five. That he broke track records in all three Triple Crown races and won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths created his dominance, but Secretariat was far from perfect.
In a mythical match race, Secretariat would probably crush Zenyatta. But for debate, Zenyatta earns serious comparison by winning Saturday.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
