Buzz around Zenyatta understated

Zenyatta will go down in history among the greatest racehorses of all time. Unbeaten in 17 career starts, she'll try for win No. 18 on Saturday in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar.

Despite her proven greatness, I sense that racing fans outside of California might appreciate Zenyatta but don't fully respect her. That has a lot to do with her being sequestered in California for 15 wins, with only two trips to Oaklawn Park. No New York races in the Big Apple, at Churchill Downs, at Gulfstream Park. Just California and Hot Springs, Ark.

The buzz over extending her streak in the Hirsch is understated, especially when compared to the enormous excitement of Cigar trying for a then-record 17th straight win in the 1996 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Cigar lost that race, but he already had gained the world's admiration. During the streak, owner Allen Paulsen ran Cigar in Dubai, New York, Chicago, Miami, Boston and Baltimore. The tougher the test, the more Cigar gave.

This Hirsch field might be the weakest Zenyatta has faced since winning an allowance race early in her career. And she'll be conceding a mere 2 to 4 pounds to a woefully overmatched group. This is akin to Alex Rodriguez hitting his 600th career home run off a high school pitcher.

Granted, Zenyatta took her best shot in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic and cemented her superstar status. But the "wow" moments in her resume are too few. I think racing fans would have taken to Zenyatta even more if owner Jerry Moss and trainer John Shirreffs had not micromanaged her career so close to the vest.

A storybook ending to Zenyatta's career would be to win the Hirsch and run in two more races: the Beldame in the fall at Belmont Park and the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

The Beldame on Oct. 2 would be a perfect setting to finally meet Rachel Alexandra. Both horses should be in peak condition to square off in the top media market of New York. The Beldame is at a time and place where there would be no more evasive maneuvering.

Then if Zenyatta wins again, her final start would be going for career win No. 20 as the defending champion of the Breeders' Cup Classic. It would silence all critics for good to take care of business at Churchill Downs. That would be an electric moment not only in horse racing but in all of sports.

Richard Eng's horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com.