By Jim Charvat

Jerry Moss © Benoit Photo

ZENYATTA OWNER JERRY MOSS PASSES AWAY AT 88

He was a music mogul and the owner of a champion race horse. Jerry Moss passed away Wednesday at the age of 88 at his home in Bel Air, California. His wife, Tina, told the Associated Press he died of natural causes.

Moss was the ‘M’ in A&M Records, a company he founded with the great trumpeter Herb Alpert in the 1960’s. They brought us the Police, the Carpenters, Janet Jackson, Joe Cocker and Cat Stevens. One of the top records of all-time, Carole King’s “Tapestry,” and the chart-topping album “Frampton Comes Alive” were both released by A&M Records.

He was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

The year before, Moss bought a yearling filly and named her Zenyatta, after one of the Police albums. She would become one of the most successful racehorses of all time, winning 19 races in a row before losing her final race, the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic, to the colt Blame.

“Everyone felt that she was their girl,” Moss would say of Zenyatta’s popularity in an interview with TVG, “and she wasn’t going to disappoint them. And she never did.”

Mike Smith was Zenyatta’s regular rider.

“Every moment that you were blessed to spend with him was a fond moment,” Smith says of Moss. “He was a special human being, on and off the track. The industry lost a great owner, especially California racing.”

Smith says Moss was always patient with his horses.

“He gave John (trainer John Shirreffs) free rein on when it was time,” Smith remembers. “Heck, she didn’t run until her 4-year-old year. He gave John all of the time that he needed.

“He was that way during the run that we had,” Smith continued. “You never felt any added pressure. ‘Let’s have fun. Let’s let the people enjoy her. Win, lose or draw. Let’s go out and have a good time’ and that’s the way it always was. You felt good when you rode for him. He gave you confidence and that makes your job a whole lot easier.”

Moss raced Zenyatta in partnership with his first wife, Ann. They first brought her to Del Mar in 2008 when she won the G1 Clement Hirsch. They brought her back for the Hirsch again in 2009 and 2010 and, of course, she won them both.

But Zenyatta was not the only horse Moss raced. He had over 60 stakes winners during his 40 years in racing including the 1989 Santa Anita Handicap winner, Ruhlmann, as well as Sardula, winner of the 1994 Kentucky Oaks. He also won a coveted Kentucky Derby in 2005 with Giacomo, who went off at odds of 50-1 under rider Smith.

He also served as a member of the California Horse Racing Board for eight years.

Moss is survived by his wife and three children.

NEIGE BLANCHE, QUEEN OFTHE TEMPLE RENEW RIVALRY IN CTT & TOC

When last they met, Neige Blanche was out finishing Queen ofthe Temple by a neck in a driving finish in the $100,000 Possibly Perfect at Santa Anita in June. One could argue that the difference was Queen ofthe Temple being fanned four wide at the top of the lane.

The two will hook up again Friday in the $100,000 CTT & TOC turf marathon at Del Mar. The California Thoroughbred Trainers and Thoroughbred Owners of California is a mile and three-eighths on the grass.

Neige Blanche won the race two years ago and returned to run in last year’s edition, finishing a disappointing fifth. She’s now a 6-year-old but still running as good as ever.

“The key is not to over train them,” trainer Leonard Powell says. “She had a very nice break for the winter and she managed to win off the layoff which was very satisfying. This year we started her campaign late so she’ll have a light campaign. Just keeping her happy; especially with fillies and mares it’s very important to keep their spirits up.”

It will be exactly two months since she last raced when she goes in the gate Friday evening.

“We didn’t have a choice,” Powell reflects. “There were no distance races in between. But it should fit her accordingly because she ran well fresh last time.”

Meanwhile Queen ofthe Temple and her trainer Dan Blacker have been pointing to this race and a rematch with Neige Blanche.

‘It just depends on the pace scenario,” Blacker notes. “We’re going to be aggressive with her out of the gate. That’s the tactic we’ve used with most success. She’s a grinder so she’s got to be up close to the pace. You never know, we might end up on the lead but I’m going to tell Joe (Bravo) to just put her up in the race, get her up close, and hopefully that will work out for us.”

The daughter of Temple City has run four races this year and finished first or second all four times.

“I think just maturity,” Blacker says about Queen ofthe Temple’s success this year. “She’s gotten better as she gets older and wiser. She’s just a hard knocking, tough filly that tries hard every time and we’re really thankful to have her.”

No turf race at Del Mar would be complete without one or two Philip D’Amato horses in it. He brings Oakhurst and Eylara to this dance.

Oakhurst won a second-level allowance race at Del Mar on opening weekend. It was her first race in nearly six months. She only missed by a length while finishing fourth in the G1 American Oaks at Santa Anita on the day after Christmas.

Eylara is an Irish-bred who raced in New York last year for trainer Christophe Clement. She raced as a 2- and a 3-year-old in Ireland. Her first time out for D’Amato she won an entry level allowance test at Del Mar last month.

Sister Otoole from the Graham Motion barn is back to defend her crown. She came from far out of it to get up and win last year’s CTT & TOC. She left after that and ran third in the G3 Dowager at Keeneland before returning to Del Mar and going off the favorite in the G3 Red Carpet last fall. She would finish fourth.

Motion put her on the shelf for a well-deserved freshening, bringing her back in an optional claiming allowance at Saratoga last month where she came in fifth.

The CTT & TOC is Race #7 on the eight-race Friday evening card. The approximate post time is 6:30 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds: Symphony Perfect (Juan Hernandez, 6-1); Happy Happy (Tiago Pereira, 20-1); Oakhurst (Hector Berrios, 6-1); Queen ofthe Temple (3-1); Paris Peacock (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1); Neige Blanche (Diego Herrera, 5-2); Eylara (Umberto Rispoli, 5-1); Myfavoritedaughter (Ramon Vasquez, 15-1), and Sister Otoole (Antonio Fresu, 6-1).

HERNANDEZ IN CONTROL; D’AMATO, BAFFERT TIED AGAIN

With a shake of the reins and a crack of the whip, Juan Hernandez has once again seized control of the jockey standings at Del Mar.  In his quest to win his third meet title, Hernandez won four races on Saturday and then three more on Sunday to increase his total to 22 and jump ahead of Umberto Rispoli and Hector Berrios by seven victories.

All of this despite sitting out a total of four days serving suspensions. Hernandez missed opening day for a whip violation while winning the G2 Great Lady M on closing day at Los Alamitos. Then he was assessed another three days this month for a riding infraction when his horse cut off the race favorite, Twilight Gleaming, in the Daisycutter on July 28.

Hernandez has ridden 77 mounts and is winning at a 29% clip, far exceeding the other jockeys. He’s also had eight seconds and 13 thirds for a 56% in the money rating.

Umberto Rispoli and Hector Berrios continue their duel for second with four wins a piece last week and are tied at 15. The three top riders have all exceeded $1 million in earnings.

Ramon Vasquez (11) and Antonio Fresu (10) round out the Top Five. They’re followed by Edwin Maldonado (9); Tiago Pereira (8); Kent Desormeau and Antonio Aguilar (six each), and Joe Bravo (5).

The trainers race is a lot closer as Philip D’Amato and Bob Baffert are tied with a dozen victories apiece even though Baffert has half as many starts as D’Amato. The top two trainers, who tied for the summer meet title last year, both had two victories last week. One of Baffert’s wins came in the G3 Best Pal with the talented 2-year-old Prince of Monaco last Sunday.   

Both have exceeded $1 million in earnings so far this season.

Peter Miller (9), Doug O’Neill (8), and Peter Eurton (7) round out the top five in the trainer standings after four weeks of racing.

Reddam Racing and Red Baron’s Barn or Rancho Temescal are tied for the lead in the owners standings with three wins each.

COOLING OUT:  Assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes says Prince of Monaco and Muth, the one-two finishers in last Sunday’s G3 Best Pal, came out of the race in good shape. While trainer Bob Baffert has not announced any definitive plans for his pair of 2-year-olds, most Best Pal winners return to try the G1 Del Mar Futurity on closing day…Notable works this week, all on the dirt. Monday – Spirit of Makena (4f, :49.20); Taiba (4f, :48.80); Brickyard Ride (5f, 1:00.40); Defunded (5f, :59.00), and Faiza (6f, 1:12.40). Tuesday – Fun to Dream (3f, :38.00). Thursday – Justique (5f, :59.80). Turf – Bus Buzz (4f, :48.80) and Irideo (4f, :48.60). 

Del Mar Statistics

 Jockey Standings
(Current Through August 13, 2023 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings
(Current Through August 13, 2023 Inclusive) 

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through August 13, 2023 Inclusive)

Winning favorites -- 52 out of 144 -- 36.11%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 32 out of 83 -- 38.55%
Winning favorites on turf -- 20 out of 61 -- 32.79%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 11 out of 20 -- 55.00%
In-the-Money favorites -- 87 out of 144 -- 60.42%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 15 out of 20 -- 75.00%