Pan Zareta
Pan Zareta, was a chestnut Thoroughbred racehorse born in the United States in 1910. She competed from Mexico to Canada, as well as in eight U. S. states. While she never won a significant race, and only once beat a top-level horse (Old Rosebud), she was still called "Queen of the Turf."
| Pan Zareta | |
|---|---|
 Pan Zareta | |
| Sire | Abe Frank |
| Grandsire | Hanover |
| Dam | Caddie Griffith |
| Damsire | Rancocas |
| Sex | Mare |
| Foaled | 1910 |
| Country | US |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Breeder | James F. Newman |
| Owner | Hart S. Newman Edward T. Colton (12/1916) Joseph Marrone (11/1917) |
| Trainer | Hart S. Newman, E. "Doc" Foucon, J. C. Kirkpatrick, Edward T. Colton |
| Record | 151: 76-31-21 |
| Earnings | $39,082 |
| Major wins | |
| Senoritas Stakes Rio Grande Stakes Chihuahua Stakes Chapultepec Handicap Juarez Handicap Katonah Handicap | |
| Awards | |
| U.S. Champion Older Female Horse (1914) | |
| Honours | |
| United States Racing Hall of Fame (1972) Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1999) Pan Zareta Handicap (Fair Grounds Race Course) Stallion Stakes (Pan Zareta Division) (Lone Star Park) | |
| Last updated on March 23, 2011 | |
Background
Pan Zareta was bred by James F. Newman at his ranch in Sweetwater, Texas. Her sire was Abe Frank, and her mother was Caddie Griffith, sired by Rancocas.[1] Pan Zareta's lineage traced back to Hanover and Hindoo on her multiple stakes-winning sire's side (Abe Frank), and to Leamington on her dam's side (Caddie Griffith). Pan Zareta's third dam on her mother's side, the 1869 Texas-born Mittie Stephens, caused a problem; Mittie Stephens was listed in the American Stud Book as a "non-thoroughbred". Still, due to some complexities in the rulings, Pan Zareta was considered a Thoroughbred. However, neither Pan Zareta's dam, Caddie Griffith, nor Pan Zareta herself appear in the American Stud Book.
Racing career
Trained initially by owner Hart Newman, son of James F., the filly was known as "Panzy" (she was named for Panzy Zareta, the daughter of the once mayor of Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico). She traveled the country, appearing virtually anywhere. She was ridden by anyone handy and trained by an assortment of individuals. Newman hired "Doc" Foucon to take over for him and her second owner Edward T. Colton trained for himself. Pan Zareta made 151 starts and won 76, both being more than any other mare in U.S. racing history. On 24 different tracks, she always carried higher weights than any of her rivals, males as well as females, often up to 140 pounds (she once carried 146 pounds, giving away 46 pounds to the runner up. She carried 126 pounds or more 48 times, and won 21 of those races. Pan Zareta finished in the top three 128 times; she was in the money in 85 percent of her starts. She competed for relatively small purses that averaged $300 (the largest purse she ever earned amounted to $1,050). Her career earnings totalled $39,082.
Pan Zareta's most important wins came in the Senoritas Stakes, the Rio Grande Stakes, the Chihuahua Stakes, the Chapultepec Handicap, the Juarez Handicap, and the Katonah Handicap. In 1914, Pan Zareta was the Champion Older Female.
She equaled or set eleven track records during her racing career, most notably when at the age of five on February 10, 1915. She set the world record for five furlongs,(:57 1/5) at Juarez that went unbeaten for 31 years, running against Joe Blair, who carried ten pounds less than she did.
On March 24, 1917, Pan Zareta met Old Rosebud, winner of the 1914 Kentucky Derby, and Colonel Venie on the track. Pan Zareta won, with Colonel Venie receiving second, and Old Rosebud finishing last. When they met a second time on April 6, Old Rosebud gained first, and Pan Zareta came in third.
Stud record
Pan Zareta was retired as a broodmare in 1918 but failed to conceive a foal, and was thus sent back to the races. While in training in 1918, at eight years of age, Pan Zareta contracted pneumonia and died in her stall at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans on Christmas Day. She was buried in the infield of the Fair Grounds next to Kentucky Derby winner Black Gold.[1][2]
Honors
Pan Zareta was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame[3] in 1972 and into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1999.[4] A sprint race named after her, the Pan Zareta Handicap, is run at the Fair Grounds each year.
Notes
- Robertson History of Thoroughbred Racing in America pp. 201-202
- Wall Famous Running Horses pp. 99-100
- Staff "Pan Zareta" National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
- Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine
References
- Robertson, William H. P. (1964). The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America. New York: Bonanza Books. LCCN 64-17364.
- Staff. "Pan Zareta". Hall of Fame. National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
- Wall, John F. (1949). Famous Running Horses: Their Forebears and Descendants (Kessinger Publishing reprint ed.). Washington, D. C.: Sportsmen's Press. ISBN 1-4325-9386-2.
- Pan Zareta, Thoroughbred Champions
- Champions The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of America's Greatest Thoroughbreds, Revised Edition Champions from 1893–2004, Daily Racing Form.