Zenyatta gets heart-pumping 19th straight win

Racing fans swarmed around the paddock at Hollywood Park on Saturday showing off Zenyatta posters, paintings, buttons, hats and T-shirts in support of the unbeaten 6-year-old mare who was chasing perfection in her final racing appearance in Southern California.

And like the entertainer she has become, Zenyatta created suspense and intrigue. At the eighth pole, Zenyatta was in third place, three lengths behind the leader Switch, a 3-year-old filly who looked on the verge of conquering the queen of thoroughbred racing.

Then Zenyatta accelerated as she always does under jockey Mike Smith and swooped past Switch to get her 19th consecutive win by a half length in the Grade I, $250,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes at the Oak Tree meeting before 25,837.

“How could you doubt her?” trainer John Shirreffs said. “She’s done some amazing things in the last sixteenth of a mile of races. Until the wire comes . . . she can always dig down and find a little more. She never gives up.”

Moon de French and Satans Quick Chick finished in a dead heat for third in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Zenyatta becomes the all-time leader in career earnings for female horses, earning $150,000 to overtake Ouija Board with $6,404,580. Not bad for a horse sold at a Keeneland yearling sale in 2005 for the bargain price of $60,000 because she had a nasty rash that scared off buyers.

Now everything associated with Zenyatta is in demand, from Zenyatta bobbleheads to Zenyatta hats to Zenyatta-related yearlings. A yearling colt produced by Balance, a half-sister to Zenyatta, sold for $4.2 million last month.

She has become the most popular horse in racing, especially after the retirement earlier this week of last year’s horse of the year, Rachel Alexandra.

“She’s just amazing,” Smith said.

John Sadler, the trainer of Switch, said, “To run second to the best horse in the world and one of the greats of all time is huge.”

Smith has described many times what it’s like to ride Zenyatta, saying, “It’s almost as if you’re going down the freeway and you’re in a Ferrari and everyone else isn’t. And you can switch gears and push the buttons any time. It’s just amazing for such a big creature how agile she is and how quick she moves.”

Zenyatta was in her usual place, last, in the five-horse field, when Smith had her “switch gears.” And he made it clear that as well as Switch ran, Zenyatta “runs as fast as she has to.”

Taking it all in was Shirreffs, a quiet, humble man who lets the fans express his own pride and joy.

“They’re sort of demonstrating how I really feel inside,” Shirreffs said. “I can’t really show all my emotions, so I really enjoy them getting into it because it’s exactly how I feel.”

Now, there’s only one race remaining for Zenyatta before retirement, a Nov. 6 date in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs against the boys and on the dirt. She won last year in the same race at Santa Anita.

“She should be ready to roll,” Smith said.

It was a dream day for thoroughbred racing fans, with nine Grade I races run around the country and three Grade IIs. All were supposed to serve as final preparation for the Breeders’ Cup, racing’s world championships.

In the other Grade I stakes at Hollywood Park, Smith guided Jaycito to a one-length victory over JP’s Gusto in the $250,000 Norfolk Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.

Richard’s Kid rallied to win the $250,000 Goodwood Stakes by a half length over Crown Of Thorns at 1 1/8 miles. And Hibaayeb won the $250,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes by one length over Turning Top at 1 1/4 miles on the turf.

Haynesfield pulled off an upset in the Grade I $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational at Belmont Park. Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky won the Grade II, $510,900 Indiana Derby at Hooiser Park.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com