Zany maintained her unbeaten streak with a victory in the $125,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The three-year-old filly, trained by Todd Pletcher, earned 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks. Owner Mike Repole praised her as a special talent.
Zany, a daughter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of the Uncle Mo mare Mo' Green, secured her third consecutive win by defeating Life of Joy by 2 3/4 lengths in the Suncoast Stakes. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the filly took command on the far turn and completed the 1 mile and 40 yards in 1:40.56. She paid $2.40 to win, boosting her career earnings to $221,500 for owner Mike Repole of Repole Stables.
Pacesetter Kadabra, also under Pletcher's guidance, finished third. Zany's performance came after her dominant 8 1/2-length win in the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) on December 6 at Aqueduct. The victory marks another strong start on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks for Repole and Pletcher, echoing Nest's Suncoast success before her 2022 Eclipse Award as champion three-year-old filly.
Repole described Zany as "a special, special filly," noting her natural gifts despite some greenness in the race. "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," he said. "Maybe she doesn't know what to do yet when she is asked, but she is just naturally gifted, amazing."
Ortiz, who waited strategically early on, felt confident midway through. "When I got her into the clear around the half-mile pole, she did the rest," he explained. "She was floating on the second turn and I felt so good going to the quarter-mile pole. That's just a special feeling."
Pletcher highlighted her ongoing development. "She's an extremely talented filly that's still doing most of it on natural talent," he said by telephone. He appreciated the race experience, including handling kickback and a slow pace, which provided valuable 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."
