Zenyatta arrives amidst much fanfare; Draws post 8

Zenyatta arrives amidst much fanfare; Draws post 8

Louisville, Ky. (Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010) - Jerry and Ann Moss’ Zenyatta, looking to defend her 19-0 record and Breeders’ Cup Classic title, arrived on Tuesday in the style befitting the reigning queen of Thoroughbred racing. The two-time champion left her Hollywood Park barn at 2 a.m. (PT), boarded a chartered Tex Sutton flight at Ontario Airport and landed at the Louisville International Airport at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Zenyatta then had a police escort over to the Churchill Downs barn, arriving at approximately 11:50 a.m. (ET).

Zenyatta’s owners, trainer John Shirreffs, and his wife, Dottie, also landed at the Louisville airport at the same time and followed their prized mare over to the track where she was greeted by a large number of media and adoring fans. In turn, she stopped several times to pose for pictures. She was walked briefly around the shedrow and was given about 15 minutes to graze before being bedded down in stall 15 of Barn 41.

“She’s fine, she’s very good,” said Shirreffs after tucking Zenyatta into her stall.

Several hours after her arrival, Zenyatta drew post 8 in the 12-horse field and was installed as the 8-5 favorite for the $5 million Classic. The number eight is lucky for the Mosses, who had made Zenyatta jerseys with this number for the staff at the barn. Shirreffs called the post “fine.”

Zenyatta will have her first exercise over the Churchill Downs track on Wednesday at approximately 9 a.m. John Shirreffs will address the media at 11 a.m. in the Jim Bolus Backside Press Center.

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