Good Morning Everyone!
This photo is TOO CUTE! It’s my guy, Mike Smith, who helped us select the FINAL 4 for our ZENYATTA BRONZE CONTEST! Mike stopped by Dottie and John’s last night and held my reins in his hands…just like he did when we were racing. I think this definitely got him IN THE ZENYATTA MOOD to select our Final 4! This photo brings back great memories…for both Mike and I! We had lots of great times together!
The names of the FINAL 4 will be given…along with the thoughts each person expressed as to what I meant to he / she. Go to the bottom of this diary post and click the button next to the person whose entry you think deserves to win. Click the Vote button, and you’ll see the current results.
We will allow the voting to take place for one week. The winner will be announced next Wednesday, April 27th. John will look at the polls before he leaves for the barn that morning (5 o’clock in the morning, CA TIME) and the winner’s name will be posted.
The poll has been moved from the Facebook page to this website so that non-Facebook users may vote!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL 4 OF YOU!
ENTRY #1…..VICKI L. VINSON……APPLE VALLEY, CA I knew Zenyatta was “one” special horse the first time I saw her in person. She came over to me and stuck her nose right in front of my camera. That was before the ’08 Lady’s Secret. Little did I know that a year later she would become the best medicine in the world, in helping me through the worst time of my life. I’ll love you forever Zenyatta!
ENTRY #2…..VALERIE FRANKLIN….DAVISON, MI Zenny, you have made people believe in horse racing again. Our sport has suffered so much tragedy and in this time of economic disaster and with Barbaro and Eight Belles so fresh in our minds, you have given us a chance to escape and to dream. We love you more than you could ever quantify.
ENTRY #3…..GEORGIA HARPER…..BELLEVUE, WA My obsession began half way through your first year and such enthusiasm could not be ignored by my husband. After 49 years, my husband and I have become such good friends but are so busy with work and family we don’t always take time to actually think about one another. As a gift for our wedding anniversary last August, I received an email at work from my hubby with an itinerary attached for San Diego saying “Tickets for my queen to go see the Queen”. We not only had a wonderful day at Del Mar, never leaving the paddock and visiting with so many young people who had been there to see only you but we really enjoyed our time together. I’m not sure what we will do for our 50th this year, but I don’t think it will compete with the happiness we shared last year watching you come across the finish line and celebrating as best friends enjoying not just a horse race but watching the most magnificent thoroughbred ever. We miss you, we love you, and look forward to cheering on your foal.
ENTRY #4…..DAWN CONRAD…..CEDAREDGE, CO Dearest Zenyatta. “Why are you special to me?” Is it the stately stature of the Queen like carriage? Is it the glistening brown coat with the diamond dapples? Maybe it is the dance or those still moments with your head held high? Is it your intelligence and fathomless brown eyes? Was it your first run free or perhaps a camera-ride on the back of Pegasus? Is it posters in the stands, a warm crowd on a cold Kentucky night, the excitement you bought back to racing? Your place in its history and future, the Breeders Cup, 60 Minutes, Horse of the Year, Vox Populi Award? A Fred Stone portrait, Jamie Corum lithograph, Nina Kaiser bronze? The cheers I shouted the tears I shed? Certainly your beauty, power, grace, breathe taking speed, final kick, heart stopping finishes and 19/1. Absolutely your gut wrenching, never give up, try! It is all of this, yet more. It isn’t only who you are, but what you mean to each of us. With Team Z, you are Jerry and Ann’s pride and joy, John’s soul mate and patient masterpiece, Dottie’s muse and she your voice. Mike’s talent, guidance and prayers brought you home safe each race. At Barn 55, you had care from Mario, workouts with Steve, walks with Carmen, loving star struck visitors and kisses from all. At Lane’s End, paddock pals, peppermints, pears and precious motherhood. Your family embodies the word generosity and together you have been transformative. You give pure happiness to thousands. You are a horseman’s ideal, a child’s dream, a friend to charities, a moment of healing to someone ill, a smile in the face of sadness, a sweet memory to all those you meet and a wish of all those that you haven’t “including myself”. While totally unique, I see in you the memories of my youth: the Black Stallion, Flicka, Secretariat and my Cinder (a gift from a brother leaving for Vietman), live again. There were endless summer days of best friends, bareback rides, Breyer’s horses on the bedroom shelves and glorious Triple Crown winners. With you, I am that horse loving girl again. What fun! I have my own challenges in life, as everyone does. While I seek to remain positive there are those moments. You are there to lift my spirits and touch my soul. Your diary is a place of remarkable civility where information, support and all things Zenyatta are shared and celebrated. Facebook, over 70,000 and still counting! The experience has been once in a lifetime and continues to be a magical ride. In the end my love cannot be fully explained, it is simply heart felt and joyful. It is no mystery why the word “angel” is used to describe you, for you are a creation of God, a blessing to us all and a remarkable gift. For everything you are and everything you mean, Zenny, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are truly UNBELIEVEABLE! As always, sweet dreams. Hugs and kisses. XXXOOO
Wow! I hope you enjoyed reading these as much as I did! Dottie commented that she was literally in tears typing them for ME!
Vote for the ENTRY of YOUR CHOICE!
Blessings to All OF YOU who participated in this contest! I can’t THANK YOU ENOUGH for ALL OF THE LOVE AND KINDNESS you have shown ME!
With Love,
Hugs to ALL~
Z
barbara
i like the mikie raffle also!! “too cute and too sweet”
good luck to all 4 wonderful entries!
Joyce
Well I got it right! After you vote, and post, you get to see how the race is going.
Starting another paragraph, don’t like to add anything negative, but it needs to be said (then we can go on with our enjoying and loving her Majesty) we live in a world where size does count. An unfair advantage should not. I’m sorry but I have to say (and likely get some boos in response) but when I heard the rules and heard that the final four would be a fan vote, I was disappointed because I thought about personal favorites.
Next paragraph, whewww, Z, I love you so much and wish all your loyal fans the happiest of Holiday weekends. Good luck to those valiant horses who will give their best, and with my fingers and toes crossed that all will return safe and sound.
Last paragraph, I promise, thanks so much to Dottie and everyone else who make all this possible for us to enjoy and keep on enjoying. Team Z RULES!
Trina Nagele
@Sandra Frey and Admiring Fan—-Hear! Hear! I love your perspectives of the Queen’s final race and the shining essence of Zenyatta. Long may she reign in history and in our hearts!
Barbara Grimaldi
Dear Precious Zenny: I just went to the web page for Monmouth Racetrack in NJ and told them to see your post for today about the fundraising activity at your old track. Monmouth, like many tracks today, is in financial trouble and the state has an unsympathetic governor. I went to Belmont and Aqueduct when I was younger, but now I am in NJ and Monmouth is a wonderful little track that gets me close to horses. It’s a great family track–friendly and laid back. If Monmouth, and other tracks in trouble, would offer tours that you described today, I hope it would draw more people to it and help it survive. You are an inspiration, Zenny…and you are like a great friend to me. Love you very much.
Barbara from NJ
Randy (girl's name)
@ Lisa g – HA! I keep doing the same thing… he is a bit distracting, isn’t he?
I did vote… not sure it went through but it was so sweet of Z’s team to move the voting here to this site so that everyone who wants to can participate. It’s yet another example of the consideration and respect we are constantly shown here. Thank you Dottie, et al.
Trudy Schossler
Love the picture of Mike with the reins and I am sure he is as proud of Zen as we are, love you Zen
Jane in Seattle
One of the thing’s I like best about Zenny’s site is that it gives us a chance to talk about things that matter to us more than to some of the people in our everyday lives, and hearing peoples’ different opinions changes so much in the way we see things. Some of the juxtapositions continue to confound me.
A lady here mentioned that she was angry at Mike for the Breeder’s Cup race. I’ll admit to being mad at him for a minute. But listening to him talk, seeing him cry – and you know the thing that affected me the most? Have you ever watched Mike doing Z-related autographs either by himself or in a group? Other people may laugh or kid around, and Mike is charming to people, but when he’s actually signing things, it’s obvious how important to him it is to get it all just right. He’s so serious and works so hard to get things perfect – it says volumes to me about how much he loves her. And I know he did the very best he could in that race and every race he won with her. He’s a Hall of Fame jockey, his best is as good as it gets. I was mad at Garrett Gomez – I thought he was a bad, bad man for beating Zenny. And then of all things, I saw him in the beefcake article, obviously uncomfortable and shy, but trying to help other people anyway. I saw the picture of him smiling like he was sharing a joke with Rocky (his horse, who certainly seems to be laughing) and realized: he’s not a bad man who went out there to beat Z, he’s a nice man who was just trying to do his very best at a job he loves. As much as we all love horses, just think what these guys must have felt to dedicate their lives to such a grueling and dangerous sport at such a young age, and make the sacrifices they have to get where they are.
And when I see something horrifying, like Tokubetsu at Santa Anita – think how his family must have felt, one minute he’s flying toward home in first place, and the next he takes a horrible fall and he’s lost to them forever – I remember how lucky we were with Zenny. What joy there is in that.
We may not all win a statue, but we have all won a lot just seeing her, and being able to share in her life =-).
Lisa g
@Jane in Seattle: Beautifully said. Mike has always got something going on for charity, I love his FB. I really do call Zenyatta, his girl…she is. My mom love Shoemaker, I thought, he is great and all…but not I understand her…I love Mike. Hope Jeanie stays away from him! lol. We are lucky with Zenyatta..she made it safely, prayers her family and I still believe to this day that Ruffian is her guardian angel.
Lisa g
@Valarie, please do not wish it away. I love your postcard. If you wish it away, I would not know what it says. Be happy and excited…wish everyone could win.
Lisa g
Scrolled up again, yes, Randy, pleasantly distracting….
Valarie Franklin
Wow, just looking at my last comment (which I posted from my phone) there were lots of typing errors. Sorry!
@Astrid: THANK YOU for the link to the article about Vertigineux and Silverbulletday! I am so excited that Silverbulletday is in foal to Midnight Lute!
@Tytler School Horse Club: All the things you’ve done for Zenyatta are wonderful! I bet you made her and her family/Team so happy!
@Trina Nagele: Thank you :)
@Lisa G: Ruffian’s story has always touched me as well. She died before I was born, but I remember checking out every book they had about her at the library and grieving for her in my own way as a child. I am so happy that Zenyatta can do in life for horse racing what Ruffian and Barbaro did for the sport in death.
@Becky: Sounds good to me!!
I took photos of all 6 of my postcards before I mailed them (they were kind of handmade, I bought the standard postcards at the post office and decorated the blank side). I’ll post them on Facebook and leave the link after the contest is over to be fair, if people want to see them. I hope we get to see everyone’s someday!
Lisa g
Ms Zenyatta, I love you and good night, see you tomorrow in this world you have invited us all in. Peppermints, carrots, pears, grazing, running, stopping to smell and eat the flowers, stopping to stare out into the world (I always wondered what you were thinking when you do that). I love you, Big Girl..Lisa g
Lisa g
@Valarie, please do post them, not some more excitement to see about The Queen. I also recorded the story on Barbaro that was recently shown, I have seen it before and thought I would watch it again. I still have not watched it, it is heartbreaking. I will, when the time is right. Again, good luck, Valarie.
Lisa g
Umm, good night, Mike
peggy
@Sally (B) I believe that some of them will let you visit. I am going to check into it as I want to go too. I found out something very enteresting that I found out at the sale.. There was a big sign in the sales pavillion a picture actually of Affirmed the last triple crown winner (Foaled in Florida) I did not know that. They were paying tribute to him and so great he was from Fla.. I want to learn some more about that. When I find out which farms will let you visit I will post here.
@If any of our horse people here have any knowledge of that please post here.
@Sue yes yes yes I do want another horse. You just want to bring them all home.
@ Zenyatta love you very much.
@Ensign, (if your here) do you know if any of the Horse Farms in Ocala Fl will let you visit?????Don’t know if you have knowledge of that, but if you do please post.
Robbie Pfeufer Kahn
It was most thoughtful of Team Z to have the poll removed from FB or made available here as well.
I just tried to vote up above, but the vote did not seem to get recorded.
judy berube
Dear Admiring Fan:
I agree with you. What Z accomplished is incredible. She is awesome. Hugs. Judy B.
Margie
It’s after 6:00 p.m. here in California and I’m getting ready to head home from work. I’ve read all the posts above and feel a real strong need to just say thank you to Dottie, John and all involved in this amazing opportunity to own Zenny #19 Bronze. And lastly, to simply say I love you, Zenyatta. You are what is right in the world today. Sleep tight, Z, and bless you real good.
Dani
From Eblouissante’s FB, 3 new photos.
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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eblouissante/143117319085172
tony and sue
Love and hugs to all of you…especially our Zenny.
We agree when one thinks that this incredible athlete (and that is exactly what she is/was) made it home safely every time and won 19 and 1/2 times it seems unbelievable. She wasn’t a sprinter but one who was in for the long haul…whatever the distance. Mike always took care of her and her John made sure that angel was on her bridle. We are just PROUD to be part of this fan community and wish everyone could have a bronze. We know it will be treasured by it’s new owner whoever it is.
She, in her own unique way, loves everyone unconditionally and that my friends is the greatest lesson of all.
Helen
@Jane in Seattle, BRAVO! I HAVE READ EACH POST AND I AM NOW #340. You said it best. These jockeys are athletes in one of the most dangerous sports in the word – even if it is the “Sport of Kings”. Mike figures among a select group who excel at their sport, put their horse’s welfare first in a race, donate their time and money to charity and bring the thrill of racing to the common folk (like me). His most sterling accomplishment was guiding Zenyatta to the end of each race and on to her career as a broodmare safe and sound. My days at the races since the early 60s consisted of three Saturdays in late spring propped in front of the TV for the Derby, Preakness and the Belmont. Then came Z. EVERYTHING changed. All I can say is: she’s magical. I believe Jerry, Ann John, Dottie, Mike and all Team Z and everyone at Barn 55 gave all 77,000 of us and counting – a gift that will last through the years. Thanks.
To the Lady herself: Zenyatta, you are a horse and I love you.
Kitei
@ Dani ~ Thank you for the link. She is just beautiful!
Valarie Franklin
@Lisa G: When the contest ends I’ll definitely post my pictures! Thanks!
@Dani: I didn’t even know that Eblouissante had a FB! Thanks! She has such unique coloring :)
@Zenyatta: You’re awesome. The end ;) Night girly.
Jan
@ all you Houstonians..This Saturday evening at Sam Houston Race Park, Alex Brown will be there to sign copies of his new book “Barbaro” :)
Valarie Franklin
@Dottie: Would you mind explaining how we know if our votes go through and how the system keeps track to make sure each person only voted once? Thank you for being so wonderful and accommodating those who aren’t on Facebook. And for maintaining this site! We love you!
Helen
Oops! Voted on Facebook yesterday, and yes I joined just because of Zenyatta and Mike a couple of months ago.
Kudos to all four finalists. The bronze will grace someone’s mantle soon. Lest we not forget, those of us who did not enter the contest and those who committed their thoughts to cards and were eliminated still share Zenyatta in the flesh every time we view her races, check her videos chomping carrots or digging peppermints out of Mike’s jacket pocket at Lane’s End. Guess we’re all winners!
And yeah, Mike IS HOT and he should be raffled off! I’d buy a bunch of tickets!!!
karen g
Bloodhorse has a Jess Jackson memory wall if anyone would like to respond to his passing. RIP!
peggy
So sorry to hear of the passing of Jess Jackson. We will miss him. I like to remember though, absent from the body present with God. God Bless you Jess.
Sally (B)
Z my Miss Peronality, my love; I am sure your owners did not expect the questioning of your “paragraph for the bronze” when your fans have read the final 4,then #4 is beautifully written as an essay, which I have know idea what size post card she used. All I know I suggested to my friend that I had a large postcard from Fla., maybe I could send that;her reply was that “no Sally, I think they mean to send a postal postcard”
My name was never drawn, but there are 4 here, all great, but three in my opinion that followed the rules to summit. I do not know any of them, so I am unbiased. And after I speak my mind, I am sure they will not want to get to know me!!hee. God bless Ann & Jery Moss, Dottie etc. They have done their wonderful giving best with this contest. I am very sorry I had to express my questions about the final selection No 4; but,4 is an essay, and is not a short paragrpah telling you why Zenyatta is speial to her. Please, nothing against you Dawn; I do love what you write. I wish the best for all.
Valarie Franklin
Sorry to keep commenting but after you vote, refresh the page. When I did that it showed a breakdown of the current results. I think that must mean the vote went through.