GOOD MORNING TO ALL MY DEAR FRIENDS!
HAPPY DIARY #100! WOW! It has been an amazing time!
In thinking about this DIARY ENTRY, I really wanted to tie in so many of the past experiences we’ve shared and open the door for all of us to enjoy other unique moments together. I am one very, very fortunate HORSE! I’ve had an amazing racing career. I’ve received so many incredible acknowledgements and prestigious awards. Yet, most importantly, I have been completely BLESSED to be loved by so many wonderful people.
I’m now living in Kentucky. Hopefully I’ll find out soon about my IN FOAL status. I promise, I will definitely let YOU know the results as soon as possible!
To honor #100, I have one very ‘PRECIOUS’ experience of mine to share with you! My adorable JOHN helped ME put this together for YOU! Even though I was officially retired last November, I was still at BARN 55 for over a month before going to Lane’s End. During that time, it was necessary for me to exercise each day and stay in ‘somewhat’ my normal routine. I was a very fit athlete getting ready to ‘change my focus to farm life’…so John wanted to help ME with this transition and keep ME relaxed, fit and HAPPY!
On my last day of exercise while in California, John had a great idea. He had Steve wear the helmet cam while riding ME. MY ADORABLE JOHN thought it would be very special for ALL OF YOU to go on my LAST GALLOP WITH ME!
The next day, I moved to Kentucky and my daily routine changed to that of becoming a BROODMARE. In modern day terms, Dottie tells me that I am in the process of RESTRUCTURING MY CAREER! TOO CUTE! I think I’m doing quite well at this!
I truly can’t THANK ALL OF YOU enough for the continued LOVE, SUPPORT and ENCOURAGEMENT you have given ME! As I have stated many times before, I really could never have done it without MY TEAM and ALL OF YOU!
Again, HAPPY DIARY ENTRY #100! Please enjoy joining me at the racetrack for MY LAST GALLOP!
Check out the video HERE!
With LOVE,
HUGS to ALL~(and I truly mean this)
Z
P.S. Dottie wanted me to let you know that we will take a few days and get ‘some business things organized’ and work on some future projects. Between all of this and counting the days on my ‘in foal status’, please keep thinking HOOVES CROSSED!
NorCalFan#1
“It’s Official: Rachel Alexandra Pregnant”
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/61768/its-official-rachel-alexandra-pregnant#ixzz1FwVwNS4Q
Harbinger of more good news to come this week…
Beth from Brockton, MA
That was freaking awesome, Zenny, thank you!! Man, you can really cook, even at just a gallop.
I could feel your controlled power watching this video-with your long graceful strides.
And it was interesting to watch you ears flicking back and forth listening to your rider. Clearly you loved your job and clearly you were very good at at!!
Thanks again and please tell the Mosses once again how gracious they are for sharing you with us, your humble fans.
Alicia
OK, Zenyatta, here’s a question for you. Guinness, pears. . . a bit out of the usual dietary selections. I’m wondering what else John laid out for your usual fare while you were training and racing and especially wondering what the Guinness added to your nutritional protocol. Obviously it worked! And now? Are you eating differently as a mom to be?
Shanda Hooton
Happy 100th daiary post. I look forward everyday to hearing from you. The ride was GREAT thanks for taking me along with you Z! All hooves, fingers and toes crossed: ) Cant wait to hear the news, looking so forward to going on this journey with you! Enjoy your day…sending all my love and best wishes!
ENSIGN
@ Alicia,
.
Dottie may expound on this more for you, but many horses enjoy beer. It’s made with grains and hops so most find the taste pleasing. Not sure it really ‘adds’ anything to their diet, other than perhaps encouraging some fussy eaters to try their dinner ;-)
.
Maiden and barren mares don’t require any special feed when bred really until their 3rd and last trimester. The foal will do the majority of it’s growing in that last trimester, going from about the size of a cat to full sized foal. The mare’s nutritional needs will be ramped up then, and then be at their greatest once they start nursing. Nursing a foal is the biggest calorie draw on a mare.
Jan
Happy to hear the good news about Rachael Alexandra. Congratulations to her connections. Big mama, hoping to hear the same news this week from you. :)
Diana
Ah Zenny, we miss miss miss you so much!
Peg Lyons
Zenyatta,
Wow! Waht a ride. You make it look effortless and so smooth. I also love watching your ears twitch and move, always sensing things around you, and your beautiful mane blowing in the wind. So graceful and beautiful.
thank you for sharing your last gallop around the track!!!!
Dani
Sophie Shirreffs, it is clear that you and Zenyatta were quite close friends. You’ve got that Zenyatta Zen gaze down pat. Hmmmm. Or maybe you are looking out into the crowd at the woman in the tight pink shorts thinking she should never have been let out of the house wearing those. Or perhaps you are secretly fuming at your parents for not letting you bring your chewy toy to the track today. ‘It will get lost or dirty’ they admonish. Well, it’s the cold should for you. I’m not looking at the camera. So there. And in the car there will be no kisses or hugs tolerated. Once home, into my corner with my back to you. Only treats and apologies will get you back on my good side. Or maybe you are thinking, not another and photo session. I mean, I know I am utterly adorable and Zenyatta’s fans have grown to love me and want to see me, but this is ridiculous. I simply can’t and won’t pose and smile with my beautiful fluffy ears framing my perfect cupie doll face. It’s really all too much! Perhaps you are thinking oh dear our horse lost by a nose. It’s going to be a long ride home. *Sigh*….. It’s just impossible to know what you are thinking as you sit there Sophie, but it’s fun trying to imagine.
.
Everyone thinks Dottie should write a children’s book about Zenyatta and I agree that would be fantastic. But I think a book with Sophie as the main character would also be such fun. “The Adventures of Sophie”. And she is so adorable it would be a cinch for a children’s illustrator to come up with a charming little Sophie to splash across the pages. Too cute! as Zenny would say. I’d buy the book. Wouldn’t you?
Marilu V
Thank you Zenyatta, Dottie, John and Steve for the ride. Thank you Dottie for the patience in giving us this diary. Sophie is adorable!Zeny we continue to pray that you stay healthy and strong. Because of you I convinced my son to go to Santa Anita for the first time last Saturday. I cheered so hard for Zazu. She missed it by a neck to her arch rival, Turbulent Descent. I read Zazu will continue to do well for longer distances. Lutess won! Congratulations to the Mosses and everyone who takes care of them. It was a fun day except for 2 beautiful horses who died Saturday. I hope there will be no more accidents at Santa Anita. It’s sad! Thank God you are retired. Enjoy and stay safe! Hugs, MV
Dani
**Please excuse the typos. It’s back to typing 101 for me**
Barbara Wood
@Dani–I second the idea for the Sophie/Zenyatta book for children after Team Z writes the “big” version of Z’s story.
Allen
What a ride, thank you for sharing it with us. Z you are the best. A big thank you to Dottie, John, Ann, and Jerry for keeping everyone updated. Will be waiting and hopeing to here some good news this week.
Michele Flowers
Zenyatta- If you ever feel the need for some deep-tissue massage or physical therapy, especially before delivering your foal, please check out my husband’s website. We are in Louisville, but Kelly travels to Lexington frequently and has quite a following of trainers and owners who “can not train without Kelly”. Would love to come visit you and “make your day” with a treatment session. Please visit the “owner” and “trainer” comments on his website.
Good Luck and hope you get in foal ASAP!
Michele Flowers
For those who do not know his website it is http://www.equither.com.
Kathy Kimber
Congradulations to Jess Jackson and Stonestreet Stables. Congrats to Curlin and Rachel Alexandra. I’m praying for good news to come with you Lady Z and Bernadino. It’s getting close. Love to all.
linda
Now that was a ride! It’s wonderful to think of Zenyatta as a happy broodmare, but to experience her on the track joyously doing what she was meant to do — absolutely spectacular. Thank you for the unforgettable video.
Margaret
I happen to know a great (I MEAN SUPER AWESOME GREAT) artist. I can’t speak for her but if Dottie wants to think about this–well she has my contact info.
Dottie I think you’d have a best seller on your hands long long before it got to the shelves.
Trisha Veazey
100 days of joy, tears and wonderment!
love hugs and kisses
Sally (B)
It is just me again Z; guess I can’t stay away from you very long!! I began to read some of the 100th post responses and just wanted to say “Dani, Amen; you took the words right out of my mouth, but I could not have expressed them as well. Thanks.
Beatrice Lian
She is so gorgeous & alert. Loved the way her ears were moving around, as if they had a life of their own. I really enjoyed the burst of speed down the stretch.
Thank you so much, John & Steve, for taking the time to allow us to enjoy Zenyatta once again. I miss seeing her race.
Dorothy Hopper
You rock Zenyatta! Such a smooth ride, thanks for the cruise.
Janet Cutting
Zenny- I wonder since your havent retired very long– when you go outside to graze–do you just take off running as fast as you can–just because or is it that the racing spirit is still there?
Marilu V
Hi Dottie! Just read El Vino won last Friday at Santa Anita. Congratulations to John for El Vino’s win. Looking forward to his next race! Zenyatta, your friends are working hard for your John! MV
Paul
100 diary posts is pretty amazing. If I haven’t commented on every single one of them, I will in due time. Zenyatta, I didn’t realize that it was a more than a one month gap between when you retired from racing and when you moved to Kentucky. I’m sure that you got in some good exercise during that time. I’m looking forward to hearing about your in foal status. Keep me posted. Once again, you have a video for me and, unfortunately, I am back in the same library whose computers won’t let me on to youtube without very considerable hassle, but I promise you that as soon as I am in a youtube friendly library, I will watch the video of your last gallop before you moved to Kentucky.
Kathryn Cogswell
No one renders better the dreams and losses of horses, raising or racing them, and their people`s stories, than Jennifer Wirth at ‘THE SATURDAY POST ~ HORSE RACING: News, Culture and Interviews.’ With ‘Open Letter to Non-Industry Media to Request Coverage of Horse Racing,’ March 6th, 2011 ~ #12, http://thesaturdaypost.org/blog/2011/03/06/open-letter-to-non-industry-media-to-request-coverage-of-horse-racing/ she fulfills the pledge in her last article which resulted in a “Campaign for Coverage,” started by a ‘small group of various racing enthusiasts.’ Readers can join w/a click, if it suits. The site is exceptional — so many are. And rather than a uniformity of focus, it is the patchwork entire which may contribute most to the better angels of all things Horse . .. Quite enough, over time.
Karey R
@Susan, I’m glad my sentiments ring true for you too. It’s beautiful, isn’t it,
the huge gift that one horse and her wonderful people can be to so many of us?
And the love keeps spreading among more people, to their critters, and to animals in need even in distant places. This could truly be the most brilliant horse story since “The Black Stallion”.
“Zen(yatta) and the Art of Joyful Heart Maintenance”….
Sorry…a rather weak and oblique reference…
Karey R
@Dani – Your posts are super!
Sue Noel
Like so many others,I to cried upon “riding” our beloved Queen! It will be wonderful to be able to “ride” her again and again–what a marvelous gift to all of us!
Also loved the new photo in the rotating ones on the home page! AND the one of Sophie,who surely IS adorable. All in all a memorable 100th Post!!
Will look forward to the next one,whenever it is,we’re lucky,and blessed,to get them at all!!
Thanks to all who keep us in the loop and who care for this truly magical creature !!!
Feel the love,sweet Queen,from all of us and have sweet dreams of the foal we hope is on the way. XOXOXOXO
Signofthetimes
The Breeders cup juvenile with Street Cry was just on
on HRTV 2001. Street Cry came in third. First time I’ve seen
Him run. Quite a machine. Winner Macho Uno. Second Point
Given. Exciting race