Good Morning Everyone!
What an amazing photo! I just had to share it with you. I’ve flown several times on horse planes, H.E.Tex Sutton, but those planes do not have windows. Ann was on a plane recently and took this photo from her window. It is so unique to see the reflection of the plane in the clouds! In my opinion, this is truly a WOW moment!
There were other WOW moments over the weekend in racing. The results to the 3 Year Old Derby Preps left the entire Kentucky Derby picture wide open. My friend, MR.COMMONS, ran very well and was 3rd in the Santa Anita Derby. Bernardini’s son, ARTHUR’S TALE, was a closing 2nd in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. The Illinois Derby winner, JOE VANN, ran a very good race…but is not nominated to the Kentucky Derby. To run, his owners would have to supplement him to the race and that is extremely expensive. His team will have to make this decision for themselves as to what they want to do!
What happens in stakes races is the owner/trainer have certain dates they are to comply with in order to nominate a horse to a particular race. With the Triple Crown Series, there are 2 definite times when this opportunity is offered. In mid-January, you can do the ‘EARLY NOMINATION’. This is at a cost of $600 per horse.
During the final week of March, the ‘LATE NOMINATION’ option is offered. This time the fee is $6000. Sometimes, your horse is a late developer so this provides you with a 2nd chance to be sure your horse is nominated.
After this, it is very, very expensive to nominate a horse to the Triple Crown Races. That is why most people try to do the $600 early nomination process. This gives you an opportunity to ‘watch your horse and see how he matures and advances through the early part of his 3 year old year’. If all goes well, you are nominated and ready to move forward.
On a day-to-day basis, the nomination of horses to STAKES RACES is a very interesting process. ALL stakes races have deadlines for nomination purposes before the race. Once closed…(meaning the day after the nomination deadline)… the Racing Office publishes the names of the horses who are considering running. At times, supplemental nominations may be taken for a particular race if you missed the initial nomination date, but that is for a much higher fee.
Thus, when a horse runs in a STAKES RACE, there are normally 3 fees to be paid by the owner: a nomination fee, an entry fee, and a starting fee. When you are at the track in the future, you will see this information detailed at the top of the PROGRAM PAGE or RACING FORM CHART. It will tell you exactly what the fees are to run in that particular STAKES RACE.
Some stakes races are BY INVITATION only. This means that the Racing Office invites the most promising horses to run in that STAKE. When this happens, there are NO nomination, entry or starting fees…the horse is INVITED to run! The SANTA MARGARITA (Grade 1)…which I won last year at Santa Anita…is an Invitational Stakes. I was one of the horses who received an INVITATION to participate in this Grade 1 event. I must say, that was sure a FUN RACE TO WIN!
This is all part of the BUSINESS OF HORSERACING. Thank goodness, I had MY TEAM to take care of ALL of this FOR ME! Have a great day!
With Love,
Hugs to ALL~
Z
PS…The ZENYATTA BRONZE contest is moving along. Barn 55 is drawing the names of the SWEET SIXTEEN today. We will print this list of 16 in tomorrow’s Diary. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
Linda in NJ
@ MLV
I second that–What an awesome thing to do. To bring those champions home. Hats off to you and your sister.
sandra gomez
YOU ARE TRULY AWESOME ZENNY! THAT PICTURE IS QUITE EERIE TOO! THANKS TO ANN FOR SHARING IT.I WISH I WOULD HAVE MADE ONE OF THE CUTS FOR THE BRONZE. SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE THE UNLUCKIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD.. I’M SURE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE.. I LOVE YOU ZENYATTA!!
OraJean Stevenson
Dear Queen-Z & Team-Z,
That is a terrific photo!! Thanks for sharing it with us. I enjoyed reading about Stakes Races and how horses qualify to run in them. I’m thinking John and Dottie have rather complicated jobs!!
Hope everything is going well for you, Zenny. Have fun in your paddock. Fondly, OraJean
PS–Good Luck to the SWEET SIXTEEN!!
Amanda Gilliland
My Sweet Lady Zenyatta, That photo is amazing. Wow is right! Thank Ann for taking such a great photo and Dottie for sharing it with your Fan Family. Zenyatta, Dottie did such a wonderful job with this post. Tell her I really appreciate her sharing this info on racing. I always wondered how the horses were chosen for each race. After reading this post, I am impressed day after day, again & again of all your accomplishments. I never tire of reading about or watching you race. It is so thrilling everytime I see you run in your races. I love you, Zenyatta. I hope you had a wonderful Tuesday. I hope you have a wonderful night’s sleep. I’m looking forward to the next level of sweet 16. Congrats to all of the 32! Zenyatta Sending Hugs & Kisses With Love from Alabama, Amanda G.
tony
Hi, Zenny! What a great photo your Ann took from the airplane. It really is something very unique and I agree with others who believe it should be entered in a contest. Mike Smith always said you were heaven sent. Perhaps the horse we see in that photo really is a vision of you…up in the clouds with rainbows. This site always has something special to offer. Today it’s this photo. Thank You!
Maggie
Beautiful photo Ann..thanks to you and Dottie for sharing with all of us. I love your diary Zenyatta..I have learned so much about the horse racing business. Dottie is so wonderful and knowledgeable..I appreciate her so much! Love all Team Z!
Valeria Cannon
Happy Tuesday everyone, I pray all is well in Z land! ;) @ Shari, Dawn, Lisa G, and Cindy, thanks for the compliment. :)
@ Rose, IMHO, The Queen favors one of her grandsires, Roberto. If I remember correctly, there’s a photo of him on Z’s facebook site.
@ Ensign, welcome back! ;)
@ Dottie, thanks a bunch for posting such an amazing photo, it is totally cool!!!
Thanks Ann for being in the right place at the right time, in order to capture one of God’s amazing feats. :) :)
@ Arlene, yes I see both horses in the photo, when I saw the black one, I said to myself, he’s Huge!!!!!!!!
Lady Z, hope you gave Charles and the rest of Z2 fits, rolling in all that mud (teee-heee). :) :) Hope the girls are fine too, went to visit Pepper’s Pride and her “Precious One”, as well as LIS and her little one on their facebook page. Can you ask Charles, if we can have so more baby pics, please!!!!! :) Have fun and don’t get mud in your beautiful ears!!!!!!
Hugs and Kisses,
Valeria
Lola
That is one spectacular photo. It was interesting to read about the fees involved in getting horses nominated. It causes me to wonder about some of those steeds who appear in the Derby line-up every year with absolutely no chance of winning. Then again, there was Mine That Bird and Funny Cide.
Ann Maree
Hi, Z,
So much great info….you and your connections are making all of us better race fans and I, for one, want to say a special thank you. It is an exciting time leading up to the Kentucky Derby…as I watch some of the horses in their races leading up to the big day, I am always looking for you, big girl. There is one horse that is my favorite, and he runs a lot like you did, and he even wears a shadow roll like you. I wish John’s horse, Mr. Commons, could make the race, too, as he is certainly a very fine horse, and it would be fun to see John and Mike back in Louisville. Still miss you, Z…lots of friends on Facebook get really nostalgic when we talk about you and watch your races. Your popularity just seems to keep growing…Your Facebook page keeps adding new friends at an incredible rate! You are still held in such deep affection. Glad you are doing well, sweet girl. Big hugs. Your friend, Ann Maree
Vicky
Thanks for taking the time to explain things so well to the public. Zenny brought so many new fans to our sport and it’s so great you take the time to explain things in easy to understand terms so we have a the opportunity to keep them. Team Z is leaving a mark on racing long after Zenny has gone one to her next career. Thank you for all you do!
Holly Zemba
Thanks for the info on nominations I learn something new from you every day!!! Very interesting.
mars
Probably everyone has already seen the birthday photos from Z’s party except me. I just found them. Just in case here is the link. She is so cute with the carrot top sticking out of her mouth. Life is Sweet does have the sweetest little baby!!
http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/throughthelens/archive/2011/04/07/happy-birthday-queen-z.aspx
Margaret
@Jan
Mares have to come to the farms with a medical clearance that they are free from everything. Studs are tested after every breeding to ensure that nothing is happening. They are also tested to make sure that the stud properly did what he was suppose to.
Trina Nagele
@Kathy—A lovely post, and may Zenyatta always be with you to give you strength.
@ Jackie—Yes, the Mosses’ Zazu is on target for the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks on May 6. Good luck to Zazu!
@MLV—I join the others in thanking you and your sister for your successful work in bringing champions Creator and Sunshine Forever back home.
@Sandra Gomez—Keep the faith, Sandra! You are already among the lucky ones who know and love Zenyatta. Hanging around with the “Z-Family” is bound to give you more things to feel lucky about. Did you see my message to you on Post #223? And Kathryn Cogswell’s thoughtful words in response to your post? We’re all hoping that while you may feel way behind in life right now, you’ll surge ahead as Zenny always did in the end. Best wishes to you.
Leslie R.
@ Judy Berube – thank you! I feel better hearing that.
Hugs,
Leslie
Maria K.
Wow! Good shot! Thanks Queen Z. I love you!
Dona
Aw shucks, everything you guys do is great and so much fun! Keep it going and hooves, fingers, toes and everything else crossed for good news soon!!! or should I say gooder news. hee, hee. :)
Dottie Combest
“WOW” is a great word for that picture od plane flying thru rainbow in the clouds ! Queen Z, please thank Ann Moss for sharing that photo !!! :)
ENSIGN
@ Jan,
.
Margaret answered your question above, just thought I’d add in a sentence or two. There have been some major outbreaks of ‘STD’s in Ky in the past and obviously all precautions are taken to avoid such a thing happening again. Where the mares are tested, not all farms will test a stallion after after breeding, but most all do take a dismount sample as Margaret mentioned.
.
If you look on some of the large commercial farm websites, you’ll see the section for breeding shed/mare forms. Here’s one from Lane’s End:
http://www.lanesend.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/BreedingShedReqs.pdf
.
This should give some information on what mares are being tested for and just what the shed requirements are :-)
ENSIGN
And a thank you for the kinds words/posts in the last day : )
Kathy Kimber
I’m glad I’m not the only one who saw a Horse in that cloud, in fact it was the first thing I noticed before the plane’s shadow. It’s awesome. God watches over all of you Zeny he takes care of all of us. Have a great day and sweet dreams when you nap. Relax when the time is right you and Bernie will see each other.
Mary H.
I really enjoy the education we are receiving. What’s the difference between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 race?
That picture deserves some kind of an award. Thanks for sharing.
Nancy
Thank you so much for all the info about racing entry fees. I had always wondered how it worked and you answered all my questions.
Enjoy your day, Zenyatta!
Jan
@ Margaret & Ensign. Thanks. And welcome back Ensign :)
Anne
That picture is awesome! I have tried to take photos from plane windows but have NEVER captured anything as awesome as that! Ann should enter it in a contest! Maybe she could win a bronze statue of YOU! ha…. Seriously,she should enter it in some photo contest.
Have a great day and thanks for sharing the racing rules of running. There is always something to learn when reading your diary. Thanks!
Stay happy dear Zenyatta!
Jenna
Good morning!
Thank you for the great racing facts. I’m always so interested since I’m a city gal [who loves horses :) ].
I hope all is well and that Zenyatta has a great day!
Thank you Dottie!!
Margaret Murphy
How wonderful you are Z for sharing this information to your friends. That’s why we love you soooo much.
Kisses & Hugs…
LauraJ
@Lola, the Derby is like the Oscars, where it’s an honor just to be nominated, or in the case of the Derby, an honor just to run. The Kentucky Derby is something of an oddity as races go. It’s the most prestigious race in the U.S., and the dream of every owner is to have a Derby horse. However, the race does not necessarily do a good job of identifying the best 3-year-old of the year. Owners will put their horse in the Derby simply because it IS the Derby, even if the horse would have a better chance of winning an undercard race. The field is so big (20 horses compared with the usual 12 maximum) that post position becomes a big factor. Last year the eventual 3-year-old champion Lookin at Lucky got the inside post, was squeezed at the gate, bumped, and did well to rally to 6th. Looking back I think most observers would say he was the best horse in the field. The winner Super Saver benefited from a decent post position and the services of Calvin Borel, who knows the Churchill track intimately. IIRC, Super Saver didn’t win another race.
—
@Mary H, grades are assigned yearly by the American Graded Stakes Committee, which is run by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). Grades are assigned based on several factors including drug testing protocol, longevity of the race, purse size, and quality of the field. Here is everything you’d want to know, and then some:
http://www.toba.org/graded-stakes/
G1s have a minimum purse of $250,000 while G2s have a minimum of $100,000. Both must have been run for at least 2 years under the same or very similar conditions. G1s are considered to be those races that draw the very best competition. Grading systems are used worldwide, but are sometimes called “Group” instead of “Grade.” You may see notations such as G1[ARG], G2[FR] where the country is indicated. Here’s a list of U.S. graded stakes races for 2011: http://www.toba.org/graded-stakes/races.aspx
LauraJ
@Crickett, I’d like to see a point system too. Purse size doesn’t necessarily correlate with the quality of the field.
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@Pamela Hill, in an allowance race, the weight carried by the entrants varies depending on whether the horse meets certain conditions. For example, a race might be written for fillies 3 years old carrying 122 pounds each. Nonwinners of two races at a mile or more since March 16 might be “allowed” 2 lbs (in other words, they carry less weight—an advantage). Nonwinners of one such race might be allowed 4 pounds. (Allowance conditions can be downright odd; for example “Non-Winners Of $23,400 Twice Over A Mile On The Turf Since March 6” .) Some allowance races have optional claiming conditions, generally for a high price. These are called Allowance Optional Claiming. Allowance races are considered to be higher in the hierarchy than plain old claiming races. To answer your other question, yes, claims must be made prior to the start of the race. Ownership is transferred the moment the horse leaves the gate. Mount fees are paid by the previous owner, and the previous owner gets the winnings if any. If the horse is injured during the race, the new owner gets the vet bills. New owners take immediate possession of the horse. If more than one claim is placed on a horse, the new owner is determined by a lottery, called a “shake.”
Karen in CA
Looks like an award winning picture, enter it.
Thanks for giving us the inside story of qualifying; informing the public that there is a connection between the horse’s care, management and training and winning with a great career.