Zenyatta improves to 11-0 with Vanity 'Cap win

Zenyatta improved her record to 11-0 Saturday, coming from off the pace to win the $300,000 Vanity Handicap by 2 1/2 lengths at Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Zenyatta covered 1 1-8 miles on Cushion Track in 1:48.15. She paid $2.60 and $2.10.

The 5-year-old mare spotted five rivals 13 to 16 pounds while carrying 129 pounds _ the most a winner has carried at the track since Cascapedia won the 1977 Vanity in an era when higher weights were the norm.

Across the country at New York's Belmont Park, Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra won the Mother Goose Stakes by 19 1/4 lengths. Like Zenyatta, the 3-year-old filly was running against her own gender.

Smith walked to the paddock for the Vanity immediately after watching Rachel Alexandra win.

"I thought she ran dynamite," he said. "Maybe down the road we can have a little race together. It would be nice and it would be great for racing."

Zenyatta is just two wins shy of matching Personal Ensign's perfect 13-race career.

"Well, we can certainly shoot for that," said Jerry Moss, who owns the mare with his wife Ann. "She was a fantastic filly, Personal Ensign."

Zenyatta finished 2008 with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic and could be headed for a repeat attempt, although future plans have yet to be decided.

"Now she has two good races under her belt," Moss said. "She is strong, she is fit. We want to do something a little bit more challenging. We think she is capable. She's stronger this year, she's a 5-year-old. She's just amazing."

Jess Jackson, who co-owns Rachel Alexandra, said earlier in the week she won't run in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita in November because he dislikes synthetic surfaces.

"I'm not too crazy about the synthetic tracks either. I don't mind him talking up about that, maybe it will serve a purpose," Moss said. "And hopefully we will meet somewhere. If not the Breeders' Cup, maybe it will be somewhere else. I think time will tell on something like that and we will go from there."

A fan at Hollywood Park held a sign reading, "Bo Derek a Perfect 10, Zenyatta a Perfect 11."

With no show wagering, there was a minus place pool of $55,049, as $353,304 of the total place pool of $402,972 was wagered on Zenyatta.

Briecat returned $5.80. Dawn After Dawn was another three-quarters of a length back in third. Hot n' Dusty was fourth.

Zenyatta, a winner of seven races in 2008 when she was champion older female, was closer to the pace than usual, but still rallied from fifth on the far turn.

"It was a short field and she had a lot of weight on her and I didn't want her to have so much to do, so I stayed a little closer than normal," Smith said. "But when I asked her she lengthened her stride and it was pretty much over then."

Trainer John Shirreffs wasn't bothered by his mare carrying high weight.

"She's a champion and that's what champions do," he said. "You can't run from it. Embrace it. She was very steady throughout the race."

Zenyatta earned $180,000, increasing her career winnings to more than $2.4 million.