Trainer John Shirreffs confirmed the four-year-old Street Cry (Ire) filly will return to racing for her five-year-old campaign after a well-deserved break.
“You can’t imagine what it would be like for her to leave the barn, that’s a big spot to fill,” Shirrefs said on Saturday. "This has just been a very exciting year with Zenyatta, so it’s really nice that she’s going to continue on.
To read the entire article:
thank you
Fantastic news!! May a trend will beging to keep horses in training.:eek:
Fantastic is right! I can’t wait to see her chew up the handicap division next year. A hearty thank-you to the Mosses for keeping such a spectacular horse in training.
Zenyatta Day - November 30, 2008 at Hollywood Park
Unbeaten Zenyatta is getting a bit of a break at trainer John Shirreffs’ barn before a 2009 campaign, but she may parade at Hollywood Park Nov. 30 as part of a special day in her honor.
“Vic Stauffer, Hollywood’s announcer, came by and asked if we’d do it,” Shirreffs said Nov. 17.
Stauffer is a particular fan of Zenyatta’s, as he has called four of her nine races. Those four starts came at the filly’s home base of Hollywood Park and included the Vanity Handicap (gr. I) and Milady Handicap (gr. II).
“It’s exciting—it will be fun,” Shirreffs said of the proposed Zenyatta day. The trainer said he still can’t get over the standing ovation the filly received as she coasted under the finish line to capture the Oct. 24 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.
“Wasn’t that something?” he said.
The way it ought to be - recognition on the track by the fans 
so nice, such nice posts too.
ZEEEENNNNNYYYYAAAATTTAAAA !!! 2008 HORSE OF THE YEAR!!!
I wonder if this hurts her chances at horse of the year because writers may say “we’ll give it to Curlin this year because she’ll win in next year”.
SO exciting! It thrills me to know that maybe there are at least a few other people out there who will actually keep racing a horse past their 3 year old year!!! hooray!!!
Per The Daily Racing Form for Dec 30, 2008:
Zenyatta, the undefeated 5-year-old mare, is nearing a return to training after a two-month break following her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 24.
Trainer John Shirreffs said earlier this week that Zenyatta could begin track work next week after being walked at his Hollywood Park stable for the last two months.
“She’s just walking, with another week to go,” Shirreffs said. “We’ve let her down well. She’s comfortable with walking three hours a day.”
Owned by Jerry and Ann Moss, Zenyatta has won nine starts and $2,144,500. She will return to racing in the spring, Shirreffs said. The comeback may not happen until the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting, which begins in April.
“We’re not talking about a comeback until she breezes,” Shirreffs said. “We figured we’d wait and get through the 60 days of time off and we’ll start back.”
They would be wise to wait until Hollywood opens considering the state of things at Santa Anita.
that is very cool --walking her three hours a day 
Zenyatta did a light jog Wed Jan 7, 2009 at Hollywood Park: “She jogged once [around the track] with the pony,” Shirreffs said. “She was fine.”
Zenyatta may not return to racing until the spring, possibly at the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting. Shirreffs emphasized that she will not be rushed back into racing, and will began galloping when she shows signs of wanting to do more than jog.
I’d say there is a zero chance of her starting or training at Santa Anita which is a good thing right now.
Another update …
Bloodhorse 2-15-09 “Zenyatta to Return to Work”
Zenyatta will likely return to the work tab in a couple of weeks, toward late February or early March, said trainer John Shirreffs Feb. 15. He could not speculate on when she would make her 2009 racing debut.
“It’s hard to tell how long it will take her to come around,” Shirreffs said. “Until she goes five-eighths (in a work), there’s no way to tell.”
Shirreffs gave Zenyatta a break from training after she won the Oct. 24 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (gr. I). She remained in his shedrow, just walking for several weeks before returning to jogging at Shirreffs’ Hollywood Park headquarters. Currently, the 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry—Vertigineux, by Kris S., is galloping every day.
Zenyatta, the unbeaten champion older female of 2008, had her first workout of the year Saturday [Feb 28, 2009], breezing a half-mile in 48.80 seconds at Hollywood Park.
Trainer John Shirreffs said Zenyatta galloped out five furlongs in “a minute and change. She galloped out so strong,” he said. “She’ll get ready pretty quick.”
carrots all around on the house.
Most likey the Grade 2 $150,000 Milady Handicap on May 23 at Hollywood Park will mark her return.
With a limited number of works, Zenyatta won’t run in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 4, Shirreffs said. Zenyatta won the Apple Blossom in 2008.
“You can’t really rush a horse back,” he said.
Shirreffs stopped short of committing Zenyatta to the Milady, a Grade 2 stakes over 1 1/16 miles. But he said that with some five-furlong and six-furlong works in the next couple of months, she should be ready by then.
:):):)
She’ll make her 2009 start in the undercard of the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs
Per the DRF (04-26-09) …will make her 5-year-old debut Friday in the $350,000 Louisville Distaff
Shirreffs said the timing of the Grade 2 Louisville Distaff, which goes at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, surfaced as a suitable comeback spot for Zenyatta, a 5-year-old mare owned by Jerry and Ann Moss. Zenyatta was scheduled to be flown Monday from Southern California to Louisville.
Oh yay!!!
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