TDN Weekend December 2016 Issue 9
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/998879
so the connections of Cozmic One hoped he would follow in his Hall of Fame dam's hoofprints on the racetrack, but, un- fortunately, the son of Bernardini did not inherit the talent both his dam and sire possessed. The dark bay never finished better than fourth in five starts between 2015 and 2017 for trainer John Shirreffs, who also conditioned Zenyatta during her illustrious career in which she won 19 of her 20 races and earned over $7.3 million. While Cozmic One may not have been a star on the race- track, he is already shining in his new career as a show horse under the care of 17-year-old Isabela de Sousa. Don't let her age fool you; de Sousa displays the poise and maturity of someone twice her age and is already an accomplished equestrian, who is well-known in the off-the-track Thorough- bred world. The Kentucky native has won the show jumping competition at the Retired Racehorse Project's annual Thor- oughbred Makeover the past three years in a row and hopes to continue that streak with Cozmic One in October. "This horse really enjoys himself in his new career. He's really found his calling," said de Sousa, whose previous RRP winners include Dewey Square (2015), Carajillo (2016) and Late Night Mark (2017). "When I had my first ride on him, I thought he was really smart. He knows what he is doing with his legs and where his body is. It takes some horses a lot of time to figure that out. Our first time jumping, he was a nat- ural. He is very brave and really willing." H E WA S T H E F I R S T F OA L O U T O F S U P E R S TA R ZENYATTA ,