Aqueduct: An overpowering Zonk

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - After breaking slowly and going wide into the first turn, Zonk overpowered her six rivals to win the Grade 3, $109,600 Affectionately Handicap by four lengths before 7,471 at chilly Aqueduct.

Wishful Splendor rallied from last to get second by a neck over Kiss a Miss. Shop Till You Drop, Pocus Hocus, Persky, and With Ability completed the order of finish.

Zonk joined Plankton (1980-81) as the only back-to-back winner of the Affectionately, which was run for the 28th time. Zonk, a 5-year-old daughter of Farma Way owned by Richard Porter's Fox Hill Farms Inc., improved her record to 7 for 19 and increased her lifetime earnings to $547,476.

Under Chuck Lopez, Zonk broke a step slowly and was forced five wide into the first turn. But, as expected, speedballs Pocus Hocus and With Ability went at each other early with Pocus Hocus running fractions of 22.34 and 45.87 seconds to keep clear of With Ability, who faded to last.

Lopez moved Zonk into second midway down the backstretch and had her zip past Pocus Hocus around the turn. Zonk opened up eight lengths at the furlong marker and settled for a four-length victory. Zonk covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.58 over a fast track and returned $6 as the favorite.

"She just destroyed them," said Lopez, who was also aboard for last year's Affectionately win.

Zonk had only won once from five starts since last year's Affectionately as she was sidelined seven months because of a quarter crack. Since the layoff, Zonk finished second in an allowance race and second in the Grade 2 Top Flight Handicap.

"All of her races since she's come back - even the ones she got beat in - were really good races," her trainer, John Servis, said. "She's better now than she's ever been."

Servis said he may shorten Zonk up to seven furlongs and point for the $200,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap at Laurel Park on Feb. 15.

- Jason Servis, the older brother of John, won the nightcap with longshot Dancer's Wish ($40.20). Earlier on the card, brothers Anthony and Richard Dutrow Jr. won back-to-back races when Hit Now ($4.50) won the third and Nothing Wasted ($15) took the fourth.