In what could be her final start in California, the great Zenyatta remained undefeated with her 18th consecutive win in rather routine fashion by a neck in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes Aug. 7 at Del Mar.

Before an admiring crowd of 32,536 at the seaside track, 6-year-old Zenyatta won the Hirsch for the third consecutive time while capturing her 12th grade I victory, this time over a mediocre field.

Rated off a dawdling pace for the 1 1/16-mile event by Mike Smith, Zenyatta was closer to the lead than usual and went for an early move while five wide to draw even with the leaders in upper stretch.

She edged past pacesetter Rinterval just past mid-stretch, but Rinterval, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, fought back to make it interesting. While it was the second-closest finish of her career, it never appeared that Zenyatta was in danger, winning with her ears pricked while urged slightly by Smith