Sharing the Joy of Racing Owner Profile: Jerry and Ann Moss by Tracy Gantz
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Sharing the Joy of Racing Owner Profile: Jerry and Ann Moss By Tracy Gantz Z enyatta and Giacomo have thrust Jerry and Ann Moss into Records, a business they founded and built into the world’s the national spotlight. But the couple’s involvement as largest independent record company. Record manufacturer Thoroughbred owners goes far beyond the Breeders’ Cup Nate Duroff helped them get Alpert’s “The Lonely Bull” going Classic and Kentucky Derby winners. as what would become a hit single in 1962. They enjoy the entire ownership experience, from rooting Several years later, after Duroff suffered a slight stroke, Moss their horses home and standing in the winner’s circle to visit- asked what he could do to help. Duroff replied that he’d recu- ing them in the morning and perate much better if Moss watching the workouts. In bought a horse with him. fact, it was after watching That led to Duroff, Moss, Zenyatta one morning at and Alpert claiming Hollywood Park that the Angeltune for $12,500. Mosses made the popular “This little horse was their decision to continue running pride and joy,” said Tom her in 2010. Mankiewicz, a screenwriter, “We enjoy visiting with the horse owner, and great horses and the trainer and all friend of the Mosses. the people at the barn,” said As Jerry became more Jerry. “We always take a involved in horse ownership, moment to remember how Ann enthusiastically accom- very much you can accom- panied him. They even plish in a day if you get out brought Mankiewicz into the early enough to enjoy what’s ownership ranks when he happening outside.” expressed a desire to get a The Mosses’ roles in racing cheap claimer. Jerry suggest- encompass more than owning ed that they pool their and breeding racehorses. Jerry resources into a partnership spends countless hours as a so that they could get a better California Horse Racing class of horse. For several Board commissioner, a posi- years in the 1980s, Jerry, tion he has held since 2004. Ann, and Mankiewicz cam- Jerry feels that the CHRB paigned horses as the Run plays a vital role in the indus- for Fun Bunch. try. When Jerry first owned “I believe what the CHRB, horses, he chose Bobby most importantly, provides Frankel as his trainer, and for the racing industry,” said Frankel conditioned Moss’ Moss, “is a forum for all parts first stakes winner, Lovely of our game to come together Robbery, who won the 1981 and express how they feel Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa about things and how they’d Anita. like to change them.” “Lovely Robbery may have been our first stakes winner,” said Both Jerry and Ann support many racing-related charities. Moss, “but our first ‘special’ horse would have to have been Several retired racehorse organizations have benefited from the Fighting Fit. He ran 50 times for our trainer, Bobby Frankel, Mosses’ generosity. They have worked with Old Friends since and won several graded stakes, including the Mervyn LeRoy, at its inception as well as such others as CANTER and Tranquility Hollywood Park.” Farm. Jerry and Ann believe passionately in the importance of From those roots, Moss built the stable into a breeding and education and are big boosters of the Grayson Foundation in racing operation that today encompasses about 25 horses in California and the Race for Education nationally. training and 20 broodmares. Their horses have included 1990 “Along with all the important backstretch community support Santa Anita Handicap winner Ruhlmann, trained by Charlie systems,” said Jerry, “we need to help the horse retirement Whittingham, and 1994 Kentucky Oaks winner Sardula, farms stay active and continue caring for our equine athletes trained by Brian Mayberry. when they leave the racetrack.” The Mosses credit the other members of their team for help- Like most owners, the Mosses began with claiming horses, ing them to build the stable. Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs has though Jerry didn’t come to it in the usual way. served as their racing manager since 1984, and her son, David Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss are the “A” and “M” of A&M Ingordo, selects horses out of sales. Both Dottie and David are wners' 4 O'Circle 5 As Zenyatta collected trophy after trophy, her legend grew. By capturing the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic and 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic, she became the first horse to win two dif- ferent Breeders’ Cup races and the first female to win the Classic. involved in breeding decisions. John Shirreffs and John Sadler Zenyatta has arguably become more famous than the album train the horses in Southern California, while Steve Sherman that lent her its name. trains for the Mosses in Northern California. Dottie and David selected the massive filly out of the 2005 As A&M Records developed and grew, it signed a group called Keeneland fall yearling sale. A daughter of Street Cry out of The Police. Not only did The Police and the band’s vocalist, Vertigineux, the dam of grade I winner Balance, Zenyatta cost Sting, record hit after hit for the A&M label, they provided $60,000. That seems like a bargain today, but it was Street Cry’s names for several of the Mosses’ horses. first crop, Balance had yet to start, and Zenyatta broke out in a Mayberry trained many winners for the Mosses, and his rash before the sale. widow, Jeanne, still breaks their young horses. In 1992, Brian That turned out to be a fortuitous set of circumstances for the Mayberry bought a daughter of Stop the Music for them in Mosses, Shirreffs, and Smith. David Flores rode Zenyatta in her Florida for $45,000. Jerry and Ann named her Set Them Free, first three races, but since then Smith has rounded out the re- from a song on Sting’s first solo album. teaming of the Giacomo bunch. Mayberry developed Set Them Free into a Southern California As Zenyatta collected trophy after trophy, her legend grew. By stakes winner, and she retired with earnings of $173,275. capturing the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic and 2009 Everyone on the Moss team hoped Set Them Free would Breeders’ Cup Classic, she became the first horse to win two become a good broodmare, but no one expected her to get different Breeders’ Cup races and the first female to win the them into the winner’s circle after the Kentucky Derby. Classic. In 2002, Set Them Free produced a Kentucky-bred son of Her antics before her races have added to Zenyatta’s popular- Holy Bull. Continuing with the Sting theme, the Mosses named ity. She struts in the paddock and dances in the post parade, all him Giacomo, after one of Sting’s sons. Mayberry had since to the adulation of racing fans everywhere. passed away, and Giacomo went to Shirreffs, whose patience “She loves her fans,” said Ann Moss. “She stops and poses for with young horses has proved invaluable to the Mosses and them. She dances before and after. She’s having such a good other owners. time.” At two, Giacomo started just four times, but he showed People send poems, drawings, and letters to Zenyatta and the promise with a second in the Hollywood Futurity. By Kentucky Mosses every day. One woman even said she wants “She saw Derby time he still hadn’t won a stakes. His placings in the Zenyatta” written on her tombstone. Futurity, San Felipe Stakes, and Sham Stakes gave him enough “Everybody says how much she means to them,” said Ann earnings to get into the Derby field, where he went off at 50-1. Moss. “It’s wonderful to touch people’s hearts like that.” Jockey Mike Smith brought Giacomo home in front by a half- The thrills that Zenyatta has brought to the Mosses as well as length in the Derby, completing the team that would go on to the public played a key role in the decision to keep her in train- even bigger fame with another horse with a Sting connection. ing for 2010. In 1980, The Police had put out their third album, called “We want to be able to enjoy her,” said Jerry Moss. “We want Zenyatta Mondatta. Jerry and Ann felt that those would make to watch her. And I think the fans do too.” terrific horse names, and they gave them to two separate fillies. wners' O'Circle 5.