Jerry Moss

Jerome S. "Jerry" Moss (The Bronx, New York City^[1], May 8, 1935) is an American recording executive, best known for being the co-founder of A&M Records (he is the "M" in A&M Records), along with trumpeter and bandleader Herb Alpert.

After graduating with a degree in English from Brooklyn College and a stint in the Army, Moss began his music career by promoting "Sixteen Candles," a hit for The Crests. In 1960 he moved to California where he teamed up with Alpert, forming Carnival Records in 1962 and running the company from an office in Alpert's garage. Discovering that the name was already taken, they dubbed their new-found company A&M Records.

After the A&M label was purchased by PolyGram, the two men went on to form Almo Sounds in 1994, a new record label which continues to operate.

Moss and Herb Alpert were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 as nonperformers.

Thoroughbred horse racing

Jerry Moss and his wife, Ann, are also longtime horse breeders and owners who received the largest ever first-place purse from the Kentucky Derby in 2005 after the victory of the first horse he had ever entered in that race, Giacomo.

Giacomo was named by Jerry and Ann Moss in honor of a friend of theirs, rock musician Sting, who has a son by the same name. The colt's dam was named Set Them Free, a reference to Sting's song If You Love Somebody Set Them Free.

Like Giacomo, the Mosses have named another runner after a connection to The Police. Zenyatta, a half-sister to the multiple grade I winner Balance, was purchased as a $60,000 yearling at the Keeneland Sales in September 2005^[2]. The Mosses named her after The Police's third album Zenyatta Mondatta.

And Zenyatta has become one of only a few undefeated horses in American Thoroughbred racing history, which include the immortal Colin and the "super filly" Personal Ensign. On November 7, 2009, Zenyatta became the first female to win the Breeders' Cup Classic and the first horse ever to win two different Breeders' Cup races, improving her winning record to 14 of 14.^[3] Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike E. Smith, she triumphed in a field of 12 horses including 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and 2009 Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird.

After a shaky start Zenyatta trailed the field for most of the race. Jockey Smith said, "At the half-mile pole, I thought, ’Oh God, they’re stacked up. There’s no way I’m going to get around all these horses.'” And Zenyatta was still ninth, 7 lengths back, at the quarter-pole. But her pace quickened and her stride lengthened, and Smith guided her two paths wide, past five horses before the head of the stretch. Smith then swung Zenyatta outside into the clear. Suddenly, she was even with the leader, Gio Ponti, then in front. With her ears straight up, she sprinted to a 1 length victory. Her official time was 2:00.62. Said fellow trainer Bob Baffert, "What a thrill seeing history being made by Zenyatta. It was the only time in horse racing that I didn't mind getting beat in a big race. And the way she won. I've never seen a crowd so captivated. It felt like a horse winning the third leg of the Triple Crown."

Like Personal Ensign and Colin, Zenyatta will retire undefeated, and she stands as the all-time leading female earner in North America with winnings of $5,474,580.

References

1. ^ Jerry Moss As seen in May 16, 2009.
2. ^ Zenyatta stings El Encino rivals - NTRA
3. ^ "Zenyatta takes Breeders' Cup win". BBC Sport. 2009-11-08. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/8345133.stm. Retrieved 2009-11-09. 

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