The four-filly field of the $196,000 Zenyatta Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park made up in talent what it lacked in numbers.
In the end, it was Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon—the youngest runner in the Sept. 27 field—who added a fourth win to her growing 2020 tally with a three-quarter length score over grade 1 winner Hard Not to Love.
Fighting Mad and jockey Luis Saez emerged first from the gate in the 1 1/16-mile dirt test and found a space just off the rail to establish the early lead over Harvest Moon and jockey Flavien Prat. Setting the pace while maintaining a comfortable one-length advantage over Hard Not to Love along the backstretch, Fighting Mad set fractions of :23.37, :46.51, and 1:10.21 through six furlongs while Harvest Moon steadily ate away at the frontrunner's lead.
Harvest Moon closed what was left of Fighting Mad's margin midway around the far turn and collared her rival entering the top of the stretch. Hard Not to Love, who was guided by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, left her spot in the four path, was angled inward just off the frontrunners, and set down for the drive in an attempt to catch Harvest Moon.
Harvest Moon kept pressing toward the wire in midstretch as Hard Not to Love collared Fighting Mad before setting her sights on the leader. Prat continued to coax Harvest Moon forward, and the Uncle Mo filly managed to hold on and cross the wire just ahead of the late-rallying Hard Not to Love. The final time was 1:43.03.
"We thought Fighting Mad would go to the lead, and we wanted to keep pressure on her," Prat said. "My filly had never been a mile and a sixteenth, but Fighting Mad was carrying 126 pounds. You never know with a 3-year-old against older, but we got eight pounds, so that was good. It turned out this was a good distance for my filly, and she really ran well."
Fighting Mad finished third, three-quarters of a length behind runner-up Hard Not to Love. Proud Emma completed the order in fourth, having never threatened.
Harvest Moon earned an automatic berth in the Nov. 7 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland. Trainer Simon Callaghan said he was more than pleased that the filly's connections will have their patience rewarded with a trip to the World Championships.
"That's a credit to (breeder and co-owner) Alice (Bamford) and (co-owner) Michael Tabor," Callaghan said. "It was said that this filly has a lot of talent, and they were so patient throughout the whole process. She took her time to come to hand, but she's come a long way in a short period of time.
"(Running in the Zenyatta) certainly looks like a good decision now. Myself and Alice along with everyone else chatted, and we felt at this stage keeping her here, receiving the weight from Fighting Mad, was the right thing. It all worked out good. I'm super happy."
Harvest Moon, who began her career in June at Santa Anita Park, has made only one misstep in five starts. The filly finished third in her debut but broke her maiden one start later July 3 at Los Alamitos Race Course. She took an allowance optional claiming race July 27 at Del Mar before winning the Aug. 22 Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) at the same track.
Bramford, who bred Harvest Moon in Kentucky out of the Shamardal mare Qaraaba, said Sunday's win and subsequent Breeders' Cup berth were especially sweet as the filly's dam died this year.
"I'm absolutely thrilled today, completely over the moon for Harvest Moon! She's a homebred and she's just so deep in my heart and my family's heart," Bramford said. "It was so good to see her so well ridden today, showing off her beautiful stride. She came and did it against a very, very good competitor in Fighting Mad. We're thrilled, and we won, and we are in! Well done to our fantastic trainer Simon Callaghan.
"We lost her mother this year, Qaraaba, who was a stunning, stunning filly, and each time I tell her, 'Harvest Moon, go and do it for your Mama.' And she has."
