(Edited release)
Gulfstream Park added the name of unbeaten champion Zenyatta to the list of superstar nominees whose fees have been waived to the 2010 Donn Handicap (gr. I). The race is scheduled for Feb. 6.
Zenyatta joins classic winners Rachel Alexandra, Mine That Bird, and Summer Bird and Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Quality Road as horses whose Donn candidacy has been paid for by Gulfstream.
“The Donn has been a major stepping-stone toward the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) since the World Cup’s inception in 1996,” said Gulfstream Park president and general manager Bill Murphy. “But, in addition to its undeniable link to the World Cup, our race would also provide the stage that Jess Jackson is looking for when talking about his ‘Rachel’ meeting Zenyatta: We have a dirt racecourse, a neutral site, and a full field of horses would be in prospect.
Because of these reasons, our race, and our racetrack, provide the perfect venue for that meeting.”
While the stakes schedule has yet to be finalized, Murphy indicated an interest in boosting the $500,000 Donn purse “if circumstances warrant.”