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Filed under: Horse Racing

The brilliant Zenyatta ran her record to 18-for-18 on Saturday with a victory in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar in California.

The 6-year-old mare took her customary position toward the back of the pack, next to last in the Hirsch, and made her patented stretch run to the lead to maintain her perfect career mark. At the finish, it was Zenyatta ahead of Rinterval in in the 1 1-16-mile race at the track north of San Diego.

Under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Zenyatta the distance in 1:45.03 as the overwhelming favorite and ran her career earnings to Zenyatta has earned $6,254,580.

“She was geared down, and I think she thought that was enough,” Smith said. “She pretty much had it under control. They way she did run was very, very impressive. She did what she had to do to get the job done.”

The victory was Zenyatta’s third straight in the Hirsch over the synthetic Polytrack surface. She was first by a head last year and won by a length in 2008. Zenyatta returned $2.20 to win and $2.10 to place. The $1 exacta with Rinterval was worth $4.60.

Zenyatta was floated wide off the final turn but it didn’t deter the champion from moving to the front.

“There were a lot of tricks,” winning trainer John Shirreffs said.

It was her fourth Grade 1 win of the year, to go with victories in the Vanity Handicap, the Apple Blossom on dirt at Arkansas’ Oaklawn Park, and the Santa Margarita Handicap.

Among those in the crowd of more than 32,000 to see Zenyatta were actress Bo Derek, composer Burt Bacharach, and Hall of Fame golfer Amy Alcott.

Now the question is where she will start next. Horse racing came into the year hoping for a matchup between 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and the unbeaten Zenyatta.

Rachel Alexandra lost her first two starts as a 4-year-old before regaining her winning ways.

Zenyatta will likely have one more prep race before the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Churchill Downs. That race could be in California or possibly in the Beldame at New York’s Belmont Park.

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Filed under: PGA

CROMWELL, Connecticut (AP) — Justin Rose of England closed in on his second straight PGA Tour victory Saturday, shooting a 2-under 68 to take a three-stroke lead over Ben Curtis into the final round of the Travelers Championship.

Rose, the 29-year-old who won the Memorial three weeks ago but then failed to qualify for the U.S. Open, had a 16-under 194 total at TPC River Highlands after setting the tournament 36-hole record with rounds of 64 and 62.

“It was just a day when nothing went in on the greens at all,” said Rose, a stroke off the best 54-hole total in tournament history. “The tale of the day was that I made nothing on the greens. The longest putt I made was 4 feet, 10 inches for par on 17.

“So, I’m really happy to have a day like that on the greens and still shoot 68 and still maintain my lead.”

Curtis, the 2003 British Open champion, shot a 64. Vaughn Taylor (67) was 11 under, and Ricky Barnes (64), Scott McCarron (66), Brendon de Jonge (67), Bubba Watson (67), Matt Jones (68), Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin (69) and Bill Lunde (69) were 10 under.

Charlie Wi cut Rose’s lead — four strokes after the first two days — to two early in the round, but that was as close as Wi or anyone else could get.

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