Major races: Breeders' Cup Distaff (2002), Apple Blossom Handicap (2002, 2003, 2004)

Awards: 2004 US Champion Older Female, 2003 US Champion Older Female, 2002 US Horse of the Year and Champion Older Female

Post Career: Retired from racing in 2004 and became a successful broodmare, producing several stakes winners including Antoinette (2006), A Z Warrior (2007), Azeri's Rocket (2008), Azeri's Tale (2009), Dixie's Tale (2010), Lady's Tale (2011), Azeri's Glory (2012). Azeri was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2010. She died on April 17, 2020.

May 6 - Azeri

Azeri, one of those rare female Horses of the Year, one of the last great horses was raced by Allen Paulson.

When Mr. Paulson passed away, well, it proved what Mark Twain said, "You never really know someone until you split an inheritance with them." Mr. Paulson had a few children (I think four of them.) One of them, Michael, loved the horses and wanted to keep one of the greatest racings stables this country has ever seen together. Michael did everything in his power to keep Azeri in the family. She had a colt that was named Valenzeri because he was born on Valentine's Day, her first foal and he was by AP Indy. Michael had hoped to raise Vallenzeri and felt that he had a potential Derby horse on his hands.

(I'm throwing this factoid on here because of its timeliness. Michael asked me who I thought he should use to train Vallenzeri. I told him Kenny McPeek and gave him my reasons.)

But back to the Mark Twain quote - the forces that were such that all the horses had to be sold to appease all the heirs. Valenzeri was sold and renamed Take Control.

Michael loved Azeri as much as any horse owner I've known loved any of their horses. She was a living breathing connection to his father. It broke his heart to have to run back throw the sale a second time after thwarting her sale the first time.

She is in Japan, retired from broodmare duties but I've been told she's a great "pasture mom". She could not be at a better place than Mr. Yoshida's farm where the mares are revered and given the greatest care. The Yoshida family has been breeding horses for over a half a century and during that time, they have NEVER sold their mares. It is an amazing long-term strategy! Please, don't worry about our girl, she will be loved and cared for with respect and dignity forever.