Horse Racing: Zenyatta & Rachel Alexandra Bred for 2012 Foals

This week was a one of note in horse racing as multiple Eclipse Horse of the Year winners were bred. 

With a week like this, I say we just skip the rest of 2011 and skip right on ahead to January of 2012 when these foals will be born. If the mares are lucky enough to get in foal on the first try, they can carry the foals to term. 

2009 Eclipse Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra, was bred to 2007 & 2008 Eclipse Horse of the Year, Curlin, on Monday at 9AM EST at Lanes End Farm.  The horses, owned by Jess Jackson, won the 2007 and 2009 runnings of the Preakness Stakes and the 2008 and 2009 runnings of the Woodward.  Curlin also won the 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup. 

They have a combined record of 35 starts, 24 wins, seven second place finishes and two third place finishes for $14,008,530 in earnings with wins in 12 Grade Ones.

Also, 2010 Eclipse Horse of the Year, Zenyatta, was bred to 2006 Eclipse Male of the Year and runner-up Horse of the Year, three-year-old Bernardini, on Wednesday at 8AM EST at Darley Stud. 

Zenyatta won the 2008 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic and 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic during a 19-race winning streak before finishing second in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic to Blame (the same position Bernardini finished in 2006 to Invasor).

The pair has combined to have a record of 28 starts, 25 wins, and two second place finishes for $10,365,060 in earnings with wins in 17 Grade Ones.

Both mares will be checked to make sure they are in foal 14 to 16 days after their breedings and, if all goes well, they will foal in 11 months.

Just like their fan-based on-track rivalry, there is sure to be many discussions about what mare will foal first, and who should be the better foal. It will be years before the foals step onto the track, but they will have eyes on them every step of the way.