Zenyatta back to work

Zenyatta cruised six
furlongs Thursday at
Hollywood, her first
workout
since extending her win
streak to 15 races in
the
Grade 1 Santa Margarita
Handicap. Mike Smith
was
aboard for the 1:14.60
drill
that clockers dubbed
breezing.
"She worked great,"
Smith
said, adding "really,
really
good."
Trainer John Shirreffs
said
Zenyatta "came out of
her
last race very well" and
said
her Thursday breeze
was a
"nice, easy work."
Shirreffs
said Zenyatta will work
again
Friday, April 2, and
confirmed
that the Apple Blossom
on
April 9 at Oaklawn will
be her
next start.
The Apple Blossom field
will
not include Zardana or
Rachel Alexandra, one-
two
finishers in the New
Orleans
Ladies at Fair Grounds
on
March 13. Shirreffs and
owner Arnold Zetcher
said
Friday that Zardana will
skip
the Apple Blossom on
April 9
and point instead for
the
Grade 2 La Troienne
Stakes
on April 30 at Churchill
Downs. Zardana "could
use a
little time off," Zetcher
said.
He and Shirreffs also
believe
the 1 1/16-mile distance
of
the La Troienne suits
Zardana more than the
1
1/8-mile Apple Blossom.
Zardana, who earned a
career-high Beyer Speed
Figure of 101 last out,
has
won 8 of 19.
The La Troienne could
feature a rematch
between
Zardana and Rachel
Alexandra.
Misremembered to skip
Oaklawn Handicap
Santa Anita Handicap
winner
Misremembered will
skip the
Grade 2 Oaklawn
Handicap on
April 3.
"He hasn't really
snapped
back like he was
before" the
Big Cap, Baffert said.
"I'm
waiting for him to show
crispy-ness."
Baffert said
Misremembered
will target a race after
"we
get him right."
Shirreffs-trained Neko
Bay,
runner-up in the Big Cap,
was still under
consideration
for the Oaklawn
Handicap as
of Friday morning.
Shirreffs
said that Big Cap
pacesetter
Mast Track, who tired
and
finished last, will be
freshened for the
Hollywood
Park spring meet.
Witty to Keeneland for
Vinery Madison
Unbeaten 4-year-old filly
Witty, nominated to the
Grade 3 Las Flores on
Santa
Anita Derby Day, will be
redirected to a more
prestigious race. Trainer
Richard Mandella said
Witty
will target the Grade 1
Vinery
Madison on April 8 at
Keeneland.
"She's unbelievably
good,"
Mandella said, referring
to
her condition.
Witty returned from a
layoff
Feb. 18 with an
impressive
allowance win that
earned a
94 Beyer. A daughter of
Distorted Humor and a
half-
sister to Grade 1 winner
Well
Armed, Witty won the
Grade
3 Railbird last summer
at
Hollywood Park before
she
was sidelined with a
chip in
an ankle.
Balch named executive
director of CTT
Alan Balch, former
senior
vice president of
marketing
for Los Angeles Turf
Club
(Santa Anita) has been
appointed executive
director
of the California
Thoroughbred Trainers;
Carlo Fisco has been
named
CTT general counsel.
"The CTT is fortunate
to
have engaged the
services
of these extraordinarily
qualified individuals to
provide management
and
counsel to ensure the
efficient and effective
operation of our
association," CTT
president
John Sadler said in a
prepared statement.
"We felt
that Alan and Carlo
form an
impressive team of
professionals who can
articulate and promote
the
interests not only of
the CTT
but the entire California
racing industry."
Balch and Fisco will
assume
their CTT duties in April.
* Longtime Santa Anita
fan
Dave Solan, whose
nickname
at FrontRunner
Restaurant is
"Dynamic Dave," hit two
pick
sixes March 24 on small
tickets - a $2 play and a
$4
play. The pick six
returned
$2,731.
"I've been coming to
Santa
Anita for 40 years,"
Solan
told track officials. "I've
hit a
couple pick sixes over
the
years, but never on a $2
ticket."

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