Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, is pleased to announce the arrival of Cozmic One, the first born foal of the legendary Hall of Famer Zenyatta, the 2010 Horse of the Year.
The 12-year old dark bay gelding arrived at the farm on Tuesday [Oct 1], courtesy of his owner Ann Holbrook, who along with her late ex-husband, Jerry Moss, have been long-time supporters of Old Friends.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cozmic One to retired life at Old Friends,” said John Nicholson, Old Friends president and CEO. “As the first-born offspring of the remarkable champion Zenyatta, Cozmic One holds a special place in the hearts of racing fans everywhere.
“We look forward to welcoming all who wish to visit as he embarks on his new all-important role as ambassador for Thoroughbred aftercare. Our everlasting gratitude to Ann Holbrook and Dottie Ingordo for trusting us with their treasured Cozmic One.”
‘He’s a sweetheart’
Holbrook, who was on hand to see her horse arrive at Old Friends, said: “Well, he is the first born and he holds a very special place in our hearts. He’s a sweetheart so bringing him to Old Friends is a great transition for him because he’s got the fans, and the cookies, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Bred and owned by Holbrook and her ex-husband Jerry Moss, who passed away in 2023, Cozmic One is by the Preakness winner Bernardini and was foaled in Kentucky on March 8, 2012.
Holbrook recalled when Cozmic One was foaled. “It was a very magical night,” she said. “First, it was a full moon. And, then there was this incredible snow that was just falling vertically, but the snowflakes were like five-inches long and they looked like feathers.
“Also, it was Women’s Day, so I thought it was honoring his mama, Zenyatta, too. So we just joyfully welcomed him and we’re just so happy now he’s got another chapter of his life here at Old Friends.”
On paper, Cozmic One’s pedigree suggested he had the potential to be an excellent racehorse, as his sire Bernardini was a multiple graded-stakes winner, while Zenyatta’s record is the stuff of racing folklore.
A winner of 19 of her 20 career starts, she was defeated only on her final start in a gallant effort as she attempted to defend her Breeders’ Cup Classic crown on the dirt at Churchill Downs. One of the most popular mares in racing history, she won 13 G1s; she was named 2010 Horse of the Year and three-time Champion Older Mare in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
Unfortunately, Cozmic One’s racing career did not turn out that good. However, he went on to have a very successful second career as a show jumper under the care of Sergio de Sousa, and his daughter, Isabela.
In his racing career, Cozmic One was trained by John Shirreffs, and began racing as a three-year old in 2015 with two starts in maiden special weight races. In the first one on April 17, he finished sixth at Santa Anita, and followed that with a seventh at Belmont Park.
He returned to the track for his four-year old campaign in 2016, and had three more starts in maiden special weight races. In the first two at Del Mar, he finished fourth and then fifth. In what was to be his final outing, he finished eighth at Santa Anita and was subsequently retired.
Second career
However, that would not be the end of his professional life. While Cozmic One was racing, Sergio de Sousa, who is currently a partner and manager of Hidden Brook Farm in Paris, Ky., had been working with horses for years.
Originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, he moved to Kentucky in 1987 and, according to his website: “My family, Hidden Brook Farm and I have always promoted the importance of the retraining or retirement of racehorses. I have ridden horses for most of my life, mostly Thoroughbreds. I still ride every day that I can, compete occasionally and every day that I do that, the horses remind me why I do what I do.”
De Sousa has a keen eye for Thoroughbreds who might excel at something else after racing. Cozmic One caught his attention, and he believed the horse had the talent and potential to do well in a second career.
While he did not know the Mosses at the time, he knew their bloodstock agent David Ingordo, whom he approached bout the possibility of giving Cozmic One a second career when he was done racing if the horse was available from his owners.
In the end, things worked out and Holbrook and de Sousa became co-owners of the horse. Cozmic One, who had been gelded, headed to de Sousa’s farm near Lexington to begin his post-racing career as a show jumper.
‘A joy to have at home’
“He was a good horse,” said de Sousa, who drove Cozmic One to Old Friends from his farm in his van. “We were very thankful to Ann and all of the Zenyatta team, Dottie and David Ingordo, who got us started when they retired him as a racehorse. He was a joy to have at home.”
Cozmic One – or ‘Coz’, as he was to become known – began to learn his new career, ridden and trained by Sergio and his 16-year old daughter Isabela, who was a seasoned rider with a number of titles to her name already, including winning the Show Jumper title at the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover three years in a row (2015, 2016, 2017).
That October, after only a few months of training, Cozmic One headed to the Kentucky Horse Park for the 2018 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover. As a son of Zenyatta, he became one of the most popular equine entrants in the competition.
“When we participated in the Retired Racehorse Project, he brought more awareness to the event,” suggested de Sousa.
With Isabela riding, Cozmic One placed an excellent fifth out of 96 participants in the show jumping competition and made the Finale.
Later, he went on and improved in show jumping competitions, winning a number of events, also coming fourth in the prestigious United States Hunter Jumper Association’s (USHJA) Zone 5 of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio in the Thoroughbred Jumper section.
“When his track time came to an end, we were so lucky to have Sergio de Sousa step up, and his daughter, Isabela, did as well,” said Holbrook. “She was riding him in the shows and he really enjoyed it. I think he especially enjoyed the ribbons and all the fans.”
Second retirement
Recently, after five years of successful show jumping, it was decided to retire Cozmic One from his show jumping career. “He had an injury years ago to his left hind leg,” explained de Sousa.
“Usually I turn him out for the winter for about four months from November to February. And this year he just didn’t come out right, so it was going to take a long time to heal. He’s paddock sound and can canter and everything. But, we really didn’t want to do anything else, so it was time to really retire him.”
Thanks to Holbrook, the now 12-year old Thoroughbred has been sent to Old Friends to enjoy the rest of his life.
“I think Old Friends is a great thing,” said de Sousa. “He loves people; he knows that we work for him. He's a big puppy dog. I think he is going to continue to thrive here and more people will be able to come and see him.”
And, being a son of Zenyatta, doubtless he will become very popular with the tourists coming to the farm.
• Visit the Old Friends Equine website
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