2017 Zenyatta Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California will host the G1 Zenyatta Stakes on Saturday, September 30. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will be after the winner's share of the $300,000 purse and the automatic bid into the 2017 $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff when they take to Santa Anita's dirt track and race 1 1/16 miles.

A strong filed of six will give it a go in the Zenyatta Stakes - race 5 on Santa Anita's stacked Saturday schedule. Post time is 2:30 PM. Let's take a look into the past performances of all six entries for this competitive G1 stakes - a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

2017 Zenyatta Stakes Entries at Santa Anita Park

Paradise Woods

Has just five starts for trainer Richard Mandella with two wins and a second-place finish. She was last seen running sixth in the G3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar August 27 which followed a disappointing eleventh after fading as favorite in the G1 Kentucky Oaks May 5, a terrific record-breaking, gate-to-wire 11 3/4 length win over Abel Tasman among others in the G1 Santa Anita Oaks April 8 (she posted an incredible 110 Beyer Speed Figure in that race), a maiden score on that track March 11 and a second in her debut. Paradise Woods was very good in her first three starts but hasn't been all that great in her last two overall. She has looked good in training ahead of this weekend, posting a bullet six furlong move in 1:11.60 on Saturday-best of 33 at the distance and hopes to snap a skid Saturday against older females for the first time - with Flavien Prat guiding the only graded stakes winner in the field from gate 4.

Faithfully

Lightly raced Bob Baffert trained filly has placed in nine of 10 career starts - three wins, five seconds and a third-place finish. She enters off an OK second in the minor Tranquility Stakes at Del Mar August 25, a decent third behind the superb Stellar Wind in her only graded stakes action - the G1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar July 30 and a win in the minor Santa Lucia Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita June 4. Before that was a runner-up finish in an Allowance Optional Claiming here April 14, 10 months away, an Allowance score at Churchill Downs last June, a second in another Allowance last May and a maiden score at Santa Anita in March, 2016. Faithfully has been competitive so far and hopes for a first graded stakes score Saturday. Rafael Bejarano will be in the saddle from the rail.

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Shenandoah Queen

John Sadler trained mare has placed in eight of 11 career starts - five wins, a second and two third-place finishes. She makes her graded stakes debut Saturday in OK form - a nice win last time out over Faithfully with a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure in the minor Tranquility Lake Stakes at Del Mar August 25 followed a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming on that track August 2, a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream and a three-race win streak - all Allowance races. Shenandoah Queen has been good against lesser company and hopes to build on a successful stakes debut with Victor Espinoza in the irons from post 5.

Motown Lady

Has just three wins in 17 career starts for trainer Keith Desormeaux to go along with one second and four third-place finishes. She arrives off an OK third in the minor Tranquility Lake Stakes at Del Mar August 25, a fourth in the G1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar July 30 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Churchill Downs June 11. Before that was a fourth in a similar race on that track May 20 and a ninth in an Allowance at Keeneland April 14. Her only other graded stakes result was a fourth in the 2016 G3 Ontario Colleen Stakes. Motown Lady has been OK against lesser company and looks to hit the board for the first time in graded stakes company. Kent Desormeaux gets the call.

Midnight Toast

Lightly raced James Cassidy trained filly has just five career starts with two wins. She enters on the heels of consecutive sixths - the minor Tranquility Lake Stakes last time out at Del Mar August 25 and the G2 Santa Maria Stakes on this track February 11. Before that were two straight wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming here in January and a MSW at Los Alamitos in December. She was tenth in her debut. Midnight Toast has been largely underwhelming lately and shoots for a career-defining win from gate 2 with Santiago Gonzalez guiding her.

Rockport Babe

Lightly raced Mick Ruis trained filly has eight career starts with three wins. She made her stakes debut August 13 and finished fifth in the G3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar and was seventh last time out in the minor C.E.R.F Stakes on that track September 4. Before those results was a nice two-race win streak - both Allowance Optional Claiming races on this track. She posted a ninth and an eighth respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races here before that. Rockport Babe was OK against lesser company but has struggled in her two steps up. Corey Nakatani will try to change all of that from post 5 Saturday.

2017 Zenyatta Stakes Odds & Entries

Race 5 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:30 PM.