Zenyatta's sophomore half-sister to make first start Friday

The long-anticipated career debut of Eblouissante, the three-year-old

half-sister to 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, is at last set for Friday's

4TH race at Hollywood Park. Trained by John Shirreffs, like her famous

half-sibling, Eblouissante will be ridden by Corey Nakatani in the 1 1/16-mile

maiden on Cushion Track.

Her unveiling comes almost five years to the day since Zenyatta scored an

electric last-to-first debut win at Hollywood on November 22, 2007. Although

Eblouissante is getting a similarly late start near the end of her sophomore

season, it would be both rash and unrealistic to believe that she can follow in

Zenyatta's hoofsteps.

Unlike Zenyatta, who was sold to Jerry and Ann Moss for just $60,000 as a

Keeneland September yearling, Eblouissante was retained by her breeder, E.N.

Kronfeld. Zenyatta is by Street Cry, while Eblouissante is by Bernardini.

Ironically, the Mosses own one of Eblouissante's leading rivals on Friday,

Belonging, and they could spoil her Hollywood premiere. Belonging was a closing

sixth, beaten only 3 1/2 lengths, in her debut sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Del

Mar. The John Sadler pupil is entitled to do much better on the stretch-out to

two turns, and she picks up Rafael Bejarano.

The most experienced runner in the race is Chestnut Moon, who will be making

her eighth start. The Jim Cassidy filly has already had a run-in with another

notable half-sibling. Last time out, she was just denied by the Mosses' Stanwyck,

a half-sister to 2005 Kentucky Derby shocker Giacomo and to multiple Grade 1

hero Tiago. Chestnut Moon was the controlling speed on that occasion, and could

play the same role with Victor Espinoza back in the saddle.

Zenyatta, of course, was a spectacular exception. By inhaling the field in

her debut, in a 6 1/2-furlong dash that looked too short for one of her profile,

Zenyatta telegraphed that she could be something special. That three-length

maiden conquest was the beginning of a 19-race winning streak, punctuated by

Breeders' Cup victories in the 2008 Ladies' Classic and the 2009 Classic versus

males.

At first retired following that historic success, Zenyatta was brought back

for one final season of racing in 2010. The year began with her losing a

fiercely-contested 2009 Horse of the Year vote to Rachel Alexandra, and ended

with her only loss on the track. Seeking to cap her unbeaten career with a

second straight Classic title, Zenyatta lagged impossibly far behind the field

at Churchill Downs, and staged her customary rally, but could not get past the

redoubtable Blame.

Although Zenyatta came up a head short in the 2010 Classic, she was honored

as Horse of the Year. Her record reflects 19 wins, and one near-miss, from 20

starts and a bankroll worth $7,304,580.

Retiring to the paddocks at Lane's End near Versailles, Kentucky, Zenyatta

began her career as a broodmare by visiting Bernardini. The choice of stallion

was in part influenced by the fact that Eblouissante was reportedly shaping up

nicely. Zenyatta's first foal, a colt, was born on March 8. He is a

three-quarter brother to Eblouissante.