Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Crowning of Queen Z

So it’s official: the mare of the decade has been crowned 2010’s Horse of the Year. At last Monday’s Eclipse Awards in Miami, Zenyatta beat back those who criticized her merit (on account of her narrow Breeder’s Cup loss) to take home a well-deserved title that places her among the ranks of a limited few true “superhorses.”

I narrowly missed being in Miami for the Eclipse Awards (I was actually luxuriating at the Fontainebleau Resort this past weekend on vacation with my boyfriend), but would have loved to watch Zenyatta’s camp accept this greatest of honors for their dominating mare. At least now that the detractors have been laid to rest, Zenyatta’s owners Jerry and Ann Moss can turn their full attention towards selecting the stallion that will sire Zenyatta’s first foal. With any luck, that meeting will result in a “superbaby” that will eventually reach as high acclaim as its storied momma.  

Good luck to Queen Z and her camp as they transition this unstoppable horse into her new broodmare role. I hope she enjoys the greener pastures that lie ahead.