Happy Saturday Everyone!
It has been a very exciting morning. In Europe, they ran the Epsom Derby today. A horse named CARLTON HOUSE, owned by THE QUEEN of England, was running. This colt was foaled in the United States and was sired by my father, STREET CRY! For these reasons, I was cheering for him. He ran a wonderful race and finished a very accomplished 3rd. I must say, I am enjoying the opportunity to watch the different races around the world now. It is great fun!
Royal Ascot is starting soon. I’m hearing that GOLDIKOVA will be running there. She won her first start of the season…so this will be a race of great interest.
As you know, I have done a great deal of charitable work during my career. My TEAM felt from the very beginning that it was extremely important for ME to be philanthropic and to help others.
At this time, GOLDIKOVA and I are working with the Breeders’ Cup to help raise money for the V FOUNDATION for Cancer Research. I have been doing this for a few years now. What a tremendous cause this is! I truly hope I’m helping to whatever degree possible.
During the last several weeks, Brad Stephenson (in the photo above) worked on a project with MY JOHN to help the ARTS PROGRAMS at Highland Oaks School in Arcadia, CA. (This is the community where Santa Anita is located.) I’m hearing that many of the ARTS programs in quite a few school systems are currently having some difficulties due to budget cuts. It is truly very important for children to be able to participate in and learn about all of these things. Education is so, so incredibly important! Thus, from what I’m hearing, schools are having AUCTIONS to help fund some of these various programs.
The Highland Oaks Designing Dads Auction was a huge success. It was held at Santa Anita. My shoe/photo as pictured above (Brad did a great job framing it) was the highest priced item sold at the entire auction. Andrew and Nana Shen very generously purchased this item.
What a thrill! Everyone at Highland Oaks School is so excited! Fortunately, the children at this school are going to be able to keep their ARTS PROGRAMS for another year due to the success of this auction. The families and members of the community all worked together to make this a success! I am so happy I was able to do MY PART to help!
Recently, one of my halters was auctioned by CANTER. This is an organization I try to work with as often as I can. Their primary goal is to help retired race horses retrain for their 2nd careers. Ali, from Canter, emailed Dottie the other day and said my halter raised $4,600. for their charity. HIGH HOOVES TO EVERYONE at CANTER for this!
Then today, in the Thoroughbred Daily News, they have a piece stating the 8th Annual Night of the Stars, a fundraiser for Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, will be auctioning one of my halters and also a VISIT WITH ME at their June 18th fundraiser. “This organization is a 30-year-old therapeutic riding program based at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.”
Per the TDN, Pat Kline, on behalf of the organization stated “Zenyatta touched so many people during her racing career and created such excitement for Thoroughbred racing, and now her magic is helping CKRH. We see the healing power of the horse every day at CKRH and are honored to have Zenyatta’s contribution.”
Needless to say, Blush, Blush, I AM THE ONE WHO IS TRULY HONORED TO BE ABLE TO HELP!
Have a wonderful weekend!
With love,
Hugs to All~
Z
Hernan Tovar
My adorable Zenyatta, Wow wow you are so special, you are so special!!!!
I will love you forever and ever…. Ingrid.
Maryyette
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2011/06/04/zenyatta-package.aspx
More nice things that Zenyatta and her Team do for charity – love you, sweet Zenny!
Brittany A.
I’m glad to have found this site, glad to be reading up on all the work you and your crew have been doing to help the less fortunate! I’m especially proud that you are helping raise funds for former race horses, there are so many that are in desperate need of help! I know that whenever I finally buy one of your descendants I will honor you by including the “Yatta” part of your name in the name of that future horse… “Yatta” would serve as a substitution for “You Ought to be” in the name… Of course, It’d be nice to see one of your actual sons or daughters with “Yatta” in their name per this suggestion! Keep it all up, good luck with your first foal!
Sharon Call
@Susan in Tn. I’m so glad Chester liked the sweet potato with molasses (wish I had thought of molasses). I agree with you in that Chester needs a companion that will be kind to him. The first thing I thought of was a donkey, as long as it’s a sweet one. How old is Chester, does anyone know or have a good guess? What does the vet say about him? Too many questions, I’m afraid, I apologize. This little horse just reaches out to me some how. I’ve tried and tried to figure out a way I could adopt him but always run into a big brick wall – money! Not just the adoption fee (that’s relatively easy), but a place to keep him the way he should be kept. Pasture, shelter, feed, hay, tack, vet care, farrier,and on and on. I wouldn’t want to board him anywhere. The facilities in my immediate area aren’t what I would want for him and I don’t have quite enough land to keep him right here at my home. I’m going to keep on trying to figure something out. I just feel he and I should be together, even though I’ve never seen him. I’m so glad he has you. You may be his salvation. If you’d rather e-mail me about him instead of posting on Z’s web site, my e-mail is sharon_call@att.net. I know no one on this site would take advantage of this and feel completely comfortable with posting my e-mail address. Either way that is comfortable for you, is OK with me. Thanks for all that you do.
Cheryl
I love reading about you daily and am as impressed by your charity work as I was by your racing career. Keep up the tremendous work. You are such a gift to racing! Many mints to you!
Robin Porcelain
So proud of the team for raising money for worthwhile causes on behalf of Zenyatta. :) You guys are great!!!
Kitei
OMG — and LOL:
As I sit here reading your diary on my phone, while trying to cure a headache with caffeine, thought of an idea you could try to raise money for charity while making your fans too happy! Since you seem to like video phone calls, why couldn’t fans visit you that way, & donate for the privilege? No risk of contagion that way! PS my kitten says she’d settle for a hanky that smells like you! ;) She could read all your news with her nose! PS – I gave some $$ in your name to help rescue animals in Fukushima exclusion zone — still pets, horses, farm animals are there
Kathy Breakall
Z,
thanks for all you and your connections do for the well-being of others. I have enjoyed meeting some of the Mosses’ horses that they have retired to Old Friends. In another vein, could you explain how and when you and your beloved John determined your racing style,ie., that you preferred to hang in the back and then surge to close?
KLB
Mary Copelin
@Pat and Ensign, I am at a loss to understand what you are criticizing re. post #264 and Dottie’s reference to
CANTER.Pat says “Actually, it’s CANTER” which is what Dottie wrote. Ensign says, “Sadly, a rather LARGE gaff and spelling error.”
Would you clue me in? Thanks.
It is wonderful that team Z and all of Z’s fans are helping various charities.
Talk about great energy and karma!
LauraJ
@Signofthetimes,for you: Female Horses of the Year (American):
Zenyatta 2010
Rachel Alexandra 2009
Azeri 2002
Lady’s Secret 1986
All Along 1983
Moccasin 1965 (as a 2-year-old!)
Busher 1945
Twilight Tear 1944
Regret 1915
Beldame 1904
Imp 1899
(Official voting by the DRF started in 1936. Before that, the acclaimed champion was usually the highest money earner. The Eclipse Awards were established in 1971.)
—
Secretariat’s best daughter, and maybe his best progeny, on the track was definitely Lady’s Secret. In the breeding shed, I think it’s a toss between Terligua (dam of Storm Cat) and Weekend Surprise (dam of AP Indy and Summer Squall). Both Storm Cat and AP Indy are likely to remain powerful influences on the TB breed, through both their sons and their daughters.
Irene Caty
Hi Zenny, Carlton House owned by the Queen of England has to be a Half brother to you if his sire is Street Cry, the same as your sire. That is exciting news. You are also a queen, of thuroghbred horseracing and you are concidered Racing Royalty. It is good to see that many charitable causes are doing well because of you. I am so proud of you beautiful girl. Everything turns ot good when it has anything to do with you. Thinking of you always and sending you lots of love and kisses.
Signofthetimes
@Laura J
Thanks for the great account of female HOY.
Guess there have not been 2 and maybe 3 in a row.
Go girls!!!
Like your analysis if Secretariat’s great “children”. It is good to be
A champion race horse Lady’s Secret and the best if a horse can also produce
champions or a line of champions like Terlingua (Storm Cat) and
Weekend Surprise (AP Indy).
Maybe Zenny will be able to do both.
Signofthetimes
@Irene
The relationship to Zenny only comes from her
Mother. So only “V” foal are related to her. All of Street
Cry’s “children” (about 150 per year) have no
Relationship with Zenny. It us kind of like being Jewish.
Judiaism passes through the female so traditionally
A Jewish man would marry a Jewish woman
Or children will not be considered Jewish. Equine
Siblings only come from the horses Dam.
The Kennedys in San Diego
@Kathy Breakall — We agree that would be a fascinating post — how a trainer determines the racing style of trainees.
Trina Nagele
Dearest Zenny, I love that you and your team do so much for charities. The horse rescue River Edge Farm (where your fan Susan in TN is volunteering) is having a Name the Colt contest for the foal that was born there May 20 (the little brother to yearling Rusty). Supporters can suggest a name, and everyone can vote for the name they like best by making a donation. You can see cute pictures of the colt and read his story on the homepage
http://www.riveredgefarmhorserescue.org/index.html
@Judy Berube—Have you gone on-site already to enter your name “Happy Ever After”?
@Susan in TN—That’s FANTASTIC that you will be doing a newsletter for River Edge Farm Horse Rescue! You are an excellent writer, and your delightful turns of phrase and sense of humor will be real assets to the newsletter. I certainly hope it will be on-line, and I am looking forward to reading it. Best wishes to you and the horses.
@Brooke—I’ll be watching for your posts this summer. I hope you’ll have fun news to share about your Dusty.
@Jill—It’s good to see your post. What’s your thoroughbred’s name? I’m so glad the two of you found each other, and I would love to hear more.
@Sherry Drish—I’m happy to hear that Raven is almost all well again—best wishes to you both.
@Chris H—Is your little Irish Miracle still doing OK? Sure hope so.
@Eveline—That’s wonderful news about Mustang Monument, the new wild horse refuge in Nevada sponsored by billionaire T. Boone Picken’s wife. I read that the horses will have hundreds of acres all to themselves. Thanks for the great link—brought tears (happy ones) to my eyes.
@Arlene—Beautiful post about the loving eaglets. Too cute!
PCRMfan
Please check out charities before donating. Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine(pcrm.org) has a long list of approved charities. V Foundation for Cancer Research and Susan G. Komen get a big red X. They are on the do NOT donate list. Have not been able to get canterusa.org to load since they changed the web site.
judy berube
Dear Trina Nagele:
No Trina, I didn’t enter the name through the site. I put it in a note when I sent in a donation last week. Everything you mentioned about Susan’s way with words and sense of humor is spot on. Should be a great newsletter. Hugs, J.B.
ENSIGN
@ Mary Copelin,
.
Dottie initially posted about Canter as CANTOR. It was posted several times incorrectly. After Pat and my mention of the correct name of the organization it was obviously edited ;-)
Dona
Sadly, Montana has a Horse slaughter Law that was passed because the Govenor would not veto or sign it, by default it went into law. I hope people not only voice their displeasure with this horrible Law but actually refrain from visiting that state.
Can you imagine how a State know as cowboy country could have done such a thing?
judy berube
To Laura J.: Yes, hooves crossed. I hope everything is fine with him. Hugs, J.B.
To Peggy: You’re welcome. Me too; I think Mo is so handsome. I pray he recovers well. Hugs, J.B.
Terry Crow
@Susan in TN-A handicap is a race in which the weights are assigned by the racing secretary according to the past ability shown by the entrants. When the weights are assigned, no matter how far off the race is, the weight remains the same. This is a big advantage for an improving horse. This used to be the way to equalize horses in a race, by assigning more weight to the better horses. However, the weight ranges are much less now. In the past when a superior horse was entered the weight assignment might be 125 pounds plus, as high as 130 plus. However, such weights are rarely assigned these days. The racing officials at a certain track do not want to lose a good horse because of excess weights when another track might have a less diligent racing secretary. Weight for age stakes are more prevalent now.
LauraJ
@Signofthetimes, Zenyatta has a good chance of becoming a successful broodmare (i.e., a stakes producer). I’ve read a few articles and papers on the subject of good race mares as broodmares. It turns out that racing class of the dam is the best predictor of racing success, that graded stakes-winning mares produce stakes winners at a significantly higher rate than lower-class mares, even when the quality of the sire is held constant. Despite some well-publicized failures (such as Genuine Risk), on the whole the best race mares become successful producers. Some of these include Urban Sea, Personal Ensign, Serena’s Song, Miesque, Dahlia, Searching, Affectionately, Ta Wee, and Moccasin. If you’re interested, I will see if I can post the links tomorrow.
—
@Judy B, I think your response was meant for Anne in Paramount, CA (Rightful Image). :-)
Step has a respiratory infection—mucus in his lungs and blisters in his throat. He started his race well but tanked about halfway through it, so the trainer had him scoped. Poor baby, he tried but his body just wouldn’t cooperate. He should do better once he has recovered.
—
CANTOR/CANTER: that’s why one should never rely on spell check. :-)
judy berube
Dear Laura J.:
Please accept my apology. I was indeed mixed up. I meant to ask you how Step came out of his race. I did look it up and noted that he broke well, progressed and then tired. That respiratory infection took its toll. I wish him a speedy and total recovery. Hugs, J.B.
Signofthetimes
@Laura J
Thanks. Would love to have the links.
I think MMM is going to be a “force to reck on
With” in the Belmont. New Gucci shoes and new
Jockey who lets him race like he wants to. Great
Article in bloodhorse about his most recent work.
Jockeys with more experience are more patient
And let the horse place themselves. Just heard
On HRTV about winning jockey rounds the turn and
Let’s the horse accelerate so has lots left in the
“tank” at the end. Those with less experience go
To pushing when they round the turn and run out
Of gas. Riding is such a complexed.
Good Luck MMM !!!!!!
judy berube
Dear Ann from Paramount, CA:
I mistakenly addressed Laura J. in answering your post. You both have horses racing and I keep track of both of them. I hope Rightful Image is fine and the update is good. Hooves crossed. Hugs, J.B.
Shari Voltz
Hi Zenyatta I am a little on the late side posting. I had a busy few days. My dad had to be rushed to the hospital and I had to take care of everything. I am all he has. He is doing fine now. Thank you Lord :) I hope you had a wonderful day with the girls. Now I am sure your in your stall resting at the beautiful LE farm. I am taking a college class tomorrow and don’t want to go. I would rather clean out stalls than sit in a classroom. Oh shame on me :0 Well my sweet Queen I need to get ready for school tomorrow. I love you and I am sending Big Hugs and Many Kisses. Sweet dreams. Love, Shari XXXOOO
@ Susan in Tn I hope you see this. You made me so happy. I will put the check in the mail tomorrow. I hope 20.00 will buy something good. I would send more but sent a gift to Our Mims. I am putting your name on the envelope. Here is my email address. I will cherish pictures of Rootbeer Titus8@yahoo.com. Maybe you could send a few snail mail that I could hang in my home. Let me know what you think. Thank you so much :)
@I love Uncle Mo and am praying really hard for him :)
judy berube
To Signofthetimes:
I don’t know if you saw it, but I left a link to the website where you can order the Jockey Calendar on Diary #259. Did you know you also get an 8×10 photo of Z, taken by Barbara Livingston, when you order the calendar. I ordered mine a couple of days ago. Hugs, J.B.
Marshall (girl's name)
Queen Z: Thanks so much for all you and your Team do for equine and human charities! You are The Best!! Of course, we all knew that already! Love, love, love you!!!
@Sherry Drish: So glad that Raven is improving! Best wishes for good health!
@Susan in TN: Love hearing the news about Chester, Rootbeer, Rusty and the Mama Horse with Happy! You are one of my heroes! Belated Happy Birthday!
@Chris H.: Hope your mare and foal are improving still. Let us know!
@Sharon Call: Hope something works out for you and Chester. Sounds as though the two of you are a match! All the Best!
audreyc
Horses…they give us so very much. I was doing a little research for a friend who, fairly new to horses, has acquired an American Saddlebred. I know a smidgeon about gaited horses, but I knew the American Saddlebred is an American breed, gaited, and only goes back to the Thoroughbred in the early 1800’s. Anyway, the point is, after doing research about his genealogy, and research about gaited horses, I found a really, really cool video about a Tennessee Walker, champion speed racker – clocked at 25 mph. I really loved the video, and the horse, and I thought I would share. It’s about all horses – for, do they not give us so very much – whatever capacity? Anyway, anyone interested – go to you tube. com, and then google “Speed racking horse smooth and clocked at 25 mph. The music is great, the video is great….and another aspect of the gift to us, which is, the horse.
Andrea
You are so right AudreyC, horses give us so much. My youngest daughter is off to college this Fall. I gave my word to the woman I bought her horse from, that Kayla had found her last home. I will support Kayla for the rest of her life, and when age makes things hard for her, I will call our vet, and the last thing K will ever feel is a needle stick; no fear, no trauma. We, those who love her, will be the last thing she sees and feels. She is 24, and so sound! I think she will make it to 30! May our beloved Z reach those golden years!