Zipessa finishes 2016 strong and will return in 2017

Zipessa, who quietly had a very strong 2016 campaign, will return to race as a 5-year-old in 2017, trainer Mike Stidham said.

Zipessa has won only twice this year, capturing a Fair Grounds allowance race to start her season and winning the Grade 3 Penny at Parx Racing. She was third after tracking a strong pace in the Grade 1 Beverly D. and second in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive to Avenge, who subsequently finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Zipessa was fifth in the Filly and Mare Turf, having been taken out of her normal game by a poor start. Typically a pace-pressing type, Zipessa fell out the back door and was last of 13 for much of the Filly and Mare Turf. She ran strongly the final half-mile to be beaten a little more than three lengths by victorious Queen’s Trust.

“I quit watching down the backside,” Stidham said. “I thought she was going to be last. Then she makes a huge wide run around the turn. I think it tells you something about the horse, that she’ll try no matter what.”

Zipessa was flown from California to Florida, where she’ll have 60 days at a farm before joining Stidham at Fair Grounds in January. She could make one start in New Orleans next year or proceed directly to Keeneland in April.

Stidham won his first training title last season at Fair Grounds and should have another strong meet. He already has about 50 horses stabled at Fair Grounds, another 25 or so at the Evangeline Training Center, and about that many more yet to ship south from Kentucky.