Ten years later, Shirreffs still feels the glow from Zenyatta

ARCADIA, Calif. – The decade-old purple saddle towel looks brand new. It was not worn very many times, in 2009 for about a week, probably, and those who saw it in person will never forget the runner whose name appeared in white block letters below the Breeders’ Cup logo: ZENYATTA.

On Nov. 7, 2009, Zenyatta roared from last of 12 with a wide rally to score her 14th consecutive victory the BC Classic. For thousands and thousands of racing fans, there has been no greater moment in modern racing.

This week, the saddle towel is on display on the back of a 2-year-old filly who exercises in the 9 o‘clock hour at Santa Anita. Zellda is Zenyatta’s 2-year-old foal by Medaglia d’Oro. She has yet to race, has worlds of promise, and has a built-in fan base yearning for even a sliver of a repeat in history at the most tumultuous time in the history of California racing.

The man who guided Zenyatta to a career of 19 wins in 20 starts and the 2010 Horse of the Year title and looks after Zellda is trainer John Shirreffs, now 74. It was his idea for Zellda to wear Zenyatta’s saddle towel this week.

“She can wear her mother’s clothes,” Shirreffs said with a laugh on a recent morning. “That’s okay.

“It’s been a lot of fun because of who she is and her mother. The fans got a kick out of it with her wearing the Zenyatta towel. It’s the 10-year anniversary.”

Shirreffs enjoys reflecting on Zenyatta’s 2009 win, and is asked about it frequently.

“It was a culmination of a wonderful year and a perfect day,” he said. “That was a really wonderful day, all the emotions you go through.

“When the races started it was a matter of her getting into her comfort zone. Then, you watch and see when she will start to move and see the race unfold.”

Zenyatta was a dramatic second to Blame in the 2010 BC Classic at Churchill Downs, the only loss of her career. Since then, Shirreffs has had Breeders’ Cup starters, with his best results fifth-place finishes by Mr. Commons in the BC Mile in both 2011 and 2012.

This year, Shirreffs has a chance to break that decade-long drought when he starts Paradise Woods as a leading contender in Saturday’s BC Distaff. Owned by Marty and Pam Wygod and Steve Sarkowsky, Paradise Woods won the appropriately named Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 29 for her second stakes win of the year. She won the Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes at 1 1/8 miles by 10 1/2 lengths here on April 27, over the same course and distance as the Distaff.

The Distaff is led by Midnight Bisou, who is unbeaten in seven starts this year.

Shirreffs says Paradise Woods is approaching the race in excellent form.

“I think if she does a little better than last time, she has a chance,” he said.

Four years after Shirreffs won the 2005 Kentucky Derby in a 50-1 upset with Giacomo, his runners earned a personal-best $5.7 million in 2009. That season, the Wygod-owned Life Is Sweet won the $2 million BC Ladies’ Classic (now the Distaff) the day before Zenyatta’s win in the BC Classic.

“I had an unbelievable year,” he said of 2009.

Since then, there have been several quiet years. His stable did not crack $1 million in earnings in three of the last five years. Through Wednesday, his stable has earned $1,522,852 this year, the best year since the barn earned $1.7 million in 2013.

“I keep plugging away,” he said.

Shirreffs’s interest in racing history goes beyond the accomplishments of his horses.

Shirreffs is an avid collector and reader of racing books, listing “Mr. Darley’s Arabian” and “Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown” as two recently published favorites, with “A Trainer to Two Kings” and “Boots and Saddles” as two historical books that caught his attention.

Aside from Paradise Woods, Shirreffs has a group of 2- and 3-year-old prospects that command his attention. The 3-year-old Nolde, who won the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 2, starts in Saturday’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby on turf. The 3-year-old filly Hard Not to Love, who has one eye, is a candidate for the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes in late December after winning a recent optional claimer at Santa Anita.

Last Saturday, the 3-year-old filly Giza Goddess was second in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes in her first start since December. A day later, the 4-year-old Midcourt won his stakes debut in the Comma to the Top Stakes.

Among 2-year-old colts, Express Train was fourth in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes on Sept. 27, Honor A. P. won a maiden special weight race on Oct. 13, and Thunder Code was second in a maiden special weight race on Oct. 26.

Shirreffs said he is in no hurry with any of the 2-year-olds, especially the colts, who he think have the potential to be Triple Crown prospects.

“It’s all about the 3-year-old year for these guys, whatever gets us there,” he said. “There is no benefit to running early in the year.

“I’ve got a good group of horses,” he said.

That includes the accomplished 5-year-old Paradise Woods and the 2-year-old filly Zellda, full of promise.

Maybe someday there will be a Breeders’ Cup saddle towel bearing the name ZELLDA. For fans of Zenyatta, that would be unbelievable.