Hello Everyone,
It is cool and a bit overcast here this Saturday morning at Hollywood Park. I am in the midst of such a great deal of fun!
Earlier in the week, Isabelle got to ride me for her birthday present from John.
Then Michelle, my masseuse, wanted to get a chance to ride me around the walking ring at the barn. Michelle is an extremely experienced horse woman. She has been riding for 25 years…and was the regular exercise rider for horses like Starrer and Hollywood Story whom John trained. She absolutely had a BLAST! Too cute!
The visitors are still coming in groves. John said the barn crew will have to go on ‘mini-diets’ after I leave because so many people have been so generous about bringing LOTS of TREATS for my friends at the barn: cookies, candy, cakes (carrot, of course) and danish. They LOVE IT ALL…and wanted me to THANK YOU personally!
Also, I am hearing LOTS of people are reading the Diary each day. This is great news. Last night, Margaret, Tom Halpenny’s wife, (Tom is my wonderful blacksmith)…said they heard from a friend in Australia who was able to locate them via reading my Diary. Now this is GREAT NEWS!
Tomorrow is my HOLLYWOOD PARK FAN APPRECIATION DAY! It is getting exciting. Then on Monday, I will be honored at KEENELAND. I am really getting excited.
Dottie was talking with my new Lane’s End friends about things I will be doing when I get there. As I have mentioned before, David, Dottie’s son, lives in Lexington and will be there with me. I hear Lane’s End is getting MY NEW BARN organized…and they will have SEVERAL NEW GIRLFRIENDS for me to meet upon my arrival. They are also having Sarah, David’s assistant, work with Dottie on all of my updates. So, we will able to keep ALL of YOU posted on what I am doing! Sounds exciting!
YEAH…time to go get a bit of exercise…and then meet more FANS! WOW…I just took a peek outside the barn. There are LOTS of PEOPLE OUTSIDE AGAIN TO SEE ME. LOTS!!!!! I’ll smile…PRETTY… in all the photos!
With love,
Hugs~
Z
Barb France
You deserve all the hoopla everyone is giving you. I know so many people around you are going to look in your stall and miss seeing you everyday! But Dottie will be giving us “updates” throughout your new life at Lands’ End. Good to hear that you will have some familiar faces with you. Can’t wait to see you tommorrow! We’ll be cheering you on every moment!!!
Jennifer
Zenyatta, I don’t think I’ll be able to drive to Keeneland on Monday to see you (although I want to very much). I hope that it is really true that Lanes End will have days that your adoring public can visit with you.
Linda (Canada)
Queen Z – my friend and I are going to our racetrack in Vancouver tomorrow to watch the Hollywood Park tlecast to see you one last time. You have meant so much to horse-racing – it’s hard to bleieve we won’t see you run again.I read Barbara Livingston’s article about you – was crying when I got to the part of how sweet you were to the terminally ill lady in the wheelchair. I do think you “feel” peoples emotions.
I’m glad that Dottie’s on will be taking car of you, and the Diary post will continue.
I would love to come to Lane’s End and see you one day. Thanks again to the Mosses and John, Mario,Frank et al..and Mike Smith for taking care of you!
Linda (Canada)
sorry for the bad typos….guess you can figure it out – you are truly God’s horse, Zenyatta! Hugs! xx000
Jan
The diary is a beautiful fairyland princess story as it unfolds. Wish we had more video’s and photo’s to go with the story. Thanks Team Zenyatta for sharing all this.
Daphne
I hear that there is LOTS of SNOW on the ground in Kentucky right now! I hope you get to play in it. You will like it , rolling around making Zenyatta Snow Angels!!! I love you!
pattie lyons
i am so happy that you are coming to ky, i will be able to come to lanes end to see you i can’t wait. you are the greatest and very pretty. we love you in ky have a safe trip here luv you
Lynn Feathers
Hey beautiful Zen. I just got my Fred Stone Prints that I purchased at the Breeder’s Cup of you back from the framers and hung on my wall and they look AWESOME…I am so excited to get to see you every day looking gorgeous . Thanks to Mr. Stone for painting you so beautifully and to you for being such a ham. Love ya.
margie
Dear Angel Zenny, I wish you the very best life possible. I can only imagine what your Team is feeling today knowing their lives will be different tomorrow without you in it on a daily basis. I know how I feel – I’m a mess over your departure even though I am so happy for you. I’ve thought about you a lot over the past year plus. I feel like I woke up one morning and discovered “Good grief, I’m in love with a horse!” And yes I am, and what a horse! I’m so grateful I got to meet you. Thank you, Zenyatta, and your Team, for everything. It’s meant the world to a lot of people. I just love you, Zenny, I really do :-)
Debbi Martin
Derest Z, we need a new DVD of you, one that I hope will include footage (or ‘hoofage’) of your appreciation day!!! You have so many fans—tell them to make lots of dvds because I know many who would buy one!!!
Snoprinz
Keep on writing Zenny. I check your posts everyday and was scared because I thought there would be no diary post #22 but here it is.
I know you will continue to shine your light on your sport even in retirement. Because of you, new fans have come to embrace horseracing and former fans like me are coming back. I salute you and Team Zenyatta for what you have done to the sport and for the fans. You deserve to be Horse of the Year.
Diane
You sure you don’t want to say here in sunny, California? I hear it’s blizzard conditions in KY….c’mon, you can stay!!! There must be nice farms here!
Kathleen
Thank you for the ride, Zenny. I haven’t had this much fun since Secretariat won the Belmont. I stopped trying to fight the tears. It is my most fervent wish to visit you one day.
Teach your babies well, they’ll love the stories of your racing days, and do slow down a bit so they can keep up with you.
I love you, and all your people.
Tracey - Ontario, Canada
Now that would be a thrill of a lifetime to be able to ride Queen Zenyatta!!!!! Lucky you Isabelle!!! Hope once you are settled in your new home that we will be able to have the privilege to visit you!
Sharon Miller
I am hoping to make the journey to Lands End this summer to meet you. I will be driving in my little Honda Civic from Ontario, Canada. Enjoy your new home, your new friends and the snow. Anything special you would like from Canada, just let me know. !!!
Jessie Monson
Dear Z,
I see more photos of you on Facebook than any other horse. So many people use you as their model for their profile pictures. It is so neat. I appreciate everything you have been able to do for the horse racing industry! I hope you can continue to keep this passion in your fans! It is definitely on my bucket list to visit you in person, whenever I get the chance. You are the reason ladies like me get hooked into horse racing. From a young age I have been hooked, and every time I hear your name I remember why I love it!
Ann Maree
Hi, Z-girl, it will take some time for me to adjust to your being out of the racing side of the sport. I have wrestled with my concern that you still have some miles to go on the track (I think I have heard and expression something like, “You seem to still have a lot left in the tank!”) and that you possibly may be leaving a little prematurely. I know you have started more than twice as much as some tbs, especially nowadays, and that no one wants you to ever have an injury on the track. But there can be injuries in barn accidents, and in the breeding and foaling barn. You seem to enjoy running so much…you also seem to love training, which is what drives many horses off the track, because they get bored and lazy with it. So, I’m praying and hoping you like your new digs and your new life. If you don’t, I know you will let them know! I will be watching on TVG or the replays, depending on how the coverage of your celebration activities go on Sunday and Monday! And, I’m looking forward to seeing the follow-up 60 minutes segment, too! At some point when you get settled in at Lane’s End, I will plan a trip to visit, and I’m very much looking forward to that! Stay cool! Big hugs!
Margaret
Zennie I just got back to the hotel and I had such fun seeing you again. For all your human friends that don’t know this–you are the most patient horse ever. You stood for an hour or so making sure EVERYONE got their picture taken with you. I got to sneak in and give you a pat and a small hug–to return the one you gave me two weeks ago!
I have amazing photos that I can blow up and maybe send to SCTR and have them used as an auction item. I need to talk to John about it and make sure its okay with your mom and dad.
Also I learned something new about you today. You have the same small white mark on your cornet band (right fore) that Barbaro did. You can’t see it from the front. I had to look and then look again. I got a picture of it.
Thank you sweetie for the most amazing visit. I will miss you most desperately but I have wonderful memories of visiting with you to hold me over.
LaurieK
What a kind, wise old soul. I will be there with bells on tomorrow at Hollywood Park! And I look forward to meeting the Queen someday in her new digs in Kentucky!
Laurie
Z, you might want to share with your fans that if they don’t have TVG, they can sign up with calracing.com (it’s free!) and watch the Hollywood Park feed. It’s how I saw you win your first race. :-)
Joan
I’m so happy to hear you are getting a barn at Lane’s End, too, dear Zenyatta. I was a bit worried about you going from the beautiful CA weather to KY where it’s going to get cold and snowy and you’re not used to that. You will be only 7 hours away from me once you are in your new home and I am so hoping to be able to come see you some time. I’ve been a racing fan since Carry Back but you are truly the most special horse I have ever had the privilege to see. I am so glad this Diary will continue and that your wonderful people are kind enough to keep us connected to you. I hope you are happy in your new life. Love, always…
Kim Curtsinger
Zenny-I love you so very much and enjoy your diary. I can’t wait to see you Monday at Keeneland. I’ll the the wild-eyed woman absolutely awed by your presence. Have a wonderful time tomorrow. I’ll be watching on television.
OraJean Stevenson
“Queen-Z”, you’re always “smiling pretty”, the “camera” loves you !!! I’m so happy to read that Dottie’s son will
be with you, in Lex., and will help you
keep in touch with all your many fans, all over the world, especially, here in CA. Many thanks to “Team-Z”.
Fondly, OraJean
Cheryl Heath
Love reading about your day. We are having some cold weather in Kentucky, so bring all you warm blankets. Looking forward to welcoming you on Monday at Keeneland.
Judy Gadwood Loves YOU/California
Zenny, Zenny, Zenny, my sweetheart!
I love your for so many reasons (to many to list). You have made me so very happy these past 3 years.
You came into my life after I lost the “boy” of my life, JOHN HENRY. He died on my birthday, 10/8/07. I never thought a horse would capture my heart until you came along.
I’m convinced, John Henry was the angel who sent you to me!! He knew my heart was aching. I cried for so long. Then the smiles came back because of YOU!
I hope that you and LIFE IS SWEET meet up again. You can talk about your babies :-)
Love you, always and forever! XO
Marian M.
I’m happy to know that you will be with Dottie’s son at Lane’s End and that Sarah will keep your posts going. I know that going to a new home is unsettling. I’m sure that everyone involved will help you make the transition with ease. When I visited Lexington, I thought that Lane’s End was among the most exquisite of Kentucky horse farms. It suits you, Zenyatta. I am now making plans to return to Lexington once your visitation schedule at Lane’s End is established so that I may see you. You are a national treasure.
I made a special trip to my local racetrack today to pick up the insert to this weekend’s Daily Racing Form that contains stories about you and Barbara Livingston’s photos. It’s a special keepsake.
Helen
Queen Z – Hope the sun is shining for you tomorrow. The fans will love it no matter what and we’ll be watching on TVG. We couldn’t imagine not having your posts everyday, so thanks to your typing ‘assistant’. Looking forward to meeting you at Lanes End so please keep us posted on visiting. We’ll bring some NY bagels with us!
Margy Harrell
I know it’s going to be tough to leave your friends in CA, but I think you will love Lexington Zenny! It was a thrill to watch you run the Breeders Cup (took my breath away) and even more of a thrill to meet you at Barn 41 the next day. I’m getting ready to hang my Zenyatta ornament that I bought at Churchill Downs on my Christmas tree!! Enjoy all of the festivities in your honor and all of the love!
Jennifer Adelman
Dear Zenyatta, I hope you have a heated barn at Lands End. You deserve the best princess!! Can’t imagine how barn 55 is feeling right now, my heart goes out to all of you. What a journey she has been for everyone. She brought me back to the love of horse racing again. The Moss’s have allways done the best for all of their horses. Yeah team Z!!!
TZ
Hi Zenyatta,
I’m hoping you enjoy your day tomorrow. Even more I hope you have a safe trip to Kentucky. I’m sure they will keep all of your fans up to date on how you are settling in, at Lane’s End farm.
I hope to visit you there one day soon. Enjoy your day! You are truly special!
Tom Z