Distaff Diary

DISTAFF DIARY

OCTOBER 21, 2008

by Jennifer Caldwell

Let me begin the final Distaff Diary (next year I will give in to the

inevitable and call it the Ladies' Classic Diary) by saying how disappointed I

am that ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) is actually in the Ladies' Classic (G1). The

undefeated dark bay filly has proven herself against her own gender on numerous

occasions now and this would have been the perfect opportunity for her to

demonstrate just how great she is by taking on the boys in the Breeders' Cup

Classic (G1). Alas, her connections opted to keep her running against the

distaffers, citing as one reason the fact that she has never gone the Classic

distance of 1 1/4 miles. I do admit, that's a viable argument. Let's just hope

they keep her racing next year and give her the chance to prove herself at

another level.

Before I get to my top three, I would also like to add that I thoroughly

approve of trainer Larry Jones keeping Kentucky Oaks (G1) queen Proud Spell

(Proud Citizen) out of this race. The bay filly has had a long, grueling season,

racking up a 4-2-2 mark from eight starts. Four of those races, and two of her

wins, came in Grade 1 events, and the sophomore was beginning to show signs of

the season catching up with her when second last out to Seattle Smooth (Quiet

American) in the Cotillion S. (G2). Proud Spell has done herself proud, and

Jones did himself proud as well by resisting the allure of the Breeders' Cup and

doing what was right for his filly.

1st -- Zenyatta may have occupied the division leader slot throughout

the year, but HYSTERICALADY (Distorted Humor) is my pick to take the

biggest distaff race of the year. The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee is long past

due for some deserved recognition and she can earn it in the Ladies' Classic.

Hystericalady endured a tough defeat in last year's running of the Distaff,

just coming up short by a neck after a tremendous stretch-long duel with winner

and eventual champion GINGER PUNCH (Awesome Again). In her first race back, the

chestnut mare gave me a pause as she could do no better than fourth in the Santa

Monica H. (G1) to a then unknown Intangaroo (Orientate), who was making her

stakes debut in that seven-furlong race. However, Hystericalady quickly proved

she just needed to get back in the rhythm when stepping up to score a 3

1/2-length victory in the Azeri S. (G3) in her next start.

Given a couple months off, the five-year-old returned to try a title defense

in the seven-furlong Humana Distaff (G1), but ran into Intangaroo again. This

time, she cut the margin to just a head when third on that day. Hystericalady

has always done well going long, and the fact she was so close against a

confirmed sprinter is

a testament to her heart and determination. She didn't need either of those

traits, though, when stretching out in her next three, posting a 7 1/2-length

win in the Fleur de Lis H. (G2), a four-length victory in the Delaware H. (G2)

and an eight-length trouncing in the Molly Pitcher H. (G2).

Hollendorfer wisely decided to give his charge a race on Santa Anita's new

synthetic Pro-Ride track and entered Hystericalady in the Lady's Secret S. (G1).

As it turned out, Zenyatta was also in that race and produced her usual late run

to win by 3 1/2 lengths. All the same, what stands out to me is the fact that

Hystericalady led throughout, was passed for a moment in the stretch, and

rallied under her own power to take back second. Jockey Garrett Gomez wasn't

really persevering with her, just allowing her to get a feel for the new

surface, which she appeared to handle beautifully. I think that race set her up

perfectly for the Ladies' Classic and she'll get her revenge on both Ginger

Punch and Zenyatta this time around.

2nd -- ZENYATTA is the one to beat in this race. The John Shirreffs

trainee is eight-for-eight in her career, and even tried the dirt at Oaklawn

Park when taking the Apple Blossom H. (G1) in April. On that day, the dark bay

defeated Ginger Punch while earning a 107 BRIS Speed rating.

All year long, though, the long-legged four-year-old has shown signs of

awkwardness, as though she were still going through some growing pains. There

was no evidence of that in her last race, the Lady's Secret. Zenyatta has

finally graduated from a talented, but gangly looking filly into a tour de

force.

Having said that, and after all my pontificating about her going to the Classic on Saturday,

one would think I'd have Zenyatta on top. I've afraid it's just personal bias that

has me sticking her second. That, and the fact that like Proud Spell she's

already had a long year. If there's ever a time when a horse performs below

expectations, it's usually in the Breeders' Cup when so much is on the line. I

believe this is the best shot anyone has of beating her.

3rd -- BEAR NOW (Tiznow) was no match for her rivals in last year's

Distaff, but has a much better chance this time around on the Pro-Ride. The

four-year-old absolutely loves artificial surfaces, racking up a 12-8-1-3 mark

on synthetic tracks. Another good sign is that, since returning from her dismal

eighth in 2007's sloppy Distaff, the Reade Baker-trained dark bay has yet to

finish off-the-board from six starts.

Bear Now opened her four-year-old campaign with a close second on Woodbine's

Polytrack in the Whimsical S. (Can-G3), finished third on Pimlico's dirt after

setting the pace in the Allaire duPont Distaff S. (G2), then found the winner's

circle when successfully defending her title in the Hill 'n' Dale S. She

followed that up with a win in the Ontario Matron and another third in the Belle

Mahone S. Those latter three all came on Woodbine's synthetic, but Bear Now

proved she's more than capable of carrying her artificial track with her when

dominating the Kentucky Cup Distaff (G3) last out over Turfway Park's Polytrack

by four lengths.

That was the perfect prep for Bear Now in advance of the Ladies' Classic. Not

only should she have plenty left in the tank after drawing off under her own

power, but she immediately shipped to California following that race to get

acclimated to her new surroundings. That move appears to have already paid off,

as she posted five furlongs in a sharp :58 4/5, second-best of 54 other moves,

on October 12.

Though the Bear Market continues to run amuck on Wall Street, Bear Now could

shoot straight into the black here -- black-type that is.

Longshot -- SANTA TERESITA (Lemon Drop Kid) has had only one bad race

this year, with that coming when she was switched to the main track for the

Delaware H. She finished well back in seventh that day for new trainer Eric

Guillot, who gave up experimenting and returned her to a synthetic track in the

Lady's Secret. The bay four-year-old was the filly who drew even and briefly

passed Hystericalady in the stretch. Despite giving up second, she was easily

third best by 4 1/2 lengths and has gone off at 14-1, 7-1 and 11-1 in her past

three starts. Santa Teresita could offer a very nice price in the Ladies'

Classic and has proven consistent enough to make good on it.