By admin 
At the start, the expectations were heading skyward for Zany, who showed nothing but brilliance early in her career.
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The daughter of American Pharoah blasted onto the scene as a 2-year-old, blitzing her competition in two starts. Her first runs produced two dominating wins.
A debut win by 6 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream Park Nov. 2 started things off. Then, straight to a graded stakes and another laugher, an 8 1/2-length triumph in the G2 Demoiselle Dec. 6 at Aqueduct.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher thought the filly might be on the same trajectory as some of his other leading distaffers like Ashado, Rags to Riches and Malathaat, just to name a few.
The 3-year-old season has not been so good for Zany compared to how she started. Pletcher now hopes Mike Repole’s filly can restart her career in Saturday’s $1 million, G1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing.
Zany has started four times so far this year and has one win, that coming in her first start, the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Since then, crickets.
A second in the G1 Ashland at Keeneland, a sixth in the Kentucky Oaks (as the lukewarm 5-1 favorite) and then a fourth in the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.
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And a lot of head-scratching from Pletcher.
“Yes, I feel like she has,” Pletcher said when asked if Zany has underachieved. “Anytime you have one that you think has a chance to win some of those races and doesn’t, it’s disappointing.”
Pletcher can’t pinpoint what has happened to Zany since her sizzling start, but he knows how good she was early on. He expected big things this year. How big?
“I was expecting her to be an undefeated Kentucky Oaks winner,” Pletcher said. “I thought that was possible.”
Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez will ride Zany for the second time in the Cotillion. He rode her to a fourth in the Coaching Club American Oaks.
Pletcher said there was nothing wrong with the filly physically, she trained the right way and he knows the talent is there.
“When you win the Demoiselle by eight lengths in your second start; that is pretty hard to do,” Pletcher said. “We’re hoping she gets back to her best. Hopefully, she will round back into her better form.”
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This story was originally published September 17, 2026 at 1:32 PM.