Zenyatta (foaled April 1, 2004) 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.
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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 17 hands (68 inches, 173 cm) and 17.2 hands (70 inches, 178 cm) at the withers. Her stride was estimated at 26 feet (7.9 m). Her conformation is generally good with a "tremendous" shoulder and hip, but "less than ideal" ankles. During her racing career, she reportedly weighed 1,225 lb (556 kg). 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 6+1⁄2 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 1+1⁄16 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 caught the early leader and drew off to win handily by 3+1⁄2 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 and was 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 1+3⁄4 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 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 9+1⁄2 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 4+1⁄2 lengths over Brownie Points, with Ginger Punch a further 3+1⁄2 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 closed strongly down the stretch and drew clear by 2+1⁄2 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 [herself] 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."
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 1+3⁄4 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 6+1⁄2 lengths behind down the backstretch, then moved wide to take the lead in the stretch. She won by 2+1⁄2 lengths over Briecat in a time of 1:48.15 for 1+1⁄8 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 6+1⁄2 lengths to make up on the relatively fresh front runners. With a furlong left to run, she still had 4+1⁄2 lengths to make up but closed to win by a head over Anabaa's Creation.
2010: six-year-old season
The Mosses initially had intended to retire Zenyatta after the Classic but announced on January 16, 2010, that she would remain in training. On January 18, Zenyatta won her second Eclipse Award as American Champion Older Female Horse of the 2009 season.
Since the middle of 2009, attempts had been made to have Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta face each other directly on the racetrack. On February 5, Oaklawn Park announced that it would increase the purse of the Apple Blossom to $5 million if both horses entered the race. Oaklawn also changed the distance of the race to 1+1⁄8 miles and made it an invitational event for the 2010 running. Both sets of connections indicated their intention to attend if their horses were in top form.
On March 13, Zenyatta made her six-year-old debut in the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap at Santa Anita Park. She was assigned 127 lbs and spotted her seven rivals 11 to 16 pounds. She wove through traffic mid-stretch to get clear and won under a hand ride, eased before the wire. She completed the 1+1⁄8 miles in 1:48.20 and won by 1+1⁄4 lengths. On the same day, Rachel Alexandra, who had not run since September 2009, was defeated in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course. It was later announced that she would not run in the Apple Blossom. The two horses never met.
With the purse reverting to $500,000, the Apple Blossom attracted a field of five, with Zenyatta the overwhelming favorite at 1-20. She made her usual move on the final turn and coasted to a 4+1⁄2-length win. She completed the 1+1⁄8 miles in 1:50.71. Her record of sixteen consecutive wins matched Cigar, Mister Frisky, and Citation for the longest winning streak for North American horses in races not restricted to state-breds.
On June 13, 2010, Zenyatta won her 17th straight race in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park by half a length under 129 pounds. Still in last place at the head of the stretch, she was at first unable to close ground on St. Trinians, to whom she conceded 9 pounds. Smith noted that although Zenyatta had "hit a real big gear" in the stretch, St. Trinians had responded in kind. "I said, Whoa, [St. Trinians] is serious. She's going to make me run. I was working at it until the last 100 yards and then I knew I'd outgrind her." With the win, Zenyatta surpassed the records of Citation and Cigar for consecutive victories in unrestricted races. She also tied the world record set by Rock of Gibraltar for consecutive Grade/Group I victories.
Competition
In her narrow defeat to Blame at Churchill Downs on a traditional dirt surface, she overcame many doubts over competition as the 2010 Classic was considered one of the deepest fields in its history with seven Grade I winners. Zenyatta defeated two champions in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic (Gio Ponti and Summer Bird), champion Ginger Punch in the 2008 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic, and Canadian champion Sealy Hill in the 2008 Vanity. Other Grade I/Group One winners that she defeated included: Colonel John; Richard's Kid; Einstein; Tough Tiz's Sis; Cocoa Beach; Music Note; Life Is Sweet; Switch; Rip Van Winkle; Twice Over; Awesome Gem; Girolamo; Mine That Bird; Hystericalady; Romance Is Diane; Double Trouble; Santa Teresita; and Carriage Trail.
Breeding career
On November 17, 2010, Zenyatta was retired from racing to become a broodmare. She arrived at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky on December 6, 2010 and has been based there throughout her breeding career.
In 2011, she was bred to Bernardini. She was announced to be in foal after two coverings. The ensuing foal, born March 8, 2012, was a dark bay colt named Cozmic One. He made two starts in 2015 and performed poorly at the track. He was subsequently retired and in 2018 became an ambassador for the Retired Racehorse Project after training at De Sousa Stables as a show jumper.
In 2012, Zenyatta was bred to Tapit. She delivered a chestnut colt named Ziconic on April 1, 2013, her 9th birthday. Ziconic began his racing career in 2016, and like his dam he demonstrated a come-from-behind running style. He was winless in twelve starts, although he finished second twice and third six times. On June 12, 2019, it was announced that Ziconic was retired from racing and would retrain as an eventer.
In 2013, Zenyatta was confirmed in foal to War Front. In 2014, she delivered a dark bay filly nicknamed Z Princess. However, the filly was euthanized as a weanling after an accident in the paddock. Zenyatta received a year off from breeding, and in 2015 she was bred again to War Front. She gave birth to a colt that died four days later due to complications from meconium aspiration syndrome.
Zenyatta was bred to Medaglia d'Oro in 2016 and delivered a bay filly on May 9, 2017. The filly was named Zellda and was placed into training with John Shirreffs in 2019. She never raced.
Zenyatta was next bred to Into Mischief on June 3, 2017, and confirmed in foal in July. She lost the pregnancy in April 2018 following a placental abruption and was not bred again in 2018 to give her time to recover.
Zenyatta was bred in 2019 to Candy Ride and produced a chestnut filly on May 17, 2020. The filly was named Zilkha. Zenyatta was then rebred to Candy Ride, but it was announced later that she had lost that foal.
Racing statistics
An asterisk after the odds means Zenyatta was the post-time favorite.
Popularity
Zenyatta was selected three years in a row (2008–2010) for NTRA's Moment of the Year Award, for her 2008 Ladies' Classic victory, historic 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic victory, and narrow defeat in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic. She finished second in the voting for AP Female Athlete of the Year in both 2009 and 2010. She was featured in O and W Magazine and in a profile on 60 Minutes in 2010 prior to her historic attempt at 20 consecutive victories in the 2010 Breeders Cup Classic. In a public opinion poll by the Daily Racing Form, 87% of people voted for her to be the 2010 Eclipse Horse of the Year. Thousands appeared for her retirement ceremonies at Hollywood Park and Keeneland Race Track despite frigid 18-degree temperatures at Keeneland.