LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Zenyatta is in foal.
The 7-year-old Street Cry mare's pregnancy appeared on an ultrasound scan Thursday morning, 15 days after her mating to Bernardini. Such scans are routine for mares at around two weeks past breeding in order to identify whether the mare is carrying an embryo.
Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, wife of Zenyatta's former trainer John Shirreffs and racing manager for the mare's owners Ann and Jerry Moss, announced the pregnancy on a diary that purports to be written by Zenyatta.
"I AM IN FOAL!" Shirreffs wrote, adding, "From what I am told, everything looks fabulous and solid. The embryo looks to be a good size."
As is routine for broodmares, Zenyatta's next ultrasound will take place at about 28 days post-mating, and, assuming she is still pregnant at that time, again at 40 to 42 days post-mating.
Shirreffs wrote that her son, David Ingordo, who works at Lane's End where the Mosses board Zenyatta, called her at 4:33 a.m. Pacific to tell her the news.
On Wednesday, Shirreffs had said that Zenyatta's next scan would take place "sometime around the weekend," and on Thursday she wrote that "I guess my guys at the farm could not wait a moment longer ... and they scanned me this morning."
Zenyatta, the only mare to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, retired in 2010 and was subsequently voted 2010's Horse of the Year. She won the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic and 12 other Grade 1 races. Her only loss in 20 starts came in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic, when Blame beat her by a head.
Zenyatta is one of two female Horses of the Year to be bred for the first time in 2010. The other, 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, was mated to Curlin in February, just days before Zenyatta's covering by Bernardini. She also is in foal.
Rachel Alexandra's owners, Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke, also own Curlin, who stands at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Ky., for $40,000. Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum owns Bernardini, who stands at his Darley Stud at Jonabell Farm in Lexington. His fee is $75,000.