Best for Last? Zenyatta’s Final Foal On Track at Mayberry Farm

[Wandering Eyes]

There is one moment that still sticks out to April Mayberry from Zenyatta's time at her family's farm in Ocala. From the day the daughter of Street Cry (Ire) arrived at Mayberry Farm, she was straightforward but not necessarily a standout. That is, until the future superstar had her first breeze.

Mayberry's mother Jeanne instructed rider Ronaldo Rodas to take it easy, let the filly follow behind four or five other 2-year-olds and see how she handled it. As the story goes, in a move that would later become her trademark, Zenyatta started picking off horses one by one as they came down the stretch.

“I remember my mother saying that we either had one really good horse or a lot of bad ones,” Mayberry recalled. “As it turned out, the other ones that were breezing were no slouches, but she just galloped past them like, 'See you around' and that's something that will always stand out because that was a moment where you're like, 'Oh man, she's something special.'”

Over the past nearly two decades since, Zenyatta has been an integral part of the Mayberrys' lives. The Hall of Famer is one of their most accomplished graduates and whenever the Mayberrys are in Kentucky, they make a point of visiting the mare at Lane's End Farm.

Nymue and Ronaldo Rodas during a morning of training at Mayberry Farm | Katie Petrunyak

The Mayberrys have also brought up all of Zenyatta's progeny. Over an oftentimes troubled breeding career, the champion has produced only four horses of racing age to date. Two of those have made the starting gate, though neither found the winner's circle. After foaling a War Front filly in 2023, Zenyatta was retired from breeding at the age of 19.

This year, the Mayberrys are relishing a bittersweet chapter in their story with Zenyatta as her daughter Nymue, the War Front filly who is the last of Zenyatta's progeny, undergoes the breaking and training process at Mayberry. With her dark bay coat and a striking blaze, Nymue bears a strong resemblance to her dam. When she arrived at Mayberry Farm this past October, the team there learned that, like Zenyatta, this filly has a strong personality.

“She has the characteristics and the mannerisms of her mother,” said Mayberry. “Zenyatta was pretty straightforward. She liked to train. She went out in her paddock, ate grass, went in, ate, and then slept. She was a little bit like a cat that says, 'Pet me' and then, 'Okay now I'm bored of you.' It's the same thing with this filly. She loves attention and then when she's done, she's like, 'Okay now I want to go eat. Leave me alone.' She's very smart and easy to do everything with, so it's pretty exciting so far.”

Zenyatta and Nymue in 2023 at Lane's End | Sarah Andrew

Ronaldo Rodas, who broke Zenyatta back in the day, has also started all of her sons and daughters. He echoed the sentiment that Nymue shares some similarities with her dam.

“I'm happy with her,” he said. “I enjoy every day that I get to ride her. When I take her to the track, for those 15 or 20 minutes I am happy. I hope she can be a good one. She's like her mother. She's got a good mind, so sweet, and she's a nice mover.”

Most mornings, Nymue enjoys turnout time with her paddock mate, a Jimmy Creed filly, before going out to the track for training. The Mayberrys are in no hurry with the June-foaled filly.

“She's done everything right and we have to keep remembering that she's a very late foal,” said Mayberry. “She's on pace with everybody else on the farm, so we're just letting her tell us where she wants to go next. There's no rush and I am a big believer in letting them tell us what they need and what they want.”

Shuggy (outside) trains at Mayberry Farm | Katie Petrunyak

This is hardly the final chapter in the Mayberry's association with Zenyatta. Along with Nymue, this year's crop at Mayberry Farm includes Shuggy, the first foal out of Zenyatta's oldest daughter Zellda (Medaglia d'Oro). The April-foaled Twirling Candy colt is named after Lane's End farm manager Todd Claunch's dog Shug.

“He's a typical boy,” reported Mayberry. “He's a little rough and tumble and a little more rambunctious, but he loves to train so that's always a plus. They have to want to do it and he certainly seems like he wants to do it.”

While the Mayberry team is looking forward to seeing more of Zenyatta's “grandchildren” in the coming years, they can't help but hope that first, Nymue might be able to build upon Zenyatta's legacy on the racetrack.

“I don't know,” reflected Mayberry. “Maybe she saved the best one for last.”

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