Should Zenyatta win today’s Grade I Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park, she will notch her 17th consecutive victory, breaking the modern American record for top-level victories against competition not restricted to state breds.

Triple Crown winner Citation, Puerto Rican superstar Mister Frisky and two-time Horse of the Year Cigar all won 16 consecutive races. But they all failed to do what Zenyatta will attempt today - notch No. 17.

After winning her first two starts, a maiden and an allowance, in late 2007, Zenyatta put together back-to-back unbeaten campaigns against graded stakes company to earn two Eclipse Awards as champion older female.

Under the guidance of trainer John Shirreffs, the mare went 7-for-7 in 2008, including a win over defending divisional champion Ginger Punch in the Apple Blossom. She ended the year with a dominant win in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic.

Zenyatta returned to go 5-for-5 in 2009, all in graded races on the California circuit. The mare had her closest brush with defeat last summer, as she had to rally furiously to just catch longshot Anaaba’s Creation in a photo in the Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar.

Zenyatta ended the year with a showstopping victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. In the process, she became the first female ever to win the Classic, the first horse to win two different Breeders’ Cup races and the highest earning North American female of all time.

Owners Jerry and Ann Moss originally planned to retire Zenyatta following the 2009 season, but in January, they announced they would return their star mare to the track for another year.

Zenyatta returned to the races in March with a victory in the Santa Margarita Handicap, despite having to work her way through traffic in the stretch. She then made a return trip to Arkansas to win another Apple Blossom in April. Although many have criticized Zenyatta because the majority of her races have come over the synthetic surfaces that are mandated in California, both Apple Blossom victories came over the conventional dirt track at Oaklawn.

Today, Zenyatta is looking for an unprecedented third straight win in the Vanity. She carries high weight of 129 pounds, giving between nine and 17 pounds to her five rivals, and drew post 5 under regular rider Mike Smith.

After coming to America last year, the British-bred St. Trini¬ans won her first four starts in California, culminating in a victory over last year’s Ladies’ Classic winner Life Is Sweet in the Grade II Santa Maria. The diminutive mare then finished sixth against males in the Santa Anita Handicap in March.

The red-hot Martin Garcia, who won the Preakness with Lookin At Lucky during his debut season in the Triple Crown series, will be aboard for trainer Mike Mitchell. St. Trinians breaks from post 2 under 120 pounds.

Zardana, trained by Shirreffs but owned by Arnold Zetcher, drew post 3 under Victor Espinoza and carries 118 pounds today. Winner of the Bayakoa at Hollywood Park in December, Zardana knocked off Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the New Orleans Ladies in March. But most recently, she was fifth in the La Troienne at Churchill Downs.

The other three entrants are all looking to pick up some black type, as none have ever won a graded stakes.

Will O Way (Tyler Baze, post 4) is multiple graded placed but making her first start since January; Miss Silver Brook (Joe Talamo, rail) was unplaced in two graded tries; and Cherryblossommiss (Rafael Bejarano, post 6) was well up the track in her only graded start.

Post time for the Vanity is set for 7:37 p.m. Eastern.