NEWS
Zenyatta’s connections finally taste Horse of the Year glory
Posted: Monday, January 17, 2011 9:37 PM
ZENYATTA
Benoit & Associates photo
by Ed DeRosa
The horse many called “The horse of the decade” earned the gold statue as Horse of the Year for 2010 on Monday during the 40th annual Eclipse Awards in Miami Beach, Florida.
The Street Cry (Ire) mare’s emotional owners—Jerry and Ann Moss—accepted the trophy and hoisted it proudly in the air to provide a stirring coda to a racing career that included 19 consecutive victories, three Eclipse Awards as champion older female, and a record $7,304,580 in career earnings for a North American-raced female.
“We wanted to think positive, and we believed in her and continue to believe in her,” Jerry Moss said about coming to the ceremony expecting to win. “She’s one in a million, and we’re so thrilled for her. We can’t wait to tell her.”
“You always hope,” Ann Moss said. “We hoped last year and the year before that as well, and we’re just so happy; she was such a gift. It’s a wonderful thing because she lifts spirits and fills hearts with joy and love.”
Jerry Moss said that he and the rest of the mare’s connections would decide on her mate for the 2011 breeding season sometime within the next week.
“She seems very happy at Lane’s End, and we’re so happy for her,” he said.
After losing out to Curlin in 2008 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009, Zenyatta as 2010 Horse of the Year came at the expense of Blame, the champion older male who defeated her in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), a race Zenyatta had won in 2009. Zenyatta won five Grade 1 races in 2010.
“This makes it all okay,” said Racing Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who rode Zenyatta in the final 17 races of her career, including all six during her Horse of the Year campaign. “She didn’t have any quit in her. She never stopped trying and neither did we. We finally got it.”
Zenyatta won Horse of the year by 26 votes, besting Blame 128-102.
“That’s just the way things fell. It’s absolutely no disgrace for us,” said Al Stall Jr., Blame’s trainer. “We’re happy with what he did this year, but I don’t think he could have done anything more. Obviously, he could have won every race he ran in, but I’m not sure that would have made a difference anyway.”
The other Horse of the Year finalist was Goldikova (Ire), who earned her second Eclipse Award as champion turf female and received five Horse of the Year votes.
Jerry Moss thanked the entire Zenyatta team for its efforts, and much of the team joined he and his wife on stage, including trainer John Shirreffs, racing manager Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, Smith, and breeder Eric Kronfeld.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am,” Shirreffs said. “Zenyatta has meant so much, and you know, she’s like a miracle. I want to say how wonderful Thoroughbred horses are, and Zenyatta is the most wonderful.”
Zenyatta’s connections also received a Special Eclipse Award for their contributions to the sport during their mare’s career to bring the team’s total collection of Eclipse Awards since 2008 to five.
To go back to the 2010 Eclipse Award winners, click here.
Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Meydan Rocks, LA, CA on January 24, 2011 at 07:40 PM
I love both horses but let's think about it this way.
Blame beat Zenyatta by a nose (after Z fell back by double digit lengths.
Does this mean Blame is a super horse or does this mean Zenyatta is a super horse?
Let's put this in context.
Do you think Ghostzapper would have been hard pressed (like Blame was) to put Zenyatta away by a nose after she fell back by all those lengths?
I'm just sayin...
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Posted by: sue, phoenix, AZ on January 24, 2011 at 02:47 PM
Everyone. . .you are cracking me up. At any rate, here the thing, Blame didn't have a Rachel A kind of year. God bless that little horse who did and then couldn't. So why use up Zenyatta. Blame certainly didn't have a hard year. The bottomline is this, if you really watch Z run, its so clear she is by far the best. Blame beat Z strategically. Much like Haynesfield beat Blame (by 4 lengths by the way). It happens. Can't we all just get along.
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Posted by: common sense 101, chicago, IL on January 23, 2011 at 09:28 PM
If Blame's connections really wanted HOTY they would run Blame again this year instead of sending him to the breeding shed. Thats what happens when you put the cart before the horse, aint that right MR.Seth Hancock. you and your remark after the BCC cost you a HOTY and anyways, Zenyatta bought more to the sport than Onion, Upset, oh I mean Blame did.
Look you stupid naysayers, get off your stupidity asses and move on, Zenyatta is 2010 HOTY, and she retired being the best damn HOTY ever voted, she went out having won 19 straight wins and one (1) narrow second to the winner and spotting him and the rest of the field 20+ lengths head start. Now bow down and curtsey your queen, the queen Zenyatta.
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Posted by: Paul, Palm Beach, FL on January 23, 2011 at 03:58 PM
John,
Say what? Are you saying the filles Zenyatta faced were actually stronger than the older handicap males Blame faced?
Also, are you insinuating the title is "Horse of the Last Three Years?"
Last I checked, it was "Horse of the Year."
With zero wins in open company this year, I'm not sure how the heck you keep a straight face and say she beat tougher opposition. Clearly you know very little about racing, or you are just choosing to ignore the obvious.
Either way, your argument doesn't have a leg to stand on.
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Posted by: John, eaton, CO on January 23, 2011 at 01:38 PM
ok Paul and Lori go to your corners and cool off Zenyatta is HOY Paul Blame is second do you really think anybody cares about it now its over with it wasn't what that great mare did just this year its the last 3 years and there is no other horse in the last 3 year that could come close to her you out to much stock in the races years ago where tougher than the west coast races but not anymore you see thoses horses coming out west and get there butts kick all the time thats why Zenyatta won HOY three years of running not 5 races in a year
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