No rush to breed Zenyatta, Moss says

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bernardini will be bred to 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta in late February at the earliest, Zenyatta’s owner, Jerry Moss, said on Friday.

“It depends on her, but we’d like [the mating] to be at the end of February,” Moss said at Santa Anita, where he and his wife Ann had horses running in two races.

Last week, the Mosses announced that Zenyatta would be bred to Bernardini, the champion 3-year-old colt of 2006. Bernardini, who led freshman stallions in 2010 by number of stakes winners and group or graded stakes winners, is by A.P. Indy. Zenyatta, by Street Cry, was retired in November, after winning 19 of 20 starts and more than $7.3 million.

The decision to send Zenyatta to Bernardini was reached after the Mosses conferred with their racing manager, Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs; her son David, a bloodstock agent; and others.

“We think it’s a good fit,” Moss said. “We tried to be as careful as we could and get all the people’s points of view.

“I guess this means she’s really retired,” Moss said, smiling.

Zenyatta won her first 19 starts and was beaten a head by Blame in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November. She left Southern California for Kentucky in early December and currently resides at Lane’s End Farm.