Super Corredora returned from a six-month absence to win the Grade Two Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita on 27 September, earning a fees-paid place in the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland on 31 October.
The three-year-old filly led throughout the 1 1/16-mile contest under Joel Rosario and beat Majestic Oops by two and three-quarter lengths, with Rabeeba third. It was a significant response from last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner after two unplaced runs early in her three-year-old campaign and her first race against older fillies and mares.
Her victory means she is due to return to the Breeders’ Cup meeting where she secured North America’s champion two-year-old filly title last season. The Zenyatta was a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, with the Distaff berth and associated fees awarded to its winner.
A front-running comeback at Santa Anita
Super Corredora had not raced since finishing sixth in the Santa Ysabel Stakes on 8 March. That followed a fourth-place finish in the Las Virgenes Stakes, and trainer John Sadler opted to give the filly time away from the track rather than bring her back earlier in the summer.
She resumed training at Del Mar in July and arrived at Santa Anita after eight workouts, according to Horse Racing Nation. Sadler said he had considered running her in the Torrey Pines at Del Mar on 30 August, but decided instead to take more time over her preparation.
There was an anxious moment immediately before the Zenyatta start when Super Corredora reared in the stalls. She nevertheless broke cleanly, and Rosario followed Sadler’s instruction to take the lead rather than wait behind rivals.
Rosario set fractions of 23.12 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.44 for the half-mile as Super Corredora travelled clear at the head of the seven-runner field. Rabeeba moved closer around the final bend, but Rosario asked his mount to extend in the straight and she drew away. Majestic Oops finished second after making her challenge from behind, while Rabeeba was a further three-quarters of a length back in third.
Horse Racing Nation reported that Majestic Oops had saved ground along the rail before moving out on the far turn and coming four wide in the drive. Rabeeba, having tracked Super Corredora on the outside, drew alongside near the quarter pole before the winner established a two-length advantage at the mile. The sequence showed that Super Corredora responded when pressure arrived rather than merely maintaining an unchallenged lead. She stopped the clock at 1:42.93 on a fast main track.
The winning time was 1:42.93 on a fast main track. Super Corredora collected $120,000 for the victory, taking her career record to three wins from seven starts and earnings beyond $1.2m, Horse Racing Nation reported.
Distaff place changes the immediate target
Sadler said he had been particularly pleased because the Zenyatta represented Super Corredora’s first attempt against older opposition. He said she had trained well before the race, but acknowledged the questions created by the lay-off and the calibre of the fillies and mares she faced.
Those questions had been sharpened by her winter defeats after a juvenile season that culminated in victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. The Zenyatta did not merely provide a winning return; it showed that she could control a graded race against older rivals after that disrupted start to the year.
That makes her a credible contender for the Distaff on the evidence of this performance, although the Keeneland race will present a fresh test. Her place is secured through the Challenge series rather than relying on a later qualifying effort.
Sadler also indicated that Super Corredora is expected to continue racing next year as a four-year-old. For now, her decisive Santa Anita success has put a former juvenile champion back on a defined route to the Breeders’ Cup.