Have you ever thought of Serena Williams or Lindsey Vonn finding staunch competition from a horse racing icon? In reality, it happened twice in the National Polls of Female Athlete of the Year in the USA. Zenyatta, the legendary mare, became runner-up in those two times. However, she has not been famous for those rankings solely.

Rather, in the horse racing lores, the behemoth ‘girl power’ earned some unmatched recognition. On her 20th birthday, her unmatched legacy further gained momentum. The courtesy went to the horse racing fans who displayed their love for Zenyatta on the day. But, to make the day more memorable, the Lane’s End had something special for her. 

Zenyatta finds a special love but not for dance prowess this time 

Zenyatta kept her fans immersed in the movements she once framed on the track. Zenyatta’s royal walking, blistering pace, and dance moves in the paddock made her second to none. However, on April 1, the retired icon showcased her “Spanish Walk” when Lane’s End Farm celebrated her 20th birthday with special Horse Country tours. TVG’s X-handle posted the framed visual. Meanwhile, the aura John Shirreffs trained mare relived the memory once she used to flaunt on the tracks of the USA. 

In 2007-2010, Zenyatta maintained a clean slate with a record of 19-0, until her last race. The 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic broke the tone when the Kentucky-bred horse, Blame, defeated her by a short margin. Since then, the mare enjoyed her solace in Kentucky. In the meantime, Zenyatta’s legacy of being the only female winner of the Breeder’s Cup Classic found many accolades. 

One of those came as the horse racing icon’s stone-built statue in Santa Anita Park. Moreover, in 2010, Zenyatta won the Eclipse laurel, being the Horse of The Year, defeating Blame. In the meantime, her prize money also touched USD 7,304,580. But compared to all these gems, the fan love for her remained unparalleled. 

The fans remember the horse-racing queen 

After retiring from the competitive form, Zenyatta became a broodmare for a few years. However, now she’s spending her retired moments. But the racing royalty has not lost her touch. Eventually, that became an occasion to savor for the fans. Touching that string on X, Dhoniem penned, “There she is! The horse that got me into horse racing. She is still and absolute unit.”

The X-handle, The Golfing Goose commented, “Best ever!!!!!!!!!!!  The Dancing Queen!”. The paean for the horse racing epitome continued on the same spree. The X-handle, BoldontheMove shared TVG’s post and captioned it with, “There is not a more magnificent creature on the planet.” Mike Armstrong added his awe to the majestic mare by penning, “She still looks incredible!!!” But still, the time seemed to standstill. So when USASteeplechase quoted the post with penning “Zenyatta turned 20 today!”, things served as a surreal experience. 

Read more: “Toughest Competition”: Horse Racing Legend Mike Smith Reveals the Secrets Behind the Breeders Cup Classic Win