WinStar Farm is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Tiznow's historic Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) double by offering a complimentary breeding season to the stallion for any filly or mare that wins the 2011 Classic Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.
WinStar, a new corporate partner of the Breeders' Cup in 2011, hopes to encourage some of the top fillies and mares in training to follow in Zenyatta's footsteps while also recognizing the anniversary of Tiznow's becoming the only horse to win back-to-back Classics.
“WinStar is thrilled to be involved with racing's championship event, and we believe this industry has an interest in matching the best horses against each other in the Classic,” said Elliott Walden, president and CEO at WinStar. “The last few years we've had the treat of watching some special fillies and mares in racing, and this year is no different. Nothing would be a greater honor to Tiznow's accomplishment 10 years ago than seeing the best fillies and mares face the best boys in front of a prime-time national TV audience.”
Tiznow, who stood the 2011 breeding season for a fee of $75,000 live foal, won the 2000 and 2001 Breeders' Cup Classics before retiring to stud at WinStar as a two-time champion. He has succeeded in the breeding shed as well, siring Breeders' Cup champion Folklore from his first crop and amassing eight grade I winners along the way, including leading 2011 older horse Tizway.
“We are very encouraged by WinStar's generous offer to owners of potential female Classic starters to win a free season to the one of Breeders' Cup's most popular champions, Tiznow,” said Carter Carnegie, Breeders' Cup senior vice president of sponsorship and business development. “We have seen the enormous amount of interest that a great female like Zenyatta can bring to our industry by nearly winning back-to-back Classics.”
The free breeding season will be valid in either 2012 or 2013.