Zenyatta Racks up Her 18th Consecutive Victory with Her Third Win in a Row at the Hirsch Stakes

The Hirsch, a Grade I $300,000 race, took place Saturday, August 7 at the Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar, CA. Zenyatta was able to edge out the 10-1 horse on the inside with a late burst, flying through the last 1/16 in a blazing 5.94 seconds for a total time of 1:45.03.

This was the third year in a row in which Zenyatta has come away with a victory at the Hirsch Stakes, though the margin of victory has been closer each time. Standing at a towering 17 hands and weighing in at better than 1,200 pounds, she ends the day approaching the record for consecutive victories by any horse in North America, and racing fans everywhere are eagerly awaiting Zenyatta’s next appearance on the track.

Also on Zenyatta’s long list of accomplishments is the only victory in the Breeders’ Cup by a female, which took place back on November 7, 2009. Her exploits have thrilled and humbled her Jockey, Mike Smith, who has been with her for her last 15 races. He recounts the thrill of the Breeders’ Cup victory and is sure people will remember where they were and what they were doing on that momentous day.

It hasn’t always been easy for Smith, especially in the early days when Zenyatta was learning the ropes of racing, even to the point of adopting her own pre-race pose and dance, which came into being on Smith’s second race. . The dance has continued to this day, and she thrilled the fans at Del Mar with it just before she eked out her tight victory today. Retired at one point for her health, Zenyatta finds herself in the midst of a streak that shows no signs of coming to a close any time soon.