Zensational makes the grade in Triple Bend (G1)
The Bob Baffert-trained Zensational picked a tough spot to make his stakes debut when the speedy 3-year-old lined up against a full field of older sprinters in the $300,000 Triple Bend H. (G1) at Hollywood Park on July 5th. Mission accomplished. Zensational made the class hike in style, scoring a front-running victory over his older peers in the prestigious seven-furlong event and stamping himself as one of the top sprinters in the country.
Springing out of the gate on top, Zensational flashed his usual brilliant speed and took the field of 10 down the backstretch through an opening half mile in 45 flat. The gray son of Unbridled’s Song had a clear lead all the way around the far turn and was given a breather by jockey Victor Espinoza turning for home. As soon as the field began to draw closer, Zensational was cut loose and responded by finding another gear in the stretch and holding off the closers to win by a comfortable length on the wire. The final time over the local Cushion Track was 1:21.34.
“The way he finished today was unbelievable,” said Espinoza. “This is the second time I rode him and he showed big improvement from that race to this one.”
The performance earned Zensational a career-high 105 Beyer Speed Figure and instantly made the big gray a top contender for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) later this year at Santa Anita. He is now a Grade 1 winner from his three victories from five lifetime starts, and he moved his earnings to $249,300 for his owner Ahmed Zayat and his Zayat Stables, LLC.
“I like when they run like they train,” Baffert said. “It’s very rare. He just has that brilliant speed. He’s getting better and he’s relaxing a little bit.”