Zenyatta-Horse of the Year

The award that has eluded this fine race horse, despite going undefeated, was bestowed on her Monday. Congratulations to John Sherriffs, who had the patience to wait a bit longer before running the horse and to Jerry and Ann Moss, the owners, who trusted Sherriffs with their prized possession. Many congratulations to MIke Smith, who definitely had the rides of his life and can definitely say that he rode one of the great ones, if not the greatest. And of course, congratulations to The Horse of the Year, Zenyatta.

This campaign and vote was like a horse race. All the handicappers were putting in their two cents. Blame should be the horse of the year because the colt beat Zenyatta fair and square. Zenyatta should be named because of the strength of her schedule, and on and on we go. But just like a race, they got to get out there and race.

The award is voted on by members of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the National Turf Writers Association and The Daily Racing Form. And voters, by a comfortable margin of 128-102 in first-place votes, decided Zenyatta had done more. She won five Grade I’s last year in extending her streak to 19 victories in a row — 13 of them Grade I’s. More than that, though, Zenyatta single-handedly made horse racing fun again.