Moss, Ann and Jerry
Pillar of Achievement - 2011
Ann & Jerry Moss have been involved in thoroughbred racing for over 30
years, as both owners and breeders – most notably as stewards of one of
the sports' most beloved stars, Zenyatta.
First among the many outstanding thoroughbreds the Mosses have campaigned
over the years, five-time Eclipse Award winner Zenyatta completed an unparalleled
career with a near-perfect record of 19 wins from 20 lifetime starts. Included
among those triumphs was an impressive victory in the prestigious 2008
Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic.
Adored by racing fans throughout the world, this remarkable mare ran two of
the most memorable races in thoroughbred racing history. Zenyatta first rallied
to beat a world-class field of males, including eight Grade 1/Group 1 stakes
winners, in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic; she then launched a breathtaking
run from last to sweep past 10 other international stars and push Blame to the
wire when finishing second in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic. For all of her
distinguished efforts in 2010, Zenyatta was awarded with the Eclipse Award
honor of Horse of the Year.
Other notable horses in the Moss stables include Ruhlmann, winner of the 1990
Santa Anita Handicap; Sardula, winner of the 1994 Kentucky Oaks; Kudos, winner
of the 2002 Oaklawn Handicap; Tiago, winner of the 2007 Santa Anita Derby and
third in the 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic; and also, most notably, their homebred
Giacomo, winner of the 2005 Kentucky Derby.
In 2004, Jerry Moss was appointed to the California Horse Racing Board as a commissioner for his first term. He was appointed to his second term in 2008. The following year, Moss was named a member of the prestigious Jockey Club. Jerry Moss is no stranger to Hall of Fame inductions. As co-founder of A&M Records and Rondor Music along with partner Herb Alpert, Jerry and Alpert were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Non-Performer Category.
While they have achieved great fame in the sporting world, the Mosses' have managed to impact the community with intentionally little fanfare. Quietly, modestly, the Mosses have been very-behind-the-scenes forces in ventures to support a variety of essential charities.
More visibly, the Mosses have been ever-present as patrons of the arts. Jerry is a member of the UCLA Board of Visitors of the Arts and Architecture. Through the generosity of The Moss Foundation, Ann and Jerry have been able to help support many of UCLA‚'s Special Programs.
Ann is an Artist as well as a member of the Board of Visitors David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is also very active in protecting the welfare of marine life and has personally fought for the rights of dolphins and whales since 1989 through her other foundation, Dolphin Connection. She is proud to have been involved in the lobbying and subsequent success of tuna-dolphin labeling; and continues to fight for their rights annually at The International Whaling Commission Conference.