Zenyatta, the daughter of Street Cry who sustained her only loss in 20 starts when second in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic, was honored Jan. 17 as North America's Horse of the Year for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs. The winner, announced during the Eclipse Awards dinner in Miami Beach, Fla., received 128 first-place votes, edging out Breeders' Cup Classic winner Blame, who received 102 votes. The third finalist for Horse of the Year honors, Goldikova, received five votes. There was one abstention and two no votes.

Moss congratulated the connections of Blame, noting "Blame is a wonderful racehorse."

Zenyatta

Zenyatta

"It has been a great honor to be associated with the other two finalists," Moss said while accepting the award. He went on to acknowledge Zenyatta's breeder Eric Kronfeld of Maverick Productions, Don Robinson who foaled and raised the champion at his Winter Quarters Farm, and bloodstock agent David Ingordo, who bought her at auction, and Jeanne and April Mayberry of Mayberry Farm near Ocala, where Zenyatta was broke and trained. All these people were on stage with the Mosses.

"(Mayberry Farm) called David and said we've got this filly here and you'd better get a good name for her," Moss said. "He asked why. They said, well you've either got one fast horse or a lot of slow ones, because they all need two strides for every one she