HAPPY 4th OF JULY!
I want to wish all of you a fantastic HOLIDAY WEEKEND and a very safe July 4th.
While many people will be off to the races, walking on the sand, and enjoying great barbeques, I’ll be here at Lane’s End having a special time as well. MY JOHN and his crew will be racing.
I’m looking forward to enjoying the sunshine, grazing on the bluegrass, and eating some of my favorite TREATS! As you can see, I’m happily awaiting a few bites from my ST. LEO’S friends in this photo. This is a visit I did to help fund-raise for a local school. I must say, the ladies were so gracious and brought ME the perfect treats!
The holiday weekend is also filled with a large number of fabulous stakes races. One in particular is of great interest to ME. On Monday, my dear, dear friend, HARMONIOUS, is running in the ROYAL HEROINE G-2 at Hollywood Park. It is one mile on the turf. This will be her first start since February when she tried the dirt at Santa Anita. Harmonious has a wonderful past performance record. She is a very accomplished turf filly by Dynaformer out of a mare named Jade Tree! I’m wishing her ALL THE BEST!
Harmonious and I spent a great deal of time together at Barn 55. We not only grazed together each morning and afternoon, but we shared MARIO as our groom. He is truly one terrific guy! As we would often be outside at the exact same time, Mario would be with ME and Frank would be with Harmonious. It worked out perfectly for everyone.
I believe this is one of the reasons why it was such a smooth transition for ME to share a paddock with other horses once I acclimated to life at Lane’s End. It was such a familiar and comfortable situation as I have literally spent years outside grazing at Barn 55 with other horses close by: Tiago, Life Is Sweet, Zardana, After Market and Harmonious to name a few. We always respected each other’s space, which is so important, and simply enjoyed sharing our time outdoors with each other. We could literally stand there and look around for hours and hours. We weren’t necessarily ‘eating anything’…we were just enjoying the time outdoors! Hmmmm, I still do that!
I’d personally like to wish HARMONIOUS and VALERIA (one of my Moss pals) GOOD LUCK in their races. They are both running on Monday, the 4th! Such FUN!
Enjoy your Holiday!
Please be safe!
With love,
Hugs to All~
Z
DJ
p.s.s. I should add that she is the Foundress of 19 Monasteries dedicated to St. Joseph.
DJ
To Brenda: I smelled something suspicious :)
Terry Crow
@DJ-You have a way of stringing words together that rivals any author or poet. God bless lou.
DJ
TC: Thank you..it just means the Leprechaun is hungry. I am going to take the little Irish for some Chinese! God bless you too. (and lou). :)
Snoprinz
I remember Harmonious. She looks very well taken care of by Mario. Good luck and best wishes to her and Valeria on their July 4th race.
Happy 4th to you Zenny and to your connections at Barn 55 And Lane’s End.
Barbara Grimaldi
Dearest Z: thank you for your visit to my computer today! Totally unexpected and loved, as you are loved! Last night, Turner Classic Movies ran some very old Roy Rogers movies from the 40s, and I watched two of them. As a kid, I thought they were fantastic films! Now, I see what they really are, BUT–they are still parts of the wonderful Roy Rogers=Dale Evans cowboy legend of America. I watched Trigger closely and saw a wire attached to his mouth in some shots that caused him to open his lips much like Mr. Ed always did. Didn’t see that as a kid. Trigger was a gorgeous horse but a trick horse, a performer. I adored him, as all of us kids did then. Now, 60 years later, I am totally in love with the greatest horse of all–the beautiful and compassionate and funny and sweet Zenyatta. Dottie, we all owe you so much…thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Dawn Conrad
Dearest, Zenyatta. Thank you so much for sharing another special post with us this 4th of July weekend. We are so lucky to have you and Dottie thinking about us!!How wonderful to hear about another fund raising success for you Zenny. It must be so special for the ladies to be able to share treats with you. (I love the Zenyatta shirt, I have one just like it!!) My best wishes to all of those running this weekend, may your trips be safe and successful. How lovely Harmonious and Nereid look. I think I told you before, but Nereid was very kind and shared a velvet nose kiss with me when I visited Barn 55. :) :) Isn’t the 4th always so fun for friends and families to share!! Although I enjoy various parts of the world and look forward to visiting those foreign shores, I am so proud to be an American. For all of it’s problems and admittedly there are many right now, in equal measure, there are so many wonderful things to celebrate about this great nation of ours. In particular Zenny, I want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to the members of our armed forces. They and their families make sacrifices for each of us everyday. Their efforts should never be forgotten. Zenny, when I think about you it is like fireworks in my heart, bursting with love. Sweet dreams. Hugs and kisses. XXXOOO
@Delrene and others who may currently have loved ones serving overseas – Please thank them for safeguarding our freedom. My prayers are with them all.
@To all who commented on the “horse” entry – I so appreciate your marvelous feedback, thank you so much for your kind words.
@Linda in NJ – I know my #19 gets pats and kisses regularly. :)
@Terry Crow and DJ – I think we may be seeing another great comedy team in the making.
@Especially Horses – Thank you for the book recommendation, I always love another good book!
@Max – I have seen Dynaformer a couple of times. He is one imposing figure. The first time I saw him, he must have been in a good mood,as they did take him out of his stall and he did behave well. I also got an e-mail from Three Chimneys showing him playing with a grooming towel.
@Barbara Wood – I agree, frequent posts are much easier, as I so love to read what everyone has entered.
@Shari – So glad you liked the “horse” piece I did yesterday. I loved the image you painted of Paul Revere walking and isn’t it wonderful that you share the history of some famous equines with your class. I would have loved having you as a teacher!!! Hope your holiday is fantastic.
@Lisa B – Have a wonderful time at HP. Say hello to Mike from me. He was not there when I visited,I would have liked so much to have met him.
Helen (Michigan)
Zenny, what do I spy in those goodie bags? Looks like the ladies snuck in a few peppermints with those carrots! That photo of “Loverboy Mario” is priceless. No wonder you left California a happy, happy mare. He must have whispered in a few ears at LE for you to get the back scratches in just the right spot.
On this weekend as we celebrate our great freedoms as Americans, I wish each and every thoroughbred and jockey who races to the finish line a safe and injury free trip.
Happened to notice that Dottie and Mikey share a birthday on August 10. Party! Party!
To the Queen and all her subjects: Happy Fourth of July.
Max
@Dawn Conrad. Dynaformer is indeed very imposing. I am happy for you that you saw him when he was in a good mood. It is so funny that a sire, whose trainer called the most difficult of the horses that he had ever trained, would have a daughter called Harmonious. I love all of the high spirited horses, but then we Z fans just love all horses.
Pamela J Hebert
Zenny- Good luck to all this weekend. And have a safe & Happy 4th. Miss seeing you race dear girl.
LauraJ
@Any Azeri fans and anyone else interested, her son Take Control (by AP Indy) is back on the work tab, finally. He’s at Santa Anita.
judy berube
Dear Z,
You’re really zeroed in on that bag of carrots. Love it. You are so beautiful. Harmonious and Nereid look great too. Best luck and safe trips to all the horses. Love you and love to all of you. Happy 4th, Judy and Russ
judy berube
Dear DJ and Sunny Boyd:
Actually a Schnoodle is a breed. It’s a cross between a Schnauzer and a Poodle. Yes, Sophie is a cutie. Hugs, J.B
judy berube
To Ingrid Arnone:
Dear Ingrid,
Just saw your post to me. I will look for your posts under the new name from now on. Hugs, J.B.
Dear Signofthetimes:
You’re welcome. Sunday Silence was a wonderful horse. I wish he could have stayed in the States. Hugs, J.B.
To Terry Crow:
Won’t be betting today, but hope Judy’s An Angel wins. On the links, I try to post ones I think Z fans will enjoy.
Got one for you: What is the strongest animal? A race horse because it takes hundreds of people for a ride at the same time. Hugs, J.B.
Barbara Wood
@Brenda–I have my own Dynaformer story. When we were at Three Chimneys, the groom asked if anyone had a peppermint. I did, so I volunteered mine for him to give to Dynaformer. He spit it out. I thought he looked marvelous for his age, though.
Heather Myers
I don’t post often, Z, but you are always on my mind and I read your diary daily. Stay well!
Maria K.
I love you Queen Z. Happy 4th of July! Good luck to Harmonious and Valeria.
The Kennedys in San Diego
@LauraJ — Azeri is our #2 favorite horse (Zenyatta #1). As with Zenyatta, we were fortunate to see most of her races and visit her frequently. Like Zenyatta, she was very sweet. I even got to go into her paddock with her without a groom, trainer or other present. Quite a memory. We were happy to hear her first foal, Take Control,is back in training. Any recent news of Arienza, Azeri’s second foal?
We did not know Dynaformer (the sire of Harmonious) is not very approachable. Had heard he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer and is so well endowed he is not bred to maidern mares. He seemed docile in his stall the day we visited Three Chimneys last November.
The Kennedys in San Diego
Just read that D. Wayne Lukas described Dynaformer as “the most difficult horse I have ever trained.” Also had heard that trainers anticipate Dynaformers may be a challenge. But, as a sire, Dynaformer is still going strong at 26!
The Kennedys in San Diego
Another interesting article (and we could not agree more) by Steve Haskin — “Time to Change BC Friday” on Bloodhorse.com.
Judy (Maass) Gadwood ~CA
@ ZENYATTA & FANS
I had to share this adorable youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpDsckCNM8Y
Did you ever do this, Zenny? TOO CUTE!
mj
So You Think beat Workforce today-great race; there’s an article on DRF.com
mj
Oops, Happy 4th everyone and safe travels. Oh those lucky ladies with our Z-
thanks Dottie and Sarah. Barn 55-best of luck on Monday!!
Sue Fredrick
Hi Big Mama, nice that you got visitors with treats on this holiday weekend. I suppose your team is busy as can be, its a big racing weekend. Love seeing you so happy and content. Harmonious looks lovely I can’t wait to see what she does.
@Laura J, oh boy I’ve got to keep my eyes on Take Control, I’m an Azeri fan and a big, big AP Indy fan. Please post any updates you hear about, I will try to watch too, I’d love to see what he looks
like.
@All, happy and safe 4th to all, and all jockeys and horses running.
Judy (Maass) Gadwood ~CA
SO YOU THINK wins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC9kFyFdIgk
Zenny, I haven’t gotten goosebumps since I watched YOU race… until today! This is “unbelievable”. SO YOU THINK put his head down – sound familiar – and went for the wire with all HEART!
Kuddos to WORKFORCE, he gave it all he had, too!
Cheryl Smith
Happy 4th of July! Enjoy some treats and have a safe holiday!
tony and sue
You are so kind to give us another diary entry over the holiday weekend, Zenny. We thought you and Dottie might be chilling out a bit and enjoying some relaxation time…however, seeing another post adds something extra special to all the festivities. The ladies in this photo seem happy just to be near you. Lucky them…you just have that glow about you that spreads to everyone who enters your space. We know the treats were good…nothing but the best for our Queen. Hope everyone who visits here is enjoying the day. Stay happy and safe …including you, Zenny.
Signofthetimes
Dear Zenny
Sooo glad to see you are having visitors and doing
Your charity work an of course enjoying your treats.
You are quite fixed on those baby carrots. Hope they
Were good. Did not realize Harmonious sire was Dynaformer.
She is a big filly. Guess she gets her temperament from
Her dam. He sure is a character and likes to bite.
@Judy B
I just purchased the book Sunday’s Silence. It is sad that
Such a champion who worked so hard was not
Embraced by the US. Glad he was successful in Japan and
One of Charlies favorite although mean ad well.
Mary M. Meek
Good Luck to Harmonious! Here are some pics of Harmonious and Zenyatta at Churchill last November:
Harmonious and Z grazing:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KupJA2d5RT3F3PepEBloZg?feat=directlink
Harmonious by herself looking regal:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eRctDoat6TgqA0WiXRKOyA?feat=directlink
Harmonious and YOUR JOHN (hers too, lol):
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JHcdeo0d_M9PAU9nXXIj7Q?feat=directlink
Harmonious with Frank, grazing:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FGw8F3cqU4c_gM0sYUNTJw?feat=directlink
Mary MMM
Mary M. Meek
Harmonious and Zenyatta grazing last November at Churchill Downs:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KupJA2d5RT3F3PepEBloZg?feat=directlink
Mary MMM