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Tales from the Crib: Zany

Apr 30, 2026 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Zany gambols alongside mom Mo' Green (Photo by Kelcey Loges/Taylor Made Farm)

Zany gambols alongside mom Mo' Green (Photo by Kelcey Loges/Taylor Made Farm)

One year after campaigning their homebred Nitrogen to champion three-year-old filly honors, the Green family’s D. J. Stable has another top prospect to their credit – Kentucky Oaks (G1) favorite Zany.

Unlike Nitrogen, who remained within the D. J. Stable fold, Zany was sold as a yearling at the boutique Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Jacob West’s West Bloodstock bought her on behalf of Repole Stable. About a month later, West purchased Renegade for the same owner at Keeneland September, and now he looms as the morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Zany looks statuesque as a May yearling (Photo by Kelcey Loges/Taylor Made Farm)

Zany looks statuesque as a May yearling (Photo by Kelcey Loges/Taylor Made Farm)

But the Oaks and Derby favorites didn’t just become stablemates when they joined Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. They were both born and raised at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky, although Renegade spent some time in his babyhood at the Missouri farm of his breeders, Robert and Lawana Low.

The Green family boards their mares at Taylor Made, so Nitrogen likewise grew up at that famed Bluegrass nursery. She was voted Canada’s champion two-year-old filly of 2024 as a maiden, thanks to her excellent thirds in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar.

Nitrogen came out running in 2025 with a five-race winning spree, including the Edgewood (G2) on Oaks Day at Churchill Downs. At that point in her career, she was focusing on the turf. But Nitrogen switched to dirt at Saratoga last summer, and her victory in the Alabama (G1), over Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer, helped in her battle for the divisional Eclipse Award. She concluded her three-year-old season with a runner-up effort to the older Scylla in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) back at Del Mar.

The third Eclipse Award champion for D. J. Stable, Nitrogen joins Jaywalk (2018) (who was co-owned with Cash Is King) and Wonder Wheel (2022), who clinched their titles in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in their respective years.

Nitrogen was one-half of D. J. Stable’s North American championship double in the three-year-old fillies’ division. They also raced Winterberry, who earned a Sovereign Award as Canada’s top sophomore filly of 2025.

As that very brief highlight reel suggests, D. J. Stable has had great success. The stable was established by Leonard Green and his late wife, Lois, who was its first manager. She named Wonder Wheel, a nod to her beloved ride at Coney Island. The filly’s top-caliber performance on the racetrack proved all the more poignant in the months prior to Lois’s passing on May 31, 2023.

Leonard is the impresario of the Green Group, an accounting firm that offers multifaceted tax and advisory services. Their son, Jonathan, now manages the stable, in addition to his own professional work in the financial sector, various roles in the Thoroughbred industry, and co-hosting the “Rail Talk” podcast.

The D. J. Stable portfolio boasts more than 2,600 winners in its half-century of operation. Their milestone win number 2,500 came on Derby Day 2023, courtesy of Webslinger in the American Turf (G2). D. J. has been involved in a few Kentucky Derby runners, including speedball Songandaprayer, who set the fastest half-mile and three-quarter mile fractions before fading to 13th in 2001; Helium (seventh in 2021); and as part of the consortium behind the popular Sandman (seventh in 2025).

While the Green family will have chances to add to their stable stats with French Friction in Friday’s Eight Belles (G2), and Alpyland in Saturday’s American Turf (G1), Zany can enhance D. J.’s historic profile as a breeder in the Oaks.

By Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, Zany is out of past D. J. Stable colorbearer Mo’ Green. As you might guess, the mare’s name reflects her sire, Uncle Mo, along with the family name in what might be read as a neat pun.

Mo’ Green was a relative bargain as a $70,000 purchase as a two-year-old in training at OBS April. Although she wasn’t quite up to the graded level at three, checking in sixth in the 2016 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) and Monmouth Oaks (G3), she finished the year with a second in the Margate S. at Gulfstream Park.

Improving at four, Mo’ Green scored her stakes win in the 1 1/8-mile Top Flight H. (G3) at Aqueduct. That graded laurel, a valuable addition to her resume as a broodmare prospect, was bookended by placings in the Royal Delta (G2) and the Allaire duPont Distaff (G3). In the latter race on Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico, Mo’ Green was third. A couple of lengths ahead of her in second was Carrumba – the future mother of Derby contender Golden Tempo.

Mo’ Green retired with a record of four wins, three seconds, and two thirds from 14 lifetime starts, and a total of $279,420 in earnings. Her first three foals were all winners, but none at the level of her fourth foal – Zany.

A lovely chestnut foaled on March 24, 2023, Zany was nurtured at Taylor Made. There she also prepped in advance of the Fasig-Tipton sale. Consigned under the Taylor family’s banner at Saratoga, she brought $350,000.

Zany poses by mom Mo' Green (Photo by Kelcey Loges/Taylor Made Farm)

Zany poses by mom Mo' Green (Photo by Kelcey Loges/Taylor Made Farm)

Zany made her debut in the Repole silks on Nov. 2 in a 6 1/2-furlong dash at Gulfstream Park. Given her mother’s arc of development, the Pletcher pupil might have been expected to need a longer race to break her maiden. But Zany had the gears to vie for the early lead before drawing off as much the best by 6 1/2 lengths.

It’s a clue to Repole’s belief in Zany that he purchased Mo’ Green shortly afterward. The mare was offered at Keeneland November, as part of a “curated reduction” by D. J. Stable. Repole went to $550,000 to secure Mo’ Green, and Zany wasted no time to validate his investment.

Taking a dramatic step up in class and trip for the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle (G2), Zany dominated in her first appearance on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The 3-4 favorite lugged in down the stretch, but it didn’t matter as she rolled to an 8 1/2-length conquest.

Beyond the visual impression, Zany ran faster than the highly-regarded colts Paladin and Renegade did in the ensuing Remsen (G2). While Paladin clocked 1:50.97 to defeat Renegade on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Zany posted 1:50.55 without competition to push her.

Fittingly, Zany’s victory came over the same track and distance as Mo’ Green’s signature win in the Top Flight. Now she would follow the path of another Demoiselle winner for Repole and Pletcher – champion Nest, who compiled a winning streak through the Suncoast S. and Ashland (G1) in 2022.

Zany continued the parallel as the 1-5 favorite in the Suncoast, despite running up to her name. Taking longer to change to her correct lead (with her right front) down the stretch, she was also lugging in with her head cocked toward the grandstand, as though sightseeing at Tampa Bay Downs. Regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. got her organized, and Zany won easily by 2 3/4 lengths.

The form was flattered when Suncoast runner-up Life of Joy came back to romp in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). Zany was odds-on to follow up in the Ashland, but she sustained her first loss when outkicked by Percy’s Bar. The dawdling race shape arguably played right into the hands of Percy’s Bar at her home track.

On Friday, Zany has the opportunity to gain revenge on Percy’s Bar in the Oaks. Stretching back out to 1 1/8 miles, combined with the prospect of a more sensible pace, should help her cause.

If Zany wins the Oaks, she’d outperform Nest, who settled for second in the 2022 running. Nest went on to challenge the boys in the Belmont (G1), taking runner-up honors to stablemate Mo Donegal.

Like Nest, Zany was an early nominee to the Triple Crown, and a strong effort in the Oaks could theoretically propel her to the Belmont. Depending upon what happens in the Kentucky Derby, her stablemate and fellow Taylor Made baby, Renegade, could be awaiting her in the third jewel.

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