Good Morning,
What a weekend! There was such great racing around the country. My pals all ran wonderful races…and were so competitive. I am very proud of all of them.
On another note, it was a weekend of great PRIDE for ME! Not only did my owners receive the PINCAY AWARD for their contributions to our sport, but there was a fascinating one page article in Sunday’s LA TIMES sports section titled,
THE GREATNESS SOCIETY
Here’s a membership list for one of sports’ most exclusive clubs: The best of all time
By Douglas Farmer and Matt Stevens
In this piece, Farmer and Stevens have named the athletes for several major sports who are ‘the best of all time’ and a comment about each. They have listed them by the date/years each participated in his/her particular sport. Per their article, here are the “MEMBERS OF THIS CLUB”:
Basketball Guards: Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant
Basketball Centers: George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neal
Women’s Tennis: Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, and Serena Williams
Boxing: Jack Johnson, Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Manny Pacquiao
Hockey: Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, and Mario Lemieux
Football Quarterbacks: Sammy Baugh, Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady
Soccer: Pele, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi
Football Running Backs: Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, O.J.Simpson, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith
Golf: Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods
Baseball Sluggers: Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr. and Albert Pujols
and
Horse Racing: Man O’ War, Native Dancer, Secretariat, Seattle Slew and ME…ZENYATTA!!!!!
What can I say! I am SO HONORED and SO INCREDIBLY PROUD! (Blush, Blush)
MY TEAM shares these emotions with ME! To have one’s name included on this list, considering the exceptional levels of achievement and prominence by the other MEMBERS OF THIS CLUB, is so incredibly humbling and quite overwhelming!
This is truly an extraordinary feeling for ALL OF US!
With Love,
Hugs to All~
Z
Judy (Maass) Gadwood aka Judy MG
@ ALL ZENYATTA FANS…
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=ZENNY
Her candles were totally burned out :-(
Karen Gogue
So sorry to say that Eveline lost Ivin this morning…Rest your soul in peace Ivin…The Angels take you to HIS heart in Heaven and you’ll be blessed forever more with HIS LOVE for you……….
judy berube
Dear Susan in Tn.:
You’re welcome. Hugs, J.B.
Keta
Z. Question for your JOHN, Mike, or Dottie. Maestro had a DQ at Hollywood Park
It seems there are more this season than usual. Why? Is it the track surface? The jockey rides? The number of horses in the field? The Moss team has lost at least 2 first place finishes. You (and Dottie) do such a great job of explaining racing. Would love to hear thoughts on this. Thanks.
Judy (Maass) Gadwood aka Judy MG
@ Barbara Hawkins
Thank you for mentioning that ESPN did FINALLY giving Zenny the recognition she so richly deserved with her close 2nd in the BC Classic! When I watched the tape of ESPN, I almost fell out of my chair when those words came out of their mouths! HELLO!!! We all knew that the moment she crossed the wire… it took them months to figure it out LOL :-D And kuddos to them for NOT saying she “lost” ~ because she really, really, really didn’t! BLAME was a good horse (with a better trip around the track), but ZENNY did all the HARD WORK!! :-D
Roberta Smith
Hello Pretty Girl!
Another honor for you…I think more will come too! You are beautiful! I love you Zenyatta!
Terry Crow
@DJ–Thank you. @Judy Maass Gadwood–Thanks for the correction. I like to give credit where and when it is due.I express my thanks to Diana S for arranging the visit. However, Karen Gogue deserves credit for calling attention to your uniform. The attendance figure is, indeed, sad. @Susan in TN–Thank you for your comments and the update on Lou. I would like to comment on The Greatness Society. I have some arguments with the players included in some of the categories at the exclusion of others. This type of writing is designed to elicit arguments and comments from readers which I am sure will happen in this case. Then, the writers can respond to the arguments. I mean, how can you leave off Sam Snead, Bart Starr, Ted Williams and Eric Dickerson? I also have an argument in the horse racing category. Zenyatta is the greatest of all time so any other horses mentioned in the same breath as her should be honored. We all have our favorites, but none measures up to the Queen. This sounds like a joke, but it isn’t. It seems like the only things I get in the mail these days are advertisements for Jenny Craig, Bosley Hair Restoration and The Neptune Society. I am beginning to think that somebody knows something I don’t.
DJ
To Terry Crow: AARP
KAAREN REICHE
You are right up there where you deserve to be. And your name follows my other favorite champion-SLEW! I hope your descendants will equal his greats. In other words, may there be an A P Indy in your future as well as daughters to do their dame proud. Well done to you and Team Z!
Debbie G
I am not the least bit surprised that you are on that list, sweet girl. You truly deserve it. You are a once-in-a-lifetime horse. I was just wondering, now that you’re expecting, does that mean you have to lay off the Guiness? I love you, Zenny! :-)
@Jeanne from Texas and Kimberly Potter – I know exactly how you feel. I watch the 2009 Breeders Cup Classic about once a week and it never fails to bring me to tears. And every time I read or watch anything about Z, it chokes me up. I definitely “get it”.
@Karen Gogue – Sorry to hear you’re still struggling with your new computer. Hang in there! :-)
@Shari Volz – I don’t know if anyone’s suggested this to you or not, but I found a great place for breakfast for you on your trip to KY. I went to Keeneland’s track kitchen for the first time yesterday, and it was very good and very reasonable. They’re only open until 11 AM, though. Hope you have a great trip!
@Dawn Conrad – I want to thank you again, Dawn, for planting the idea in my head about going to Clairborne Farm. I went yesterday and had a fantastic time. When we pulled up to the parking lot, we were greeted by Seth Hancock himself, which was a shock. And unlike the other farm I visited, we were allowed to pet the horses and give them peppermints. They were very accomodating. I have to admit that I did pet Blame, but the whole time I was thinking that I actually feel a little sorry for him. After all, he did win the Classic, but no one ever talks about him, they all talk about Queen Z instead! But the most emotional part of the tour was the cemetery. As soon as I saw Secretariat’s grave, I couldn’t help but get choked up. I left a peppermint on his and Swale’s graves. I hope you have a wonderful time on your visit to KY, Dawn. :-)
Ida Lee
Wow what company!! I got to see the beautiful and incredible Secretariat (one of the great loves of my life), Seattle Slew and you of course. What company Sweetheart. You more than deserve it. Like I mentioned before, I don’t watch racing as much as I used to since you retired. It’s just not the same for me. I adored you when you raced; I adore you now. I sure do miss seeing you run..it was heaven!!!
Carole #42
Love to Zen…and congratulations,hope you aren’t getting tired of reading this, but its love all the way to you.
@Dana, yes Barbaro was a wonderful horse and loved also.Take care Zenny xoxo
Lisa g
Ms Zenyatta, congratulations again, and to your adoptive parents…Glad to see Native Dancer getting his just deserves as well…What a guy he was. You look so beautiful, so beautiful. Saw you on TV, as usual it was great but not LONG ENOUGH. Cannot get enough of you, darlin’, it would never be enough..I love you…Lisa g
Ann Maree
Hi, Z,
–
No one deserves this “greatness” award more than you! You have given far more to your sport than you have ever gotten! The reach of your influence is just boundless and you are truly amazing! Congratulations to you for your honor, as well as to your family for the Pincay award!
–
Totally enjoyed the ESPN coverage updating us on you and Jerry and Ann, and John and Dottie. The commentators remarked that your legacy just keeps growing and growing! One of the few times in history that someone who lost was being talked about and revered over the winner!! Of course, you were the winner, Z, I saw that nose get out in front just after the wire! As someone pointed out, that race will always be about your greatness in defeat, and not about who won! Amen!
–
Big hugs! Ann Maree
Debbie G
@Judy (Maass) Goodwood – I couldn’t agree with you more about the Classic. Blame did win (barely), but Zenyatta did do all the hard work! He is a good horse, but he doesn’t hold a candle to our Zenny. That’s why people are still obsessed with her now, even after her retirement, but you never hear anyone talk about him.
DJ
Karen G: Thank you for letting us know about Ivin. Prayers of comfort and a candle lit for both now.
Terry Crow
@DJ-Very funny. I feel better already.
judy berube
Dear Jeanie:
Arlene posted the ESPN video on this Diary and I posted it on Diary No. 294. It works fine until it comes to the first pause for a commercial. Video doesn’t resume on its own. If you place the cursor on edge of the white line, it turns into HAND symbol. Click and hold and drag to the right. This should resume the video. Hugs, J.B.
DJ
Terry Crow: No letters from Betty White?
Ann Maree
P.S. In case someone would like a link to watch the coverage of the Hollywood Gold Cup last Saturday on ESPN, here it is:
–
http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=202894
–
TIP: After the initial introduction and short story about Z, you can push the bar over to 10:10 which is where the full Bill Nack narration starts and for the rest of the coverage on Zenyatta!
wendy bratten
What a beautiful prancing girl you are.
Celeste
Congratulations on the honor of being on the list of The Greatness Society! Of course, you have always been at the top of my greatness list, but it is always wonderful when your achievements are more widely recognized – lol! The photos are wonderful also, so I appreciate your sharing those as well.
Thank you for those who provided the link to the ESPN coverage from Saturday. I was able to watch it today and thought it was lovely to see. Thank you once more for being here for us.
Cathleen
You earned it baby!
LisainCo
Z: You are simply perfection.
Abigail from Montreal
UGGHHH! So frustrrating. I can’t get onto ESPN 3 because my server (VIDEOTRON) isn’t listed!!!!
ENSIGN
@ LauraJ,
.
Better Than Honour had a Street Cry filly this year and was also bred back to Bernardini : )
.
The foal that Balance lost was a Street Cry baby so they were obviously looking to replicate some of the Zenyatta success with that female family.
.
@ Susan in Tn,
.
Balance is at Mill Ridge. Treasure Trail I believe is at Claiborne but I’m not 100% on her. She lost an Indian Charlie foal in 2010.
Barbara
This is wonderful! I loved the ESPN piece, my friend tells me that I have “A case of the Zenyatta’s” still!!! Haha!!! and I am getting married and the person that is marrying us asked if he should mention Zenyatta in the vows!! I said of course! Thanks for this posting :)
Jean
You are: AMAZING JUST THE WAY YOU ARE ~
Mary
Loving Congratulations to your entire TEAM, Zenyatta. What a ride!
I love seeing and remembering Breeder’s Cup 2009. I can hardly bear the end of the 2010 race, even tho you were GREAT, I am still heartbroken. Hugs and Prayers
The Kennedys in San Diego
@ENSIGN — Simply great to hear from you and, as always, what a wealth of timely information. Delighted to hear Zenyatta will have a full sibling. Did not think a Street Cry/Vertigineux breeding was in the cards with V now at Coolmore, Street Cry at Darley. Has Balance been bred back?