A to Z – Azeri to Zenyatta with Mike Smith
June 17th 2011 05:12
A to Z – Azeri to Zenyatta with Mike Smith
A contribution by Vicki L Vinson for RacingWrite and Thoroughbreds Worldwide.Words and photography: Vicki L Vinson.
When people talk about Roswell, New Mexico they are usually talking about UFO’s, most of them don’t realize that Roswell is the hometown of jockey Mike Smith. In recent years Mike has become well known in the world of horse racing as the jockey of great mare Zenyatta, but Mike has been riding professionally for nearly 30 years and has ridden a lot of other great mares. In 1989 Mike moved his tack to New York where he honed his skill riding such mares as Sky Beauty, Heavenly Prize, and Inside Information. Mike won some graded stakes races for the fillies and mares like the Coaching Club American Oaks, Frizette Stakes, the Spinster, and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (now the Ladies Classic) four times on Inside Information, Ajina, Azeri, and Zenyatta. Mike won the Eclipse for Outstanding Jockey in 1993 and 1994 and was elected to the Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.
In 1998 Mike suffered injuries in two spills. The first in March with a broken shoulder forced him to the sidelines for two months. Then while riding at Saratoga in August he fractured two vertebrae in his back and was out for another 6 months. Upon his return to riding he was having trouble getting the quality mounts he had grown accustomed to, so in 2000 he decided to move his tack to California and there is where the real magic began.
Azeri with Mike Smith up began her racing career under the tutelage of trainer Laura de Seroux in November of 2001 at Santa Anita and became a jockey’s dream horse during her campaigns of 2002 and 2003. Azeri wowed the crowd at all of the Southern California tracks during that time and even took her show on the road to win the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park both years, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in 2002 at Arlington Park. Azeri and Mike were hoping for a repeat of the Distaff win in 2003 at Santa Anita, but Azeri came up with a tendon injury following her final prep in the Lady’s Secret. It was thought that she would be retired after that, but in the spring of 2004 she was transferred to the barn of D. Wayne Lukas and went on to win the Apple Blossom for the third consecutive year with Mike Smith up. Following her career that also included graded stakes wins in the Santa Margarita, Milady, Go For Wand, Spinster, Lady’s Secret, Clement L. Hirsch and the Vanity, Azeri was retired in December of 2004. Azeri was named Eclipse Champion Older Filly or Mare in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and only the third female to receive the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year in 2002. Azeri was voted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2010.
They say lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same spot, but in 2008 it was about to strike twice for jockey Mike Smith when he was handed the reins of Zenyatta for the Apple Blossom, a race he was all too familiar with following his time with Azeri. Originally Zenyatta’s trainer John Shirreffs had entered her in the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita, but had a change of heart and decided it was too soon for her to face the current local champ Nashoba’s Key so he scratched her and switched to Plan B. Now her regular jockey David Flores had prior commitments and so that is how Mike Smith became part of Team Zenyatta.
Not only did Azeri and Zenyatta come to have the same jockey they also shared a very similar racing career. Between the two of them they won the Clement L. Hirsch, Vanity Handicap and Apple Blossom five times. Zenyatta also won the Lady’s Secret three consecutive years, the race is scheduled to be renamed the Zenyatta Stakes this fall. In 2008 Zenyatta won the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (formerly the Distaff). The following year she would be cross entered in that race again at Santa Anita, but to the thrill of her fans her owners Jerry and Ann Moss decided to run her for the first time against the colts in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. She became the first mare to win the Classic, quoting announcer Trevor Denman, it was “UNBELEIVABLE.”
Following the 2009 Breeders’ Cup it was thought that Zenyatta would be retired following a statement in the winner’s circle by her owner. She was paraded before a cheering crowd in a special ceremony at Hollywood Park for her retirement. Not to be out done, Santa Anita also arranged for her to be paraded for their opening day crowd for the 2009/2010 season. Much to the delight of her growing fan base the Mosses decided not to retire Zenyatta then and set a goal for her to try to win the Classic again. Zenyatta continued her winning ways number 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, breaking the consecutive win record for the modern thoroughbred. Then came race number 20 and the Breeders’ Cup, sadly she just missed and finished second to a horse ironically named Blame. On camera following the race Mike Smith was visibly distraught heading back towards the jockeys room and a short time later in an after race press conference he broke down in tears as he blamed himself for the loss. Zenyatta was then officially retired. She won the Eclipse for Champion Older Female in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and was named the Eclipse Horse of the Year in 2010. She had two more retirement ceremonies at Hollywood Park and Keeneland. Her jockey Mike Smith received the Big Sport of Turfdom Award in 2009 and 2010.
A contribution by Vicki L Vinson for RacingWrite and Thoroughbreds Worldwide.Words and photography: Vicki L Vinson.
When people talk about Roswell, New Mexico they are usually talking about UFO’s, most of them don’t realize that Roswell is the hometown of jockey Mike Smith. In recent years Mike has become well known in the world of horse racing as the jockey of great mare Zenyatta, but Mike has been riding professionally for nearly 30 years and has ridden a lot of other great mares. In 1989 Mike moved his tack to New York where he honed his skill riding such mares as Sky Beauty, Heavenly Prize, and Inside Information. Mike won some graded stakes races for the fillies and mares like the Coaching Club American Oaks, Frizette Stakes, the Spinster, and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (now the Ladies Classic) four times on Inside Information, Ajina, Azeri, and Zenyatta. Mike won the Eclipse for Outstanding Jockey in 1993 and 1994 and was elected to the Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.
Mike Smith on Ajina prior to winning the 1997 Breeder’s Cup Distaff at Hollywood Park
In 1998 Mike suffered injuries in two spills. The first in March with a broken shoulder forced him to the sidelines for two months. Then while riding at Saratoga in August he fractured two vertebrae in his back and was out for another 6 months. Upon his return to riding he was having trouble getting the quality mounts he had grown accustomed to, so in 2000 he decided to move his tack to California and there is where the real magic began.
Azeri and Mike Smith head to the starting gate for the La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita in 2002, it was her first defeat finishing 2nd to Summer Colony.
Azeri with Mike Smith up began her racing career under the tutelage of trainer Laura de Seroux in November of 2001 at Santa Anita and became a jockey’s dream horse during her campaigns of 2002 and 2003. Azeri wowed the crowd at all of the Southern California tracks during that time and even took her show on the road to win the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park both years, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in 2002 at Arlington Park. Azeri and Mike were hoping for a repeat of the Distaff win in 2003 at Santa Anita, but Azeri came up with a tendon injury following her final prep in the Lady’s Secret. It was thought that she would be retired after that, but in the spring of 2004 she was transferred to the barn of D. Wayne Lukas and went on to win the Apple Blossom for the third consecutive year with Mike Smith up. Following her career that also included graded stakes wins in the Santa Margarita, Milady, Go For Wand, Spinster, Lady’s Secret, Clement L. Hirsch and the Vanity, Azeri was retired in December of 2004. Azeri was named Eclipse Champion Older Filly or Mare in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and only the third female to receive the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year in 2002. Azeri was voted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2010.
Zenyatta in the paddock at Santa Anita prior to winning the Lady’s Secret in 2008, it was just me, Zenyatta and her groom Mario.
They say lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same spot, but in 2008 it was about to strike twice for jockey Mike Smith when he was handed the reins of Zenyatta for the Apple Blossom, a race he was all too familiar with following his time with Azeri. Originally Zenyatta’s trainer John Shirreffs had entered her in the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita, but had a change of heart and decided it was too soon for her to face the current local champ Nashoba’s Key so he scratched her and switched to Plan B. Now her regular jockey David Flores had prior commitments and so that is how Mike Smith became part of Team Zenyatta.
Not only did Azeri and Zenyatta come to have the same jockey they also shared a very similar racing career. Between the two of them they won the Clement L. Hirsch, Vanity Handicap and Apple Blossom five times. Zenyatta also won the Lady’s Secret three consecutive years, the race is scheduled to be renamed the Zenyatta Stakes this fall. In 2008 Zenyatta won the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (formerly the Distaff). The following year she would be cross entered in that race again at Santa Anita, but to the thrill of her fans her owners Jerry and Ann Moss decided to run her for the first time against the colts in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. She became the first mare to win the Classic, quoting announcer Trevor Denman, it was “UNBELEIVABLE.”
Zenyatta making her patented sweeping wide move to win the 2008 Lady’s Secret
Following the 2009 Breeders’ Cup it was thought that Zenyatta would be retired following a statement in the winner’s circle by her owner. She was paraded before a cheering crowd in a special ceremony at Hollywood Park for her retirement. Not to be out done, Santa Anita also arranged for her to be paraded for their opening day crowd for the 2009/2010 season. Much to the delight of her growing fan base the Mosses decided not to retire Zenyatta then and set a goal for her to try to win the Classic again. Zenyatta continued her winning ways number 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, breaking the consecutive win record for the modern thoroughbred. Then came race number 20 and the Breeders’ Cup, sadly she just missed and finished second to a horse ironically named Blame. On camera following the race Mike Smith was visibly distraught heading back towards the jockeys room and a short time later in an after race press conference he broke down in tears as he blamed himself for the loss. Zenyatta was then officially retired. She won the Eclipse for Champion Older Female in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and was named the Eclipse Horse of the Year in 2010. She had two more retirement ceremonies at Hollywood Park and Keeneland. Her jockey Mike Smith received the Big Sport of Turfdom Award in 2009 and 2010.
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