The runner-up for Horse of the Year each of the past two seasons, the most popular racehorse in North America took home the hardware Monday night at the Eclipse Awards when she turned the tables on Blame, the only thoroughbred to finish in front of Zenyatta during her 20-race career.
Zenyatta finished second in the voting to Curlin in 2008 and then again to Rachel Alexandra in 2009 despite maintaining an unblemished racing resume through both seasons with her uncanny ability to come from behind and always cross the finish line first.
In November, 11 months after owners Jerry and Ann Moss squelched a brief flirtation with her retirement and returned her to racing as a 6-year-old, Zenyatta stood on the cusp of closing out an unprecedented career a perfect 20-0 before her signature closing kick fell just a head short to Blame in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.
Yet as impressive as Blame’s 2010 campaign may have been, including his winning two other Grade 1s, Zenyatta’s similar success at the highest levels of racing and her penchant for capturing the imagination of those in the industry and general public alike elevated her profile to another realm, thus overshadowing a narrow defeat in her career finale in the eyes of voters.
On Monday night, when the votes were announced at a reception held in Miami Beach, Fla., to honor horse racing’s version of the Oscars, Zenyatta received 128 votes, to Blame’s 102. European invader Goldikova, who has won the past three runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but predominantly runs during the year overseas, tallied 5 votes. One voter abstained. Two did not vote.
“This makes it all OK after getting beat last time,” said Mike Smith, Zenyatta’s regular jockey.
During the second half of the year, each step of Zenyatta’s quest for immortality and continued pursuit of perfection — as she notched each of her five victories in 2010 against Grade 1 competition and neared the modern-day record of 19-for-19 that she held prior to the Breeders’ Cup Classic — were met with mounting interest as she finally crossed over and garnered mainstream attention through the likes of Oprah Winfrey, 60 Minutes and Sports Illustrated. Zenyatta also finished second to Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn for Female Athlete of the Year in voting conducted by The Associated Press.
Since her defeat in November, the Mosses held farewell retirement parties for Zenyatta, first at her home track at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif., and then at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. She now resides at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky
“She’s doing extremely well at Land’s End ,” Jerry Moss told the crowd. “Hey, you can look it up every day on Zenyatta.com.”
But it was on the track where Zenyatta endeared herself to an adoring and ever-growing legion of fans through her charisma and personality. She often was seen strutting around the paddock before her races in a dance-like fashion and was keen to play to her audience, posing for photographs as if knowing the crowd was there for her.
And mostly it was. Zenyatta became the face of thoroughbred racing and a good-will ambassador for the Sport of Kings.
Purchased by the Mosses as a yearling for $60,000, the gangly bay mare would grow into the role as one of the best racehorses of the modern era.
A late arrival to the track, partly because she was a bit of a late bloomer and partly because trainer John Shirreffs insisted on giving her time to develop properly, Zenyatta unleashed undefeated campaigns in both 2008 and 2009, yielding back-to-back Eclipse Awards as champion older mare.
But her connections’ insistence on running Zenyatta almost exclusively on the West Coast — where synthetic racetracks reign supreme — and apart from the fields of horses that many regarded as the best around cost her style points when the time came for choosing the highest of year-round honors.
In 2009, Zenyatta broke with her gender barrier and challenged males for the first time in her career in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, becoming the first female to win the richest race in North America in its 25-year existence. However, that year at the ballot box she ran head first into another female who had dispatched with male competition, but had never faced Zenyatta, and it was Rachel Alexandra who garnered the votes necessary to collect racing’s coveted title despite skipping the Classic.
This year, it was Zenyatta’s turn, despite the continued impressive level of her competition.
Blame won the Stephen Foster in June at Churchill Downs, and the Whitney in August at Saratoga Belmont
“It just fell that way,” said Al Stall Jr., Blame’s trainer. “Nobody is surprised. She was the overwhelming favorite. She had transcendent powers we didn’t have.”
Nevertheless, Zenyatta’s accomplishments in 2010 were profound also, as she won five Grade 1s, including the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas
Through it all, Zenyatta retired as the richest race mare in history with more than $7.3 million in earnings
“We always hoped,” Ann Moss said. “We hoped last year, and the year before that. We’re just so happy. She’s such a gift.”
The Eclipse Awards are voted on by the National Thorougbhred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.
— Other winners included Todd Pletcher as outstanding trainer, Ramon Dominguez as outstanding jockey, WinStar Farm as outstanding owner and Adena Springs as outstanding breeder.
Pletcher finished far ahead of the runner-up, Zenyatta trainer John Shirreffs, 168 votes to 28. Dominguez finished ahead of runner-up Garrett Gomez, 124-60. WinStar Farm edged Jerry and Ann Moss 100-81.
— Blame was chosen top older male and Zenyatta top older female. Other winners:
— 2-Year-Old Male: Uncle Mo
— 2-Year-Old Filly: Awesome Feather
— 3-Year-Old Male: Lookin At Lucky
— 3-Year-Old Filly: Blind Luck
— Female Sprinter: Dubai
— Male Sprinter: Big Drama
— Male Turf Horse: Gio Ponti
— Female Turf Horse: Goldikova
— Steeplechase Horse: Slip Away
— Apprentice Jockey: Omar Moreno
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