Zenyatta - Superstar Horse Retires from Racing

Blame, center, ridden by Garrett Gomez, crossing the finish line ahead of Zenyatta and Mike Smith in the Breeders' Cup Classic
Photo: Getty
Story: www.nytimes.com

The great mare Zenyatta was retired Wednesday and will be sent in early December to her new home at Lane's Endfarm near Versailles, Ky. Her owners, Jerry and Ann Moss, have yet to pick a stallion for her first date in the breeding shed sometime in 2011.

Zenyatta will make the transition to broodmare after a spectacular three-year racing career in which she won 19 of 20 starts. Her success, as well as her charisma, earned her national attention, with a segment on “60 Minutes” and articles in W and Oprah magazines. It was her heart-pounding stretch drive that came up a head short in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, however, that secured her reputation.

Zenyatta, a 6-year-old, spotted the field of boys, all younger than her, more than 20 lengths soon after the gates opened before mounting a furious charge in the lane that needed perhaps five more feet to catch the gritty colt Blame.

Zenyatta set North American female records in earnings — $7,304,580 — and with an extraordinary 13 Grade I victories. Those Grade I wins include the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic against male horses from around the world and the 2008 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic.

She earned Eclipse Awards as the champion older mare in 2008 and 2009. Although most agree that Zenyatta was a horse of a lifetime, she lot the 2009 Horse of the Year honours to the filly Rachel Alexandra.

This year, she is an underdog to beat Blame when the votes from members of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the National Turf Writers Association and The Daily Racing Form are counted.