Hello Everyone!
I had a great weekend. I thought the Peter Pan Race was very exciting…love those photo finishes. Alternation won that stake in a very tight finish. Then at Hollywood Park, the Lazaro Barrera Stake was also a close, close finish! Congratulations to Bench Points who won that race. Those NOSE FINISHES can be very exciting. I know a bit about that from my racing days!
Bernardini also had a fun weekend. He sired some very nice winners around the country and then Theyskens’ Theory won a listed stakes race in Europe. YIPPEE!
On another note, a few weeks ago, a lovely family came to visit ME! The young daugher wrote a very endearing letter to Lane’s End requesting the visit for her Father. He has been quite ill and the daughter felt this would be a very special and meaningful visit for their entire family.
Lane’s End honored this special request. The family came to visit and then they sent some photos of ME back to the farm. I thought you would enjoy them. I’d been outside playing right before they came to visit ME! Oh, I do have so much fun outside…and YES, I do love to roll in the grass!
A special time was had by ALL on this day! Best wishes to this lovely family and ALL BLESSINGS to them in every single area of their lives.
With Love,
Hugs to ALL~
Z
Yvonne and Maurice Kirby
Hi Zenyatta. What beautiful pictures of you. Yes, it was a great weekend of racing all over the country and world. Zenyatta, you are doing so much good for everyone – you are an inspiration to us all. May God bless you and the family that came to visit. Love you, Angel in Disguise. You are truly God’s gift to everyone. Enjoy the beautiful weather, stay gorgeous, eat well and have fun rolling in the grass/mud with all of your BBFs. Love you.
LauraJ
@Alexandra Bowdoin (pretty name!), his name is Better Step Aside. He’s a three-year-old gelding by Eddington out of Latour, by French Deputy. He is located at Charles Town. If he gets his gate card today, he will start in a 4.5f Maiden Special Weight on Saturday. We had hoped to start him last Saturday, but he had to be shoved into the gate, so no card. That’s the hard part for him. He is fine once in the gate, and he breaks well. The upcoming race is a little short for him, but you have to start somewhere. The other race was 7f. I just hope his first racing experience is good for him. His stablemate Wewe (Wewewealldawayhome) hit his head on the gate in his first race and lost a shoe as well, poor guy.
Alexandra Bowdoin
@LauraJ, Good Luck. I have owned off track thoroughbreds, I have never raced one…hope to some day!! I like Eddington, he is a Unbridled and of course French Deputy a very nice stallion.
Keep us posted on Better Step Aside, cute name! Alex
Shari Voltz
Hi Zenyatta it is lunch time and some of my children want to eat lunch with me. I love them and I think they love me. How lucky I am to teach these wonderful little people. They say HI and that they LOVE YOU. I showed some of them the Our Mims site. What a lovely place for retired thoroughbred mares. Some mares don’t have owners who take care of them and Our Mims gives them a forever home. Zenny you are one lucky girl to have a family who loves you so much. Well sweet girl enjoy the rest of your day and tell PQ we all said hi. Hugs and Kisses from Shari and Homeroom 215
@Laura thank you for the site. I am going to make a donation.
@Susan our last day is June 1. It will be hard on me because my homeroom and I have really bonded.
@Hi Dawn I hope your having a Great Zenyatta day :)
The Kennedys in San Diego
@LauraJ — Best of luck to you and Better Step Aside. I always liked Eddington and made it a point to have my photo taken with him when we visited Claiborne last November. Is Better Step Aside big like his sire? Large horses seem more often to be reluctant to load — like Quality Road and even Zenyatta on occasion.
Gloria Jeanne
http://www.facebook.com/Backside55?v=wall#!/pages/Eblouissante/143117319085172
Eblouissante facebook page, check it out.
LauraJ
@Kennedys, no, he’s on the small side. He looks like his mother. He’s a plain bay with a white star on his forehead as his only marking. Mom was a G2 winner–won the Davona Dale–so if he runs like her that will be OK. He was in training last summer and we thought about sending him to the track last fall, but the managing partner opted to turn him out over the winter and put him on Body Builder. He grew some over the winter, which was good. I don’t know how tall he is now, probably 15-something. He’ll never be as big or as pretty as Daddy. His trainer is enthusiastic about him, though. He will be a route horse, we think. The 4.5f race next week is really too short for him, but it’s as good a time as any to get the beginner mistakes out of the way.
Patricia Emery
Happy Preakness week to ALL!
Zen- You look fabulous, as always…I just went to Facebook & watched your video of 2010 Breeder’s Cup…and the interview of Mike Smith afterwards…he made a comment during the interview, “I am just trying to pull myself together Jerry.” that is where the interview ends…I started to cry because the commentators gave you such credit & stated how you “ran your heart out!” That is one of the reasons why I am a fan…you give “your heart’ to everything you do and it makes all of us feel so good.
Love you lots & I will always keep you close to my heart…XOXO
The Kennedys in San Diego
@LauraJ — How exciting! Look forward to hearing more. Best of luck!
Eveline
On diarypost #231 Kathy P asked about the Broadwayplay Warhorse, here is some more info on that http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2011/05/122.shtml
audreyc
@Margaret -(response from yesterday) I didn’t mean to be controversial to your post – so please accept my apologies. Throughout history, and even in the present, there are justifications to horrendous animal cruelties and experimentations, by denying that animals have emotions, certain cognitions, etc. and employing the term “anthropomorphism.” It makes my blood boil. However, this is not the forum for that….and it certainly was not the context in which you used the term..so – again. I am sorry…..
Hernan Tovar
My adorable Zenyatta, when I look at your photos they always bring tears to my eyes, my love for you is endless.
@ Gary Moulton, thanks for all those great post with all those beautiful stories.
@ Trina Nagele, what a beautiful story about Royal Flush Secretariat’s brother.
@ Gloria Jeanne, thank you for the news about Eblouissante, she is so pretty.
Ingrid from SoBe.
Anna Wiley
You are a lovely, stunning, beautiful, sweet, precious and amazing horse, and I will always love you!
<3 <3 <3 :D
Suzanne G
@Trina Nagele–great link about Royal Flush!
Sharon Call
@Gloria Jeanne. Thanks so much for the link to Ebby’s facebook page. I’ve put it in my Favorites list so I can go back often to check on her. She is really beautiful and looks so much like her half-sister and mom. 16.3hh at 2 years old. She’s going to be big like Z and she has the look of Z. It’s great to have a young horse to follow that should go in Z’s tradition. I’m so glad she’s finally with John. I’m a happy person right now!
judy berube
To Trina Nagele:
Thank you for the article on Secretariat’s brother, Straight Flush. I had read it some time ago and enjoyed it again. Hugs, Judy B.
Linda in NJ
@Susan in TN said: Hey thanks for pointing out that Mr. Commons is in the race. How cool is this!!! Maybe I’ll get to see Dottie and John!!!! Wow, how great would that be.
Vicki B.
@Susan in TN – Thanks for your anecdote about the arrival of your pony Scout.
Jess
That’s so cool!!! Good for you Zenny, and what a wonderful gift from Lane’s End.
Sally (B)
I am so late with my blog Z, my Miss Personality, and the most lovely you. Ohh, your heart is so big along with your team. I love you!! with a kiss on your soft nose.
Cynthia H.
@Judy (Maass) Gadwood: how fortunate are we, to have lived within a few short miles of Zenyatta’s home throughout her career? We were so blessed and are grateful beyond measure for all that she and Team Z did for us and so many others.
@Trina Nagele: I agree, Kinscem and Zenyatta share a common link somewhere! And speaking of links, thanks for the one on Royal Flush. Sadly, I had forgotten all about him.
Dani
@Shari Voltz – I’m so sorry to be getting back to you so late. I don’t often get the time to scroll through the comments so I am way behind. I wanted to answer your questions about needy horse rescue facilities. Of course, many of us have heard and have donated to orgnizations like Old Friends, TROTT, Canter, MidAtlantic and ASPCA Equine Fund. I see that you have made a donation to Mims which is also a great retirement organization, smaller and always in need of donations. But there are also a few smaller ones that I have tried to help out. Last Chance Corral, Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue and Heart of Tucson. They all have websites and Facbook pages. Trust me, I am not rich. Far from it. I often have to rob Peter to pay Paul to scrounge up the money to give to these charities. But is has become so important to me and has brought me untold happiness to know I have made a difference.
Shari, I know school ends on June 1st for you but maybe this is something you want to consider for your next class – provided you keep your Zenyatta experience with them. On the Angel Acres Horse Haven Facebook, towards the bottom there is an article about two little girls ages 6 and 7 who drew pictures and sold them to neighbors for a scant amount to raise money for horse charities. It’s the sweetest article and such an amazing thing for such little girls to do. Maybe you and your class could do something similar. I was thinking one good charity would be Last Chance Corral because it rescues orphaned babies, often a few days old. They literally get hundreds of them for whom they care for and must find homes for. Maybe you could contact them and figuratively adopt one of the babies and donate to him/her and get photos and updates. Remember any amount helps. I don’t know if they work that way but it is worth checking out. Anyway, it’s just an idea. I apologize to all for talking on so long. I have just developed a passion for trying to help out however I can as I don’t live anywhere near a rescue or retirement facility that I can volunteer at so I work to help feed tummies and get veterinarian care and to help others provide love and care to the neglected, abused and abandoned horses who every day fight for their very lives until they find refuge. Abigail Anderson posted on her Facebook early May an ESPN expose on the black market horse meat trade. I don’t think any of you will dare want to watch it. I couldn’t make it past a few minutes before desolving in tears. But these are the things that need to drive us to strive to push ourselves to afford salvation and a life for these unwanted horses through our donations and our letters to congress. Zenyatta leads the charmed life that she should but we need to all try to make a least one horse at a time happy and healthy and knowing what it is like to be safe, cared for and loved too. Thank you for listening. Sincerely – Dani Crawford