Zenyatta tops Milady; Tiago and Heatseeker resume rivalry in Californian

Zenyatta tops Milady; Tiago and Heatseeker resume rivalry

in Californian

Unbeaten ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]), a smashing 4 1/2-length winner of the

Apple Blossom H. (G1) in her last outing, is clearly the one to beat in

Saturday's $175,000 Milady H. (G2). The 1 1/16-mile event will share the

spotlight at Hollywood Park with the $250,000 Californian S. (G2), which

features another exciting match-up between Grade 1 winners TIAGO (Pleasant Tap)

and HEATSEEKER (Ire) (Giant's Causeway).

Zenyatta towers over her six rivals in the Milady. Four-for-four in her

career, the four-year-old debuted last November at Hollywood and captured her

first three efforts over Cushion Track in California, including an easy score in

the El Encino S. (G2) two starts back at Santa Anita. She made a seamless

transition to dirt at Oaklawn Park in the Apple Blossom, blowing past champion

Ginger Punch (Awesome Again) with a powerful rally from off the pace, and the

dark bay miss will face a far less accomplished group as the 122-pound

highweight on Saturday. Mike Smith will retain the mount on the John Shirreffs

runner.

KRIS' SIS (Forestry), who exits a runner-up in the grassy Wilshire H. (G3),

will lead the post parade under a 113-pound impost that includes Julio Garcia.

Multiple Grade 2 queen FOXYSOX (GB) (Foxhound), winner of the grassy Santa

Barbara H. (G2) most recently, will break to her immediate outside. She'll carry

117 pounds and Victor Espinoza. Next comes Santa Lucia H. runner-up MODEL

(Giant's Causeway), Alonso Quinonez, 113; Grade 1 winner ROMANCE IS DIANE (In

Excess [Ire]), Michael Baze, 118; Wilshire third-placer LA TEE (Broken Vow),

Tyler Baze, 113; Zenyatta; Santa Maria H. (G1) victress DOUBLE TROUBLE (Brz)

(Wild Event), Rafael Bejarano, 116; and Hawthorne H. (G3) runner-up SANTA

TERESITA (Lemon Drop Kid), Joseph Talamo, 116.

The Californian figures to be far more compelling. A small but talented field

of five will contest the 1 1/8-mile test, which serves as a prep for the

Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) on June 28, and Tiago and Heatseeker will meet for the

third time this season. Heatseeker got the best of his rival when capturing the

prestigious Santa Anita H. (G1) two starts back, but Tiago exacted a measure of

revenge when posting a game head decision in the Oaklawn H. (G2) last time out.

Rafael Bejarano will guide the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Heatseeker, and Smith

returns to the saddle on the Jerry and Ann Moss-owned Tiago, who shares the same

connections with Zenyatta.

SURF CAT (Sir Cat) adds even more depth to the strong field. A six-time Grade

2 victor, the Bruce Headley pupil exits a half-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile

Mervyn Leroy H. (G2) at Hollywood. The six-year-old is approaching the $1

million-mark in earnings, and the versatile horse excels in both sprints and

routes, capturing the seven-furlong San Carlos H. (G2) three starts ago. Alex

Solis, who has been aboard for all of Surf Cat's starts since he broke his

maiden in April 2005, will once again be in the irons.

Tiago will spot Heatseeker four pounds as the 126-pound top weight, and Surf

Cat gets in light at 118.

SHAMDINAN (Fr) (Dr Fong), winner of the Secretariat S. (G1) and second in the

Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), will make his synthetic debut in the Californian, and

Swaps S. (G2) runner-up ALBERTUS MAXIMUS (Albert the Great), a sharp 6

1/4-length allowance winner most recently for Gary Mandella, rounds out the

line-up.

In post order, the contestants are Heatseeker; Tiago; Shamdinan, Jon Court,

116; Surf Cat; and Albertus Maximus, Corey Nakatani, 116.

Hollywood will also offer the $75,000

Manhattan Beach S. A cast of six sophomore fillies will sprint six grassy

furlongs, and MINI DO (Hold for Gold) and STARRY PURSUIT (Van Nistelrooy), who

both exit allowance/optional claiming victories over the course, are the top

draws.