Zenyatta stays perfect, but Rachel Alexandra loses

Posing and dancing for fans in the paddock, unbeaten Zenyatta once again saved her best performance for the track, rallying from last place in a field of eight to win her 15th consecutive race, a 1¼-length triumph over 51-1 longshot Dance To My Tune in the Grade I $250,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap on Saturday, thrilling her supporters at Santa Anita.

Twenty minutes earlier in New Orleans, Zenyatta’s rival for top horse in America last year, Rachel Alexandra, made her first start in six months and was beaten by Zenyatta’s stablemate, the John Shirreffs-trained Zardana, by three-quarters of a length in the $200,000 New Orleans Ladies at 1 1/16 miles .

Whether Rachel Alexandra’s defeat causes her connections to reconsider a scheduled April 9 showdown against Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park remains to be seen, but Shirreffs said his 6-year-old mare intends to head to Hot Springs, Ark., and that she was never brought back after considering retirement to simply take on the 2009 horse of the year.

“Zenyatta came back so we could have some fun with her and other fans could see her,” Shirreffs said. “That was the whole thing.”

Her fans were waving signs Saturday. There was, “Queen Zenyatta is back. Dance 4 us.” There was, “Now Go Get Rachel.” There was, “Zenyatta Again in 2010.”

And she delivered in the 1 1/8-mile race under jockey Mike Smith, who made the rare decision to send Zenyatta darting to the inside deep in the stretch. Once in the clear, Zenyatta showed her exceptional acceleration and overtook the pacesetter Dance To My Tune.

“She’s never encountered that,” Shirreffs said. “She [usually] goes wide, but she can do it all. She’s a total race horse.”

Said Smith: “I cut some corners and gambled a bit, but I was confident at all times that if she needed to make room, she could. She’s a bit of a bully. This was a great, great race for her and wasn’t taxing at all.”

It was Zenyatta’s first race since Nov. 7, when she won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in another last-to-first performance.

Owner Jerry Moss had decided to retire Zenyatta after the Breeders’ Cup Classic, then changed his mind.

“She’s a big star out here and around the country,” he said. “The industry can certainly use that attraction.”

Asked if she’s a better horse this year, Shirreffs said, “It’s hard to say. How can you can be better than perfect?”

Derby hopefuls

Sidney’s Candy, a 3-year-old son of Candy Ride making his first start around two turns, won the Grade II $150,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles under jockey Joe Talamo, winning by a half length over Interactif in a wire-to-wire performance that keeps him on the path to a possible start in the Kentucky Derby.

Lookin At Lucky, last year’s Eclipse Award winner for juvenile males, made his first start of 2010 a winning one, beating Noble’s Promise by a nick in the Grade II $300,000 Rebel at Oaklawn Park.

Top mare retires

Life Is Sweet, a stablemate of Zenyatta and the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic winner, was retired on Saturday. The 5-year-old mare will be bred to Smart Strike later this year.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com