Holbrook Moss And DeVaux Embark On New Chapter With Nymue, Zenyatta’s Final Foal

[Wandering Eyes]

Though the grandstand remains quiet during the off-season at Keeneland, the racetrack does not, as trainers' barns grow and flourish with the continuous arrival of 2-year-olds ready to take the next step towards debuting as fully-fledged racehorses. It's a time of year filled with a sense of excitement for what's to come as trainers, owners and fans alike brim with the anticipation of watching who might develop into future stars.

This feeling is one that seems to reverberate most throughout Cherie DeVaux's barn following the recent arrival of one very special trainee: Nymue (War Front), the final foal out of the great champion Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}).

After receiving her early training at April Mayberry's farm in Ocala, a facility run by a family that has overseen the breaking and training of Zenyatta and all of her progeny, the 2-year-old filly Nymue arrived at DeVaux's barn three and a half weeks ago.

“For any 2-year-old that comes in to us, we want to make sure that the transition is as smooth as it can be. It's a whole different ballgame when they come from the farm and come in here because they're in such a different environment. So we really try to just let them get acclimated to a different lifestyle,” explained DeVaux. “The first day she came in, she was standing at the front of the stall wide-eyed and really not knowing what to do. But when she got out to the track, she understood what was going on. She's super, super smart, so now she knows training is a little bit later, she takes her morning nap and knows when feed time is coming. So, she knows what to expect.”

Nymue at Keeneland | Sara Gordon

Nymue arrived to the DeVaux barn with fellow Mayberry Farm graduate Shuggy (Twirling Candy), the first foal out of Zenyatta's oldest daughter Zellda (Medaglia d'Oro), who was retained by owner Ann Holbrook Moss after scratching from the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training back in April. The Zenyatta daughter and grandson pair have been training in company in the mornings, which has helped both acclimate to the hustle and bustle that comes with life at the racetrack.

Despite being a June foal, Nymue has grown well into her own, standing at an estimated 16.3 hands. With her age and size in mind, DeVaux has continued what the Mayberrys started by easing the filly into her training with a practice of mindful patience.

“She had a very deep foundation as far as fitness goes, but now we have to bring her along slowly as far as the speed work goes. That's very important when it comes to bone growth and generation,” said DeVaux.

Within the past week, DeVaux kicked it up a notch with Nymue. Though the trainer didn't ask for a whole lot more than what has been expected since her arrival, the filly delivered plenty, and then some.

“For a filly that has only had a couple of leg stretchers, her open gallop was what some horses breeze. I went and saw our early 2-year-olds and they were struggling to do just half of what she was doing, and [Nymue] did it with ease. Every horse is an individual, so you're trying not to put the cart before the horse, but it shows there's a lot in there,” said DeVaux. “When you have a big horse like that, they're naturally going to be faster. But it's not about time, it's about how she does it, so we'll do a lot of these exercises for her before we see a formal published breeze. We have to make sure she has the foundation.”

Nymue's arrival in DeVaux's barn, alongside Shuggy, marks a new era for Holbrook Moss, who campaigned Zenyatta with her late ex-husband, Jerry. It will be Holbrook Moss's first foray into solo ownership, which she is proudly embracing with a new stable name–AHHA Stables–represented by custom black silks with a white star, which she designed herself.

After sending Zenyatta's first four foals of racing age to the West Coast to train under John Shirreffs, who also conditioned their dam, Holbrook Moss made the decision to keep Nymue on the East Coast to take advantage of the racing opportunities, particularly in Kentucky and New York.

Nymue outside of Shuggy | Sara Gordon

“I interviewed several trainers and just clicked with Cherie. She's married to David [Ingordo], who purchased Zenyatta [as a yearling], and she's been living with Zenyatta all around her for quite a while now. I think she really understands the opportunity and sees it as a continuing story for Zenyatta, and that's the best you can ask for, right? It's the enthusiasm and brilliance that she has,” said Holbrook Moss. “With Cherie, I get to go see Zenyatta and the family [in Kentucky], and Nymue and Shuggy are right there too. I want to be on this side of the country. In the 70s, I lived in New York, and now I'm in my 70s, and I thought, 'I want to be in New York, too,' which is so good on so many levels.”

For DeVaux, the care and oversight of Zenyatta's final foal is a responsibility that she does not take lightly. But in that responsibility, there is also immense pride and appreciation for the opportunity Holbrook Moss has given her.

“She really put a lot of thought and process into her decision making and ultimately thought that this would be the best fit. It's really an honor. It was emotional. I was a big fan of Zenyatta, one of the many, and I do feel that there's a level of respect with every one [of her progeny]. You have to approach them as an individual,” reflected DeVaux. “You have a responsibility to the filly, to the fans, and most importantly to Ann, to give Nymue the best chance possible. I'm excited and emotional, but ultimately honored to train a filly like this.”

Joining Holbrook Moss in this new chapter as her stable's manager is none other than Todd Claunch, a good friend of Holbrook Moss's who previously worked as the farm manager of Lane's End Farm, Zenyatta's home, before retiring after a 34-year career with the farm this past December. It's a role fitting for a man that accomplished so much during his tenure, and one that Holbrook Moss describes as Zenyatta's “best friend.”

“When he retired, I said, 'How do we stay involved?' So, it naturally just evolved into a situation where now he's my racing manager and I'm thrilled to have him. He has a beautiful heart, so I'm really tickled that he's helping us out,” said Holbrook Moss. “Zenyatta loves Todd, that's her boyfriend. For as long as she's been there, he would go to see her first thing in the morning and right before he would leave the farm. She just loves him.”

Though Holbrook Moss plans to campaign her homebreds, she has also joined a partnership for the first time, buying into a couple of horses with the Terranova family.

“I love the horses. Zenyatta was the most amazing gift. When David purchased her [as a yearling], it was the same year Giacomo won the [GI] Kentucky Derby. That was a really big year and it's just been a gift all along the way,” said Holbrook Moss. “Zenyatta is an extraordinary being. She continues to touch people's hearts and uplift them. This is her legacy.”

On Saturday, Nymue and Shuggy loaded onto a van bound for Saratoga Race Course, where they will continue their training throughout the summer. The horses will be stabled in DeVaux's barn on the Oklahoma training track side in the barn formerly occupied by recently retired Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Nymue (outside) and Shuggy work | Sara Gordon

“Nobody is in a hurry and Ann is wonderful about being patient, as they were with Zenyatta, and there's no pressure on us. We have to let the filly tell us how to go. I have a feeling we'll open gallop her and she's going to have a published work without even trying, because she's just a naturally big and fast filly,” said DeVaux.

Though Nymue will be the last foal out of Zenyatta to dance across the racetrack, marking a bittersweet moment for all of those connected to the beloved Hall of Fame mare, it remains a pivotal moment for Holbrook Moss, who embarks on a new venture with a renewed sense of excitement.

“I just can't explain to you how blessed I feel. I have felt that every moment that I've been in the horse industry, around the horses, and with the horses, celebrating them and their achievements. And Nymue is absolutely another gift.”

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