Hello, I'm Marrazano, a name once celebrated under the bright lights of racetracks, now a symbol of resilience and rebirth here at Unbridled Sanctuary. Born on a crisp spring morning in 2016, my life began with promise—a promise woven into the very fabric of my lineage, with my sire, Verrazano, being a celebrated champion, and my dam, She's A Wow, a beauty of the tracks.

My earliest memories are filled with lush Kentucky fields, the tender care of handlers, and the buzz of potential that surrounded me. I was the fancy filly who garnered $295,000 in bids, and would one day dance beneath colorful silks, racing towards glory. Little did I know then how differently my journey would unfold.

At just two years old, on August 10th in 2018, I first raced at Del Mar in California. The energy of the crowd was intoxicating, yet even as I surged forward, something felt amiss. My body, not yet fully developed, strained under the pressure.  Race after race, I pushed myself, until that fateful day at Louisiana Downs in August 2021. Mid-race, my legs gave out. Pain seared through my being as I was pulled up and vanned off, no longer a promising athlete but a broken liability.

From there, my life descended into a nightmare. Passed from auction to auction, I moved further away from the tracks and closer to the grim reality of the slaughter pipeline. By the time I found myself in a livestock lot in Arizona, I was but a shadow of my former self—starved, lame, and my face shattered, a grotesque testament to my fall from grace.

The cruelty I endured in that lot was unimaginable. Amidst the chaos and aggression of other desperate animals, I was beaten, bitten, and kicked. My once-sleek coat was marred with wounds, my skeletal frame a map of neglect. The pain was constant, the cold unrelenting. I could barely move, my spirit as broken as my body.

But on July 4, 2023, a miracle happened. I was rescued from the brink of destruction. As I stepped off the trailer at Unbridled, though barely able to stand, I was enveloped by an unfamiliar sensation—kindness. Here, I wasn't a commodity or a cast-off; I was a life worth saving.

At Unbridled, days are marked not by the rigors of training but by the gentle care of compassionate hands. My caretakers tend to my wounds, both physical and emotional, with a patience I had never known. Here, I am learning to trust again—to feel the ground beneath my hooves not as a competitor, but as a creature simply enjoying her existence. They coax me to eat, to regain my strength, and slowly, I begin to heal.

I have found a special friend here in Libby. Like me, she had known the heights of the winner's circle and the depths of despair. Together, we navigate this new life, our bond a balm for the scars we carry.

Though I will never again race or carry a foal or a rider, my worth is no longer measured by my utility. Here, I am cherished for simply being. Each day is a gift, an opportunity to experience the joy of existence denied to me for so long.

To those reading my story, please know that your support is life-changing. It is the difference between suffering and salvation, between a cruel end and a loving home. There are so many others like me, waiting for their chance at redemption. By supporting Unbridled Sanctuary, you become a part of our journey, a guardian of hope in a world that can be so harsh.

Thank you for seeing the value in our lives, for believing that we deserve a second chance. At Unbridled, I've learned to trust again, to believe in the goodness of humans. Your compassion is the light that guides us home.

With gratitude, gentle whinnies, and oodles of smoozzles, Mazzy

​​Registered Name: Marrazano 

Born in Kentucky on Feburary 4, 2016

Sired by Verrazano Out of She's A Wow by Speightstown