Skip to main content

Zenyatta

I know that Famous Animals Week has ended, but yesterday saw the end of one of horse racing's greatest careers, and I just couldn't resist writing about this amazing horse.

Zenyatta was born in 2004, and purchased for a sum of $60,000, a relatively low amount in the world of thoroughbred racing. She was a late bloomer,  racing for her first time near the end of the 2007 season. But all that waiting paid off. Until yesterday, Zenyatta was undefeated in 19 starts, a record practically unheard of for any horse. She placed second in the Breeders Cup Classic, racing as both the only female, and the oldest horse on the field. She won the same race last year, becoming the very first filly to do so.

She is 17.2 hands and just over 1,200lbs, exceptionally large for a racehorse. Zenyatta has a personality and a demeanor that those around her describe as human-like.  She loves to dance and show off, and she loves a good, room-temperature Guinness. And even though her final race was lost by a nose, she will still go down in racing history as one of the greatest. Her final purse totaled $7.3 million.

Zenyatta will now enjoy a life of retirement and motherhood, though what stallion is worthy of her greatness? To quote her jockey, Hall of Fame Member Mike Smith, "They often talk about who they'd breed her to. And I've always said no one's worthy."

EDIT: Zenyatta was bred to 2006 Preakness winner and 3-year-old Male of the Year Bernardini in January, but in March it was announced that she was not in foal. She will be bred again.

If you'd like to read more about this amazing horse, check out some of these stories.
Taking Blame
Is Zenyatta the best Racehorse Ever?
The Legend of Zenyatta
Zenyatta is Looking Good


Images from here and here.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent