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Fighting Mad Aims to Continue Roll in Zenyatta

Grade 1 winner Hard Not to Love and 3-year-old Harvest Moon main rivals.

Fighting Mad after winning the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar

Fighting Mad after winning the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar

Benoit Photo

Gary and Mary West's homebred Fighting Mad will seek her third consecutive graded stakes score Sept. 27 in the $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park. The 1 1/16-mile event for fillies and mares attracted four expected runners, including grade 1 winner Hard Not to Love and 3-year-old Harvest Moon.

The Zenyatta, a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, offers the winner a berth in the Nov. 7 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland. Fighting Mad already earned herself a spot in the year-end championship with a victory in the Aug. 2 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar.

Fighting Mad is 2-for-3 this season with her two victories coming at 1 1/16 miles in frontrunning fashion. In addition to the Clement L. Hirsch, the 4-year-old New Year's Day filly won the May 31 Santa Maria Stakes (G2).

Trainer Bob Baffert was impressed by Fighting Mad's Clement L. Hirsch win, especially since the filly was sweating in the paddock before the race.

"To look at her, you wouldn't think she could go (a distance), but when she started opening up, I figured (jockey Abel Cedillo) must know what he's doing. Basically, she ran them off their feet," Baffert said after that race.

Fighting Mad has turned in a string of speedy works over the last month, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 Sept. 21 at Santa Anita. The 126-pound highweight will break from the rail. Luis Saez will ride her for the first time.

Breaking from the outside will be Mercedes Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, Dorothy Ingordo, David Ingordo, and Steve Mooney's Hard Not to Love. The 4-year-old Hard Spun  filly will try to rebound from her lone off-the-board finish in nine starts. She shifted in and bumped with a rival at the start of the Clement L. Hirsch and ran sixth throughout. Prior to that she rallied to finish second behind Fighting Mad in the Santa Maria. 

Hard Not to Love's two stakes victories have come at seven furlongs. She closed last year with a win in the La Brea Stakes (G1) and returned in February to take the Santa Monica Stakes (G2). 

Trainer John Shirreffs has kept regular rider Mike Smith assigned to Hard Not to Love, who will tote 122 pounds.

Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon is the lone 3-year-old in the field. The Uncle Mo  daughter, who made her debut in June, is 3-for-4. She was third first out against winners on turf, then won maiden and allowance optional claiming races on dirt before stepping up to take the Aug. 22 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) at Del Mar. The Simon Callaghan trainee has only raced a mile so far.

Harvest Moon will break from post 3 with Flavien Prat, aboard for all three wins, back in the irons. She'll carry 118 pounds.

"It was perfect," Prat said after the Torrey Pines. "She was nice and relaxed, and I knew they were running very fast up front. She's got speed if you want it, though. Last time I hardly asked her to run. Today, she was just waiting on me. She won it very nicely." 

Proud Emma, the winner of the restricted Aug. 28 Tranquility Lake Stakes, rounds out the field. Hang a Star was scratched.

Entries: Zenyatta S. (G2)

Santa Anita Park, Sunday, September 27, 2020, Race 4

  • Grade II
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $200,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 2:07 PM (local)
PPHorseJockeyWgtTrainerM/L
11Fighting Mad (KY)Luis Saez126Bob Baffert2/5
22Proud Emma (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateRicardo Gonzalez122Peter Miller10/1
33Harvest Moon (KY)Flavien Prat118Simon Callaghan4/1
984Hang a Star (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateSCRATCHED0UNKNOWN-
45Hard Not to Love (ON)Keeneland Sales GraduateMike E. Smith122John A. Shirreffs3/1