Zenyatta
Zenyatta is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic and Breeders' Cup Distaff and 19 of her 20 starts. She was the 2010 American Horse of the Year, and Champion Older Female in 2008, 2009 and 2010. She was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2016.
Zenyatta was purchased as a yearling by record producer Jerry Moss and his wife Ann, who named her after the album Zenyatta Mondatta, by the Police, who were signed to A&M Records by Moss. She went into training with John Shirreffs. A late-developing filly, she did not make her first start until late in her three-year-old year, winning a maiden race in November, 2007; this was followed by a win in an allowance race in December. From 2008 through 2010, she recorded seventeen consecutive graded stakes wins, 13 of them at the Grade I level. In 2009, she became the first mare to win the Breeders' Cup Classic. Her other major wins included the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic in 2008, the Apple Blossom Handicap in 2008 and 2010, consecutive wins in the Vanity Stakes, the Clement L. Hirsch, and the Lady's Secret, all in 2008–2010. The Lady's Secret was subsequently renamed the Zenyatta Stakes in her honor.
Zenyatta developed a passionate following, attracted by a combination of her athletic prowess and her personality. She was known for the "dance moves" she made while in the walking ring and post parade prior to her races, and her taste for Guinness Stout contributed to her popularity. She was also known for her closing finishes, often spotting large leads to early front runners, then overtaking her opponents in the final strides.
Background
Zenyatta is a dark bay mare who was bred in Kentucky by Eric Kronfeld's Maverick Production, Limited. She was sired by Street Cry, who was the 2002 UAE Horse of the Year after winning that year's Dubai World Cup. In addition to Zenyatta, Street Cry also sired 2007 Kentucky Derby-winner Street Sense, Australian Horse of the Year Winx, Australian champion Whobegotyou, and 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking. Zenyatta is out of Vertigineux, and thus is a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Balance. Vertigineux, a winning daughter of Kris S., was named the 2008 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.Zenyatta was sold as a yearling at the 2005 Keeneland September Sale for $60,000 to Jerry and Ann Moss. The relatively low price was the result of a skin disease that broke out a few days before the sale. She was named after the album Zenyatta Mondatta, by The Police, who were signed to A&M Records by Jerry Moss. She was trained by John Shirreffs and guided by jockey Mike Smith for 17 of 20 starts. David Flores rode Zenyatta in her first three starts.
At maturity, Zenyatta's height was reported by various sources at between and at the withers. Her stride was estimated at. Her conformation is generally good with a "tremendous" shoulder and hip, but "less than ideal" ankles. During her racing career, she reportedly weighed. Shirreffs was patient while she grew into her large frame. Soon after Zenyatta arrived at his stable, he commented to Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, his wife and stable manager, "If I can get her right, she'll be my Michael Jordan."
On the backside, Zenyatta was known as a kind and curious horse with a "Zen-like calm". Before races, she relaxed herself by walking or prancing with an elevated stride, leading to comparisons with dressage horses. "She stretches so much doing all that dancing that she's actually ready to go", said Smith. "You don't have to do a lot with her. She knows that people around her are watching. She knows that she not only has to go out there and compete, but she has the whole package. She's a great entertainer."
Racing career
2007: three-year-old season
On November 22, 2007, Zenyatta made her debut in a Maiden Special Weight at a distance of furlongs over Hollywood Park's artificial track surface. She broke last in a field of twelve and was still in tenth place after half a mile. She swung wide turning into the stretch and drew clear to win by three lengths.On December 15, Zenyatta made her next start in an allowance race at Hollywood Park over a distance of miles. She trailed the field for the first half mile then began to move into position while swinging wide on the final turn. In the stretch, she drew along the early leader and continued to draw off to win handily by lengths.
2008: four-year-old season
On January 13, 2008, Zenyatta made her four-year-old debut in the Grade II El Encino Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The field contained Grade I winners Tough Tiz's Sis and Romance is Diane, who both carried 122 pounds. Since Zenyatta had not yet won at the stakes level, she received a six-pound allowance. She broke last in the field of six but was only four lengths behind Tough Tiz's Sis, who set a moderate pace of 47.77 seconds for the first half mile. Zenyatta swung wide turning into the stretch and steadily made up ground, drawing clear in the final strides to win by lengths over Tough Tiz's Sis. "She could be anything, I mean really anything", said Jerry Moss. "We're just so proud of her and enjoying every day with her."Zenyatta traveled to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas on April 5 for her first start on dirt and her first Grade 1 attempt. It was also the first time she was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who rode her thereafter for the remainder of her career. She faced champion Ginger Punch, who had won the 2007 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic and was heavily favored at odds of 2–5. Ginger Punch went to the early lead and set a moderate pace with Zenyatta lengths back after half a mile. Zenyatta began her move midway on the final turn while swinging four wide. She reached the lead in mid stretch and won going away by lengths over Brownie Points, with Ginger Punch a further lengths back in third.
Zenyatta returned to California for her next start at Hollywood Park on May 31 in the Milady Handicap. She broke poorly and was squeezed back but remained fairly closely bunched with the other four horses as Romance is Diane set "turtle-like fractions" of 24.74 seconds for the opening quarter mile and 48.19 for the half. Despite the slow pace, Zenyatta was able to close strongly down the stretch and drew clear by lengths under a hand ride. "She always makes everyone look like they stopped", said Ann Moss. "It's like she's out for a gallop and everyone else is stopping."
On July 5, she was entered in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park. She was assigned top weight of 124 pounds, while her main rivals Tough Tiz's Sis and Sealy Hill carried 121 and 118 pounds respectively. Zenyatta made an earlier move than usual and took the lead in mid-stretch, then held off Tough Tiz's Sis to win by half a length. Smith felt Zenyatta had not been at her best. "She was not tested at all, but I was tested", he said. "She was just pulling up the whole time. Around the turn, she was pricking her ears. She was not even running. She was basically galloping through the stretch. She made me work hard, but she was just loafing."
On August 2, she was entered in the Clement L. Hirsch Handicap at Del Mar. She again carried top weight of 124 pounds, spotting her seven rivals from five to twelve pounds. She trailed early behind a fast early pace and was eleven lengths behind after half a mile. She began making up ground around the far turn and moved to the lead in the final sixteenth of a mile to win by a length. She set a new track record of 1:41.48 for miles.
On September 27, Zenyatta entered the Lady's Secret Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Her main rival in the four-horse field was Grade I winner Hystericalady, who came into the race off an eight-length win in the Molly Pitcher. Hystericalady went to the early lead and set a slow early pace. Zenyatta relaxed in fourth place just a few lengths behind, then swung wide turning into the stretch. She gained the lead in midstretch and drew off under moderate urging to win by lengths. She clocked negative splits throughout the race, running each quarter faster than the one before it. Her splits were :24 4/5, :23 4/5, :23 1/5, :22 3/5, with a final sixteenth in :06 flat. She finished the miles in a stakes-record 1:40.30 and established herself as the heavy favorite for the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic in October.
On October 24, 2008, Zenyatta was sent off as the 1–2 favorite for the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, held during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita. The field included four other horses who had won at the Grade I level in 2008: Ginger Punch, who had won the Ogden Phipps and Go For Wand Handicaps since losing to Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom, Carriage Trail, Cocoa Beach and Music Note. Zenyatta dropped back at the start behind a moderate pace set by Bear Now. Still lengths behind after three-quarters of a mile, she started to make up ground on the final turn. She circled the field at the top of the stretch and won by lengths over Cocoa Beach. Her time of 1:46.85 for miles was the second-fastest in the race's history.
"Today, she was just showing off", said Smith. "Used to be, she'd get nervous and sweaty when the people were hollering at her. Today, she just started dancing when they did that. She's just figured it out."
With a perfect record of seven wins in 2008, all at the Grade I or II level, Zenyatta was the easy winner of the Eclipse Award for Champion Older Female Horse. She finished second in the voting for Horse of the Year to Curlin, who had won five of his seven starts. Her win in the Ladies Classic was named the NTRA Moment of the Year.
2009: five-year-old season
Zenyatta was given a layoff after the Breeders' Cup, then resumed training in February. She was expected to make her five-year-old debut on May 1, 2009 in the Louisville Distaff at Churchill Downs. However, she was scratched from the race after heavy rains made the track sloppy.Instead, she made her first start of the year on May 23, 2009 in the Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park. She was assigned the top weight of 126 lbs, conceding four pounds to stablemate Life is Sweet, who was also a Grade I winner, and up to 14 pounds to the other horses in the field of six. Behind a moderate pace, Zenyatta dropped to the back of the pack, trailing by twelve lengths after half a mile. She started her move on the far turn and was forced to briefly check. Smith swung Zenyatta wide and she took the lead with a sixteenth of a mile remaining to win by lengths over Life Is Sweet. Smith explained that he and Garrett Gomez, the jockey of Life is Sweet, "played some games" while battling for position on the turn. "It was all clean and fair. She's so handy that when I eased up on the pedal, she backed up for me, came around and it was over."
On June 27, Zenyatta faced five rivals in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park. She carried 129 lbs, while Grade II winners Dawn After Dawn and Briecat carried 114 and 116 pounds respectively. Briecat went to the early lead and set moderate fractions. Zenyatta rated lengths behind down the backstretch, then moved wide to take the lead in the stretch. She won by lengths over Briecat in a time of 1:48.15 for miles. "It was a short field and she had a lot of weight on her and I didn't want her to have so much to do, so I stayed a little closer than normal", said Smith. "But when I asked her, she lengthened her stride and it was pretty much over then."
On August 9, Zenyatta faced a field of six in the Clement L. Hirsch, now run as a stakes race under allowance weight conditions. She and Life is Sweet both carried 123 pounds, with the other fillies and mares carrying 119 pounds. Lethal Heat went to the early lead and set a very slow pace of :48.84 for the half mile and 1:13.64 for the three-quarters. Zenyatta was still last at that point with lengths to make up on the relatively fresh front runners. With a furlong left to run, she still had lengths to make up, but closed to win by a head over Anabaa's Creation.
Because of the slow early pace, she completed the miles in 1:43.24, nearly two seconds slower than her time in the previous year's race. However, she had run the final quarter in an excellent 22.49 seconds, hitting a speed of roughly 40 miles per hour. Smith admitted that he had underestimated the rest of the field while focused on tracking Life is Sweet, who finished fourth. "But then I looked up and the competition had gotten away from both of us. I just kind of flagged with the stick and she started hitting that stride."
On October 10, Zenyatta again faced off with Life is Sweet, Lethal Heat and Cocoa Beach in the Lady's Secret Stakes at Oak Tree at Santa Anita. Behind another slow early place, she stayed closer to the early leaders this time. She took the lead in deep stretch and pulled clear to win by lengths under a hand ride. This extended her winning streak to thirteen, tying her with Personal Ensign for the longest undefeated record at the elite level in North American racing history. Smith said she had several gears to spare despite the ease of her victory. "She has an amazing turn of foot", said Smith, "one that I've never seen before. No disrespect to the other horses today, but she only ran about four jumps when we turned for home and then she shut it down."