Bred by Maverick Productions Limited an Shirreffsy Street Cry out of the Kris S. mare Vertigineux, she was purchased as a yearling for $60,000 by Jerry and Ann Moss at the 2005 Keeneland September Sale.

Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&M Records, named her after the album Zenyatta Mondatta by The Police.

Under the patient training of John Shirreffs and guided primarily by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith in her final 17 starts, Zenyatta compiled a near-perfect record of 19 wins and one second-place finish from 20 starts, amassing career earnings of $7,304,580—the highest total achieved by any filly or mare in North American racing history at the time of her retirement.

She did not make her racing debut until late in her three-year-old season. On November 22, 2007, at Hollywood Park, Zenyatta won her maiden race. A subsequent allowance victory completed an undefeated two-race campaign that year.

From that point forward, she established a remarkable streak of 19 consecutive victories that spanned graded stakes competition and culminated in historic performances against both females and males.

In 2008, Zenyatta secured her first Grade 1 triumph in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park and went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (then known as the Distaff) at Santa Anita Park. She also captured the Vanity Handicap, Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, and Lady’s Secret Stakes, among other races, earning her first Eclipse Award as Champion Older Female.

The pinnacle of her career arrived on November 7, 2009, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Facing a field of elite male competitors, Zenyatta trailed far back early before launching her signature come-from-behind surge.

First mare to capture the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the first horse to win two different Breeders’ Cup races.

Track announcer Trevor Denman captured the moment with his memorable call: “This is unbelievable!” The victory solidified her status as a transcendent figure in the sport.

Zenyatta continued her dominance in 2010

She won the Santa Margarita Handicap, Apple Blossom Handicap, Vanity Handicap (for a third consecutive year), Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (third consecutive), and Lady’s Secret Stakes (third consecutive).

These victories extended her winning streak to 19 and established multiple records, including the most consecutive Grade 1 wins by a North American horse and the highest number of Grade 1 victories by a North American filly or mare (13).

On November 6, 2010, in her final start, she attempted to become the first horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic twice. Racing at Churchill Downs against males once more, she closed dramatically from far behind but finished a head short of Blame.

Despite the narrow defeat, voters awarded her the 2010 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year as well as her third consecutive title as Champion Older Female. 

Beyond statistics, Zenyatta distinguished herself through personality and presence.

Standing more than 17 hands and weighing over 1,200 pounds

Standing more than 17 hands and weighing over 1,200 pounds, she was known for her distinctive pre-race “dance” in the paddock, during which she would scrape the ground with a front leg and move with rhythmic elegance. Her late-running style—allowing the field to open a substantial lead before accelerating powerfully in the stretch—produced thrilling finishes that drew large crowds and a devoted following.

Fans affectionately referred to her as “the Queen.” She was selected as the NTRA Moment of the Year on multiple occasions and received the Secretariat Vox Populi Award in 2010. 

Zenyatta was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2016.

A life-sized bronze statue of her stands at Santa Anita Park. After retirement, she was boarded at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky as a broodmare.

She produced several foals, though none achieved racing success comparable to her own.

Her Final Foul, a War Front Filly Named Nymue

Her final foal, a War Front filly named Nymue, was born in June 2023, after which she was retired from breeding duties. 

Zenyatta’s legacy endures as a model of excellence, resilience, and charisma. Her 19 consecutive victories equaled the modern North American record for consecutive wins at the time and demonstrated that a mare could compete successfully against the best males in the sport’s premier events.

Through her dramatic racing style, consistent dominance, and engaging personality, she expanded the audience for Thoroughbred racing and remains an enduring symbol of equine greatness.