Zenyatta's newborn War Front colt dies

Zenyatta’s newborn War Front colt died Wednesday morning at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital near Lexington, Ky., continuing a run of bad luck for the champion as a broodmare.

The colt was born Sunday night at Lane’s End Farm, where the 2010 Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame finalist has been boarded since her retirement for owners Jerry and Ann Moss. While the birth was uncomplicated, the colt was born meconium-stained, leading the attending veterinarian to send the mare and foal to a clinic for observation.

Meconium is a newborn’s first stool made of materials ingested during his time in utero. Under some circumstances, it can be evacuated into the amniotic fluid and inhaled, potentially causing lung irritation or other problems such as pneumonia in a foal. Zenyatta’s team said in a press release that the foal did indeed aspirate meconium but did not offer other medical details.

This leaves the 3-year-old Ziconic as the youngest surviving foal for Zenyatta. The mare’s 2014 filly, also by War Front, had to be euthanized as a weanling following a paddock accident. The mare was not bred for a 2015 foal.

“We express our deep gratitude to Dr. Peter Morresey and the professionals at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital who worked tirelessly to support the mare and foal,” Zenyatta’s connections said in a statement. “Zenyatta is in good health and back home at Lane’s End Farm.”