13 Ene. USA. El Encino S. G2. Santa Anita Park. 8,5f. AW. 150.000 $
1.- ZENYATTA (D.Flores)
2.- TOUGH TIZ'S SIS (V.Espinoza)
3.- ROMANCE IS DIANE (M.Baze)


Undefeated Zenyatta unleashed the best effort of her brief career when she blew past grade I winners Tough Tiz's Sis and Romance Is Diane mid-stretch to win the $150,000 El Encino (gr. II) in her graded stakes debut Jan. 13 at Santa Anita.

Ridden by David Flores, the heavily favored Zenyatta trailed the six-horse field down the backstretch of the 1 1/16-mile event for 4-year-old fillies. Taken extremely wide around the far turn by Flores, the daughter of Street Cry picked off each of her rivals while flashing a dramatic turn of foot through the home stretch. Flores was easing her up approaching the finish in a 1 3/4-length victory.

Zenyatta carried 116 pounds to victory, six fewer than the co-highweights Tough Tiz's Sis and Romance Is Diane. But it is difficult to believe the weights made much difference.

"She was climbing a little bit on the backside, then she settled down," Flores said. "I really don’t remember riding any other horse that covers so much ground. She has such a long stride, and she does it easy. Oh yeah, it feels great when you have a horse like this."

Tough Tiz's Sis, winner of the Lady's Secret (gr. I) at Oak Tree's Santa Anita meet in October, held second by a nose over Romance Is Diane, who was coming off a win in the Bayakoa Handicap (gr. II) Dec. 1. The final time on a fast Santa Anita Cushion Track surface was 1:40.61.

It was just the third start for Zenyatta, a half-sister to the multiple grade I winner Balance owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss and trained by John Shirreffs. The dark bay filly, out of the Kris S. mare Vertigineux, was a $60,000 yearling sale at Keeneland in September 2005.

"We think the world of her," said Moss, a former record producer who named the filly for a music recording by The Police. "She could be anything, I mean really anything. We’re just so proud of her and enjoying every day with her. Now she’s won a big stakes like this, I couldn’t feel any better.”