Happy Monday Everyone!
Well, I must say, I think it was a fabulous weekend for those of us who have a name beginning with the letter Z! My dear friend, ZAZU, ran an extremely impressive race to win the Hollywood Oaks- G2 this Saturday! I was so impressed when I watched her ‘cut the corner into the stretch’ and run down the leaders. It is not an easy thing to do, get through on the rail when there is not much space…..but she did it like a CHAMP!
Needless to say, I am very, very proud of her and sending her a HIGH HOOF!
Luck is such an interesting concept. It is an extremely important part of life, our business and sports in general. As an athlete, you always need to be on top of your game and in terrific physical shape when competing. Additionally, you need to be alert and capitalize on all opportunities when they present themselves…and in our sport have a bit of racing luck.
Look at the different situations with my MOSS pals this weekend. Cloud Man ran a fabulous race, in a very good time. At the finish, there were 2 noses on the wire. He just happened to have his head in one position and the other horse, Burns, had his nose bobbing in the right place at the right time at the finish line. Cloud Man truly ran a terrific race and we are very proud of his effort…yet, the luck of the nose bobs did not favor him and he finished a very game and close 2nd.
Zazu, on the other hand, had a different type of racing experience. When turning for home in the Hollywood Oaks, she was able to squeeze through on the rail…albeit….’scraping the paint’ as they call it. This term means she was so close to the rail that it was almost as though the paint on it rubbed against her body. She then took a deep breath, settled, and went on to victory. At that moment, had that hole on the rail closed…or even got the slightest bit tighter…she never would have been able to fit through there. This would have caused her to alter course and lose her momentum. These adjustments to her run down the stretch may have cost her the victory. Her experience in this instance is an example of favorable racing luck, combined with a terrific effort by ZAZU, a very competitive race, and I must say a fabulous ride by Joel Rosario!
Then yesterday, with my friend, Cozi Rosie, in the Beverly Hills-G3, she was somewhat compromised by the way things unfolded at the start of the race. The gates opened and Cozi broke, started to settle and get into her stride, when the horse outside of her crossed over directly in front of her path. This caused Cozi to do what is called ‘clipping heels’….which means her front feet and the hind feet of the horse crossing in front of her touched. When this happens, it causes the horse in the back, in this case Cozi Rosie, to stumble. The severity of the stumble is extremely important. If not too bad, the horse can regroup and get back into the race as soon as possible. Cozi did to finish a very courageous 2nd. This is always the hope!
In racing, seconds lost mean lengths. The old racetrack saying is 1/5 of a second is equal to approximately one length. Of course, many factors may enter into this as pace etc…but this is said to be a “rough” gage. That is why these split-second incidents can be the difference between winning and losing. All of these factors combine to further illustrate, reinforce and validate the statement…. RACING LUCK IS SO IMPORTANT!
As mentioned earlier, luck is extremely important in ALL SPORTS! Timing…when hitting a baseball, catching a throw from the quarterback or as one shoots a basketball …..does matter. When you are competing in a professional sport, you not only need to be prepared and talented…you need to be LUCKY! All of these qualities blend together to make sports fun, challenging and intriguing! It also adds to the viewpoint as to why winning is so special and deeply appreciated when it happens! On so many levels, it is such an achievement!
I’d like to add my congratulations to the filly, Inglorious, who beat the boys in the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine and Buster’s Ready who won the Acorn at Belmont Park.
Overall, I’d have to say it was a fun GIRL POWER winning weekend!
Enjoy your day!
With love,
Hugs to All~
Z
Kathy Kimber
At Terry Croe and Judy Berube: We would have had a blast. Actually the Kansas legislature did ok slots for the track. They spent a lot of money for remodeling. But the kicker was the legislature decided they wanted 80% of the gross which wouldn’t have left much to run a track on. It made me sick because I think it is a shame when the people vote to have something and then they can’t have it. Other casinos have wanted to come into Wyandotte but they can’t run on that percentage either. It was a nice facility and the people were nice and they were fun. I had such a good time there. I met Lafitte Pincay and had lunch with him. I felt so bad when it closed I guess there is always hope so we shall see. Terry love the jokes e-mail me. My e-mail was up on yesterday’s site. Judy you too would love to hear from you. Hugs to all.
Tessa
Hi Zenny,
I was so excited when I found out your friend Zazu won! Love ya Z!
Yvonne and Maurice Kirby
Hi – yest, what a great weekend of racing. We went to the Queen’s Plate and I was screaming for Inglorious to win. I also had the second place horse, a long shot. I always like when blinkers are added. Yea!!! Your pictures are just great. I was so excited to see Zazu win and Buster’s Ready win -just a great weekend for racing. Just as long as everyone comes back safe. Be safe, stay comfy, eat well for two and have fun with your paddock BBFs. Love you, Angel in Disguise.
Alfredo
I have not been by in awhile and thought I’d visit my girl. Glad to see all continues to go well and the site is as busy as ever. As time goes by people are going to appeciate you more and more and marvel at all you accomplished. I have the newest American Racing Manuel on the way and am looking forward to reading about your 2010 Horse of the Year campaign.
Snoprinz
I missed the races. Congratulations to ZAZU who is such a lovely and talented horse!
Elizabeth S.
Just saw the race on YouTube. Zazu was such a gutsy little girl to squeeze through on the rail and fight for the lead in the stretch! Also saw her Las Virgenes win – another nice race! Way to go Zazu! :)