Zenyatta to Parade at Hollywood Park

Filed under: Horse Racing

The great Zenyatta will bid farewell to Hollywood Park and Southern California this weekend, as she parades at the track on Sunday.

The 6-year-old mare, who won her first 19 races before suffering a head-length defeat to Blame in the Breeders' Cup Classic last month at Churchill Downs, has been retired.

"It's going to be hard to make it through it without choking up. I'm choking up now, just thinking about it," jockey Mike Smith told the Daily Racing Form this week.

Even in defeat, Zenyatta's legend grew. Her fanbase stretches far beyond Southern California. Smith told the Form of his experience on a recent trip to Japan.

"It was overwhelming. When they introduced me for the jockey competition, they went crazy," the jockey said. "I was wearing the Mosses' silks (Zenyatta's owners). They were screaming her name. 'Zenyatta. Zenyatta.' They were holding up signs of her, pictures of her. Fortunately, I had time to sign things for them. Some of the pictures they had were pretty cool shots of her. I signed all kinds of stuff. I'm glad there was a fence between us or I might have got crushed."

Zenyatta's next stop is Keeneland in Kentucky. She will be there Monday and will also be paraded in the saddling paddock and walking ring. That will be her final stop at a racetrack.

Next, is a trip to her new home, Lane's End Farm in Versailles Kentucky. Zenyatta will be a broodmare at the farm.

Zenyatta earned $7,304,580 with 13 Grade I victories, including the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Source: http://www.fanhouse.com/2010/12/04/zenyatta-to-parade-at-hollywood-park/

Dominique Swain Donna Feldman Drea de Matteo Drew Barrymore Ehrinn Cummings