Azeri (horse)

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename= Azeri


caption = After her retirement.
sire= Jade Hunter
grandsire= Mr. Prospector
dam= Zodiac Miss
damsire= Ahonoora
sex= Mare
foaled= 1998
country= United States flagicon|USA
colour= Chestnut
breeder= Allen E. Paulson
owner= Michael Paulson
trainer= Laura de Seroux
D. Wayne Lukas
record= 24:17-4-0
earnings= $4,079,820
race= Clement L. Hirsch Handicap (2002, 2003)
Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap (2002, 2003) Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (2002)
Apple Blossom Handicap (2002. 2003, 2004)
Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap (2002, 2003)
Vanity Handicap (2002, 2003)
Go For Wand Handicap (2004)
Spinster Stakes (2004)

Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Distaff (2002)
awards= American Horse of the Year (2002)
American Champion Older Female Horse
(2002, 2003, 2004)
honours= Azeri Breeders’ Cup Stakes (GIII) (Oaklawn Park
updated= CURRENTTIME, CURRENTDAYNAME CURRENTMONTHNAME CURRENTDAY CURRENTYEAR (UTC)

Azeri (foaled 1998 in Versailles, Kentucky) is a thoroughbred racehorse. She was sired by Jade Hunter, a winner of the Grade 1 Donn Handicap and the G1 Gulfstream Park Handicap, who was a son of the very important sire, Mr. Prospector. She is the only starter out of the Ahonoora mare, Zodiac Miss. She's also out of the family of the 1999 Breeders' Cup Mile winner, the French horse, Silic. Zodiac Miss was bred in Australia by John Messara's Arrowfield Stud. Prominent Australian bloodstock agents Brian King & James Bester, together with Californian based agent Denny Boultinghouse, recommended and sold Zodiac Miss to Paulson, and the filly was subsequently shipped to U.S.A. to race there for her new owner. At the end of her racing career Allen Paulson sent Zodiac Miss to the breeding shed.

Paulson, an aerospace magnate (Gulfstream Aerospace) whose many global investments included racehorses, casinos and oil exploration. Paulson also bred and raced Cigar, who currently stands at #2 on the North American All-Time Money Earners' list.

Azeri was purchased for $110,000 at the 1999 Keeneland September yearling sale from the consignment of Jonabell Farm and trained by Laura de Seroux, one of the few women trainers in a man's world. Of her greatest horse, Seroux said, "She didn't let anyone down, and she did it in great style. She's simply the fastest filly in the world now. You can't catch her early, and you can't catch her late."

Allen Paulson died before he knew who Azeri would turn out to be, but his son Michael took over his father's role in her racing life.

Out of 24 starts, she won 17 and placed in 4. When she was awarded the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, she was only the third female to win since the voting began in 1971, 35 years ago as of this writing - 2006. The other two female winners were All Along in 1983 and Lady's Secret in 1986. Both of these had defeated males, though Azeri did not.

Azeri at the races

* At Four (2002)
** 1st. Breeders' Cup Distaff, G1
** 1st. Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap, G1
** 1st. Apple Blossom Handicap, G1
** 1st. Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap, G1
** 1st. Vanity Handicap, G1
** 1st. Clement L. Hirsch Handicap, G2
** 1st. Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap, G2
** 2nd. La Canada Stakes, G2

* At Five (2003)
** 1st. Apple Blossom Handicap, G1
** 1st. Milady BCH, G1
** 1st. Vanity Handicap, G1
** 1st. Clement L. Hirsch Handicap, G2
** 2nd. Lady's Secret BCH, G2

* At Six (2004)
** 1st. Apple Blossom Handicap, G1
** 1st. Go For Wand Handicap, G1
** 1st. Spinster Stakes, G1
** 2nd. Humana Distaff Handicap, G1
** 2nd. Personal Ensign Handicap, G1

Awards and Honors

Azeri has earned more purse money than any other female in the history of North American thoroughbred racing—$4,079,820.

* Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year (2002)
* Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Female Horse (2002, 2003, 2004)
* Eleven-race win streak
* Highest Female Money Earner in North America

Azeri under Lukas

Azeri suffered a tendon injury while going for her 12th straight win, in the Lady’s Secret at Santa Anita. Her courage carried her to a second place finish that day, but for quite a while all were certain she would not race again. Laura de Seroux recommended that she be retired, but Michael Paulson, after careful consideration, decided she could and would race again. At this point, he turned her training over to the Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas.

In her first start for her new trainer, six months after her injury, Azeri blew into the finish line of the Apple Blossom. It was her third consecutive Apple Blossom Handicap, a feat no other filly had ever managed. But then she lost three races in a row. Once more people thought she was through. But Lukas entered her into the Go For Wand Handicap at Saratoga Race Course, where she would come up against the multiple grade one winner Sightseek. These two great mares came into the stretch together as the track announcer, Tom Durkin, yelled, “At the top of the stretch it's the two best mares in America”. Azeri hit the wire nearly two lengths ahead of Sightseek.

Azeri now

Azeri retired from racing in December, 2004. In her first attempt at breeding in Kentucky she proved barren to Storm Cat for 2005 but successfully delivered a chestnut colt by A.P. Indy on the 14th of February, 2007. This colt, named Vallenzeri, is the rare product of two Horses of the Year.

Azeri is currently living at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Lexington, Kentucky along with some other leading racing broodmares, Silverbulletday, Dance Smartly, and Better Than Honour, the dam of Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches. In 2007, she was bred back to Storm Cat.

Trivia

* Azeri was named by Allen Paulson for an aviation checkpoint in Baku.
* She has a race named for her, the Azeri Breeder’s Cup at Arkansas's Oaklawn Park for four-year-olds & up, either male or female. In 2006, Round Pond won, Happy Ticket placed, and Platinum Ballet came in third.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/azeri Azeri's pedigree, with photo]
* "Women of the Year - Ten Fillies Who Achieved Horse Racing's Highest Honor" by the Staff and Correspondents of The Blood-Horse magazine (2004) Eclipse Press ISBN 1-58150-116-1
http://www.pedigreequery.com/azeri

External links

* [http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=25920 Bloodhorse Azari Retired]
* [http://www.hillndalefarms.com/about/ Hill 'n' Dale Farms]