Zabarta zips into Shady Well in red-hot form
At 0h03, on November 21, 2025 • By Woodbine Racetrack
Zabarta chases her second straight stakes success when she takes on eight rivals in Saturday’s $150,000 Shady Well at Woodbine.
Set for six furlongs over the main track, the Shady Well, for Ontario-bred or Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies, highlights the 12-race card.
Zabarta, a daughter of Abarta out of the Head Chopper mare Zazinga, arrives at the Shady Well off a head-turning seven-length score in the South Ocean Stakes on October 19.
Sent off at 13-1, the chestnut filly was last of eight, 10 lengths off the leader, through the opening quarter in the seven-furlong main track event for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies.
Positioned six-wide in upper stretch, Zabarta, under Desean Bynoe, swept to the front in mid-stretch and powered home a no-doubt winner in a time of 1:24.61.
“She is starting to respect the rider and have a lot of patience,” said trainer Bill Tharrenos. “When you ask her to go, she puts it in another gear.”
The South Ocean victory gave Zabarta and owner Tara Horse Farm, nom du course of Thomas Knizat, its first stakes success, Tharrenos his third on the campaign, a personal-best mark for the conditioner, and Bynoe his first stakes win.
“We are not done yet, I will tell you that,” said Tharrenos. “I’m happy for everyone, Thomas, Desean and the horse.”
It was the second straight win for Zabarta, who had broken her maiden nine days earlier courtesy of a 6 ½-length triumph over six panels on the Woodbine track.
After an eighth over five furlongs at the Toronto oval on August 22 to launch her career, Zabarta, bred by Cyril Simek, was fourth in a seven-furlong race over the main track on September 11.
“I see her maturing and that she is respecting her training program a little better, instead of being so anxious,” said Tharrenos. “She is starting to settle and finish up her gallops very nicely. I am very, very happy with her. I think she is better as we are moving along and I am excited about this race.”
Zabarta breezed four furlongs in :47.60 over the main track on November 15.
