The Acne Medications

Zenyatta (foaled April 1, 2004 in Kentucky) is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. She has an unbeaten 14 from 14 racing record. Zenyatta has defeated Grade I winners Gio Ponti, Twice Over, Summer Bird, Colonel John, Richard’s Kid, Mine That Bird, Rip Van Winkle, Einstein, Ginger Punch, Hystericalady, Life Is Sweet, Tough Tiz’s Sis, Romance Is Diane, Double Trouble, Sealy Hill, Cocoa Beach, Santa Teresita, Carriage Trail, and Music Note and has won twelve straight Graded stakes races including eight Grade I events.

Breeding & Background

She was sired by Street Cry who also sired the 2007 Kentucky Derby winner, Street Sense. Out of the mare, Vertigineux, her damsire was the outstanding stallion, Kris S. She was named for the 1980 album Zenyattà Mondatta, by The Police. Zenyatta was purchased as a yearling by Jerry & Ann Moss for $60,000 at the Keeneland Sales in September 2005.

Early Career

Trained by John Shirreffs, California-based Zenyatta did not begin racing until she was three years old, making a winning debut in late November 2007 at Hollywood Park. She followed that up with a win in an allowance race at the same track on 15 December.

She began her four year old season by winning the Grade 2 El Encino Stakes at Santa Anita. In her next outing she won her first Grade 1, the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on 5 April. Returning to Hollywood Park she then won the Milady Handicap (Gr 2) in May and the Vanity Handicap (Gr 1) in July.

In the Clement L. Hirsch (Gr 2) win at Del Mar on 2 August, Zenyatta set a new track record of 1:41.48 for 8.5 furlongs on the new polytrack. She then won the Lady’s Secret Stakes (Gr 1) at Santa Anita and in that race Zenyatta ran each quarter faster than the one before. Her splits were :24 4/5, :23 4/5, :23 1/5, :22 3/5, and a final sixteenth in :06 flat.

On her final outing of 2008, she was sent off as the 1-2 favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (Gr 1) at Santa Anita, Zenyatta traveled at the back of the pack until the final turn, where she made a breath-taking move to capture the lead with 200 yards to go. She posted a 1 1/2 length victory over second place finisher Cocoa Beach in a time of 1:46.85. After Curlin’s defeat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the filly was a strong contender for Horse of the Year. She was awarded the Eclipse Award as American Champion Older Female Horse for 2008.

On 15 January 2009 it was announced that Zenyatta had won the NTRA “Moment of the Year” for 2008.

On 23 May, Zenyatta made her much anticipated reappearance winning the Milady Handicap (Gr 2) at Hollywood Park, carrying 126 pounds. In this race she defeated her highly-touted Grade I-winning stablemate, Life Is Sweet. On her next outing on 27 June, she won the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park for the second straight year. She carried 129 pounds, spotting her rivals 13 to 18 pounds, and became the first horse to win under such a weight assignment since 1977. In 2008, she won it under 126 pounds.

Her next start was her second Clement L. Hirsch Handicap (now a Gr 1) on 9 August at Del Mar. Coming from last, she was forced to circle the entire field six wide behind a slow pace. She won by a head, although the media have frequently incorrectly set the final margin as a nose. On 10 October, she won her second Lady’s Secret in her same come from behind fashion.

On 28 October it was announced that she would take on the colts in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. No filly or mare had ever won the Classic since its inception in 1984 until Zenyatta won the race at Santa Anita in 2009.

On 7 November, Zenyatta became the first female to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the first horse ever to win two different Breeders’ Cup races, improving her record to 14 of 14. Her official time was 2:00:24. In her previous outing, Zenyatta equalled the American record for consecutive victories by a filly or mare, held by Personal Ensign, one of the legends of the sport in the United States. Now she holds the record alone and, like Personal Ensign, may well now retire undefeated.