Kentucky Oaks trail: Zany lives up to the hype in Suncoast

Zany extended her unbeaten record to 3: 3-0-0 with a 2 3/4-length victory over Life of Joy in the $125,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

The 3-year-old daughter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, trained by Todd Pletcher, took command on the far turn under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and drew clear. Pacesetter Kadabra, also trained by Pletcher, finished third.

Zany, who had also been nominated to the Sam F. Davis Stakes, completed 1 mile and 40 yards in 1:40.56. She paid $2.40 to win. First-place money of $60,000 raised her career earnings to $221,500 for owner Mike Repole of Repole Stables.

She earned 20 Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifying points. Nest, the 2022 Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old filly for Repole and Pletcher, also began her campaign with a Suncoast Stakes victory.

"Zany is a special, special filly," Repole said. "To be a (Kentucky-bred daughter of) American Pharoah out of an Uncle Mo mare (Mo' Green). … she's just a very special horse.

"This is her third public workout – that's the way I would put it," Repole said. "She was four-wide early and Irad got her inside and outside and when he shook her up, she kind of ducked in and out. Maybe she doesn't know what to do yet when she is asked, but she is just naturally gifted, amazing."

Ortiz did not sound as if he had as many anxious moments as Repole.

"It was a little slow going into the first turn, so I decided to wait," said Ortiz, who rode Zany to an 8 1/2-length victory in the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) on Dec. 6 at Aqueduct. "When I got her into the clear (around the half-mile pole), she did the rest.

"The Demoiselle was just her second time out and it was going a mile-and-an-eighth, and she surprised me that day. I expected a good race from her today, and she didn't disappoint me.

"She was floating on the second turn and I felt so good going to the quarter-mile pole," Ortiz added. "That's just a special feeling."

Pletcher, reached by telephone, praised the filly's development.

"I think she's still learning. She's an extremely talented filly that's still doing most of it on natural talent, it seems," he said.

"I liked the first turn," Pletcher continued. "She got in behind horses and got some kickback and all that, which is good experience for her. Turning for home she was a little late on her lead change and kind of drifted about and was looking around. It's a tribute to her talent that she's able to win impressively while still learning how to finish off a race.

"The fractions were pretty slow," Pletcher noted. "She was in behind a wall of horses for a little while but that was good (experience). She's been in the clear in her first two starts so we were happy to get some education.

"I think there's room for improvement. She was green down the lane and took a little while to switch leads. But once she got clear she pricked her ears and was looking at everything."