Del Mar, CA (My Sportsbook) - Champion mare Zenyatta will take on nine other females in Sunday's $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar. The five- year-old, in just her third race of 2009, has a chance to win the 1 1/16 mile race for the second straight year.

Undefeated in 11 career starts, Zenyatta and regular rider Mike Smith will have to overcome the far outside post in Sunday's event. Trained by John Shirreffs, the mare is currently second to Rachel Alexandra in the latest NTRA national poll.

"She kind of just takes her time, gets into stride," Smith noted about his mount. "So, I mean the size of the field doesn't really matter a whole lot to her. I mean, you always do worry whenever you're coming from off the pace, but if it's tough or having to go too wide or whatever. But that's always a concern. But she just always seems to find a way. So I just kind of leave it up to her."

Zenyatta, owned by Jerry and Ann Moss, opened this year with wins in the Milady and Vanity Handicaps after concluding 2008 by capturing the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic. She has earned better than $2.4 million during her illustrious career.

A major topic of conservation in racing is the possible meeting of Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra.

"As far as them meeting in the future," Jerry Moss said, "this is a meeting we'd like to have. We would think that might happen at the Breeders' Cup where usually these kinds of situations are resolved. I don't, I'm not sure where else we might be able to have this meeting.

"I didn't get to see the race (last Sunday's Haskell). I was on an airplane and we were traveling to New York to take care of some business here. But I read about her certainly in the Times this morning and it was quite an impressive race I guess."

Jess Jackson, co-owner of Rachel Alexandra, has been emphatic that his filly will not run in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, because of the track's synthetic surface.

"At this stage in the game everything is a possibility," Moss said about the mare's chance to race in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. "But it really depends on how John (Shirreffs) is also feeling about that track down there. You know it's very troublesome because it's not the same track every year.

"I think last year we went from the Clement Hirsch to the Lady's Secret. I'm not sure we'll do that this year. Again, it depends on her, but we'll talk about it. We do have time for another race between those two. We'll just have to figure it out."

Shirreffs also has the four-year-old filly Life Is Sweet entered. Both the filly and Zenyatta are co-highweights at 123 pounds. Life Is Sweet will be ridden by Garrett Gomez from post seven.

Owned by Pam and Martin Wygod, the filly has won three of five starts this year for $504,000. After beginning 2009 with victories in the El Encino, La Canada and Santa Margarita Handicaps, Life Is Sweet was second to Zenyatta in the Milady and third versus the boys in the Hollywood Gold Cup.

Here is the complete field for the Clement L. Hirsch in post position order: Tidal Dance, Jose Valdivia, Jr.; Patricia's Gem, Victor Espinoza; Briecat, Martin Garcia; Dawn After Dawn, Alonso Quinonez; Champagne Eyes, Joel Rosario; Hot n' Dusty, Alex Solis; Life Is Sweet, Garrett Gomez; Anabaa's Creation, Tyler Baze; Lethal Heat, Joe Talamo and Zenyatta, Mike Smith.

The Hirsch Stakes has a scheduled post-time of 8:30 P.M. (et).