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
Pat Beck
Fabulous, my dear Zenyatta! Love you always!
Alene
Zenyatta YOU deserve to be in the ELITE company of all time great athletes!!!! I never call you Zenyatta. Only Zenny…lol This is a huge honor dear girl. The Mosses are one of a kind!!! Love you!! Lots of Hugs and Kisses Alene Very proud of YOU…:-)
judy berube
Dear Terry Crow:
Just read your joke from Diary #293. Very funny. I was with all of you in spirit on Saturday. Between your sense of humor, DJ’s, Karen’s and all the other Dumplings, I find myself smiling and laughing out loud every day I read Z’s Diary. What a great place to be. Hugs, J.B.
Brenda
Dear DANCING QUEEN, I know that you would be the first to give Blame a pat on the neck and so I will do that for you when I visit Claiborne next week. Like all of us on this site, I’m sure that the Hancock family admired you and your achievements.
@Abigail in Montreal – I’m still unable to open any of the links that have been posted so I’m waiting for my daughter to arrive on Friday with whatever she taped. I’ll be happy to share with you when I have a working copy. ESPN apparently doesn’t like Canada.
Sally (B)
Congrats sweet Z!! What an honor, although I felt you were right up there with the best of all time all along!! It wasn’t just because I love you. Yippee, Yippee for you & your team.
I had 2 friends visit today. I finally showed them my Zenyatta wall of pictures.
They thought you were just stunning. otherwise they were not informed except for all my bragging about you and how fabulous a race horse you are, how you danced before a race etc. I truly am so proud of you Big Mama! love with 2 kisses on your soft nose; one for baby Z
Lynn ..... (nearby Hwd Park) California
Congrats Zenyatta!!!
……………..
I knew you would receive all the best awards. You are the Greatest, Most Talented and most SPECIAL horse in the whole world. I know it, your team knows it, and the fans here know it. The World will all know it in time. … … When is your movie going to be made!!!?
I think I will agree with all the above posters in their brilliant words of praise about YOU.. ditto, ditto, and ditto.
…………..
To all of you who assist with bringing this site with all the news and photos. Thank You. Zenny brings out the best in you all.
Lot’s of Hugs for you momma Z. I love You.
Sally (B)
@Ensign, glad to see you back! You have always had interesting things to say.
Terry Crow
@DJ-Great Joke. I may have to hand the duty over to you. However, don’t make fun of Betty White. She is a real babe. @Sharon Call-Maybe not from crematoriums or funeral parlors, but the Neptune Society isn’t far away from those. @Judy Berube-I do receive offers of free hearing tests. I posted this on our last thread but, in case you missed it, when we were all at Barn 55, it was like what Forrest Gump said to his Jenny-You WERE there.
Snoprinz
You so deserve it! Alongside the greats in horseracing. Congratulations.
Abigail from Montreal
@ ENSIGN: Great to know you’re back. I always enjoy your posts but was very sad to learn that Balance’s filly died.
@Judy Berube: Thanks Judy. But the problem is that my service provider is not on the list ESPN3 gives you before it will let you watch anything……UGGHHHH!!!
DJ
To Terry C: Not a chance. I only come in during the commercial breaks. And yes, Betty White truly is wonderful!
Sheri
you definately deserve that Z! You are one of a Kind! I loooove those picture of you! They are so good! John sure is a great photographer! Love you Zenny and have a great week! :D
Cynthia H.
Congratulations, dear Queen Z! You are the only female listed amongst this list of all time horse-racing luminaries, and you can bet evey hair in that blessed mane of yours that you absoutely belong. You share more in commmon with this illustrious group than meets the eye, as two of them also suffered only one loss in the course of their birilliant careers: Man O’ War (20-1); Native Dancer (21-1). All five of you are the result of perfect genetic storms, and are so rare and so magnificent that one cannot fathom the depth of your greatness.
Judy Schott
I love that Zenyatta is listed right next to Seattle Slew, who is her “grandfather-in-law” (if there is such a word). It’s so cool to remember the time that Seattle Slew lived right here in Yakima County, WA; and to think that Zen is in foal to one of his line!! Two of the GREATEST!!
Trina Nagele
Dearest Zenny, Good afternoon, and congratulations! But of course, we already knew you are one of the all-time greats!
Today’s Horse and Man blog starts with a poster for the film “Buck” and the admonition “Go see it!” I certainly hope it comes to a theater near me. Scrolling down, you come to the update on Dawn Diovera getting boots for her tender-footed trail horse Finn. Well, the practicalities of that are the focus of this Part 2, but if you scroll down to the touching and humorous Part 1 (on July 8), it takes you right into the complexities of human-human relationships and human-horse relationships as well as. Being the philosopher that you are, Zenny, I know you would enjoy reading this story. That Dawn Diovera (like our own Dawn Conrad!) sure can write! And on the Saturday, July 9 entry in between, you can see wonderful photos of animals. One of my favorites shows a tiny human baby getting a big sloppy kiss from a golden retriever, and another is of an orphaned baby polar bear cub found in the wilds of Alaska who is now going to be practically a neighbor of yours, Zenny! He’s being flown to his new home at the zoo in Louisville, KY! He sure is cute. There’s a baby white buffalo calf in Texas, too. Enjoy! http://horseandman.com/
Jeanie
Dearest Z,
I want you to knokw that Judy B., Arlene and Ann Maree all helped me get to the video of you broadcast during Saturday’s Hollywood Gold Cup. I am so excited to watch this tonight when I get home! Thank you to these three wonderful Z-friends!
Also, after reading the LA Times article, I want to say that from my POV, YOU and Secretariat need to be plucked from the group into a level reserved for the Gods. I see YOU as the greatest female Thoroughbred in history and he was the greatest male Thoroughbred in history. Too bad you two never met!
Take good care now,
Your humble J
Ingrid Arnone
I always loved horses! And when I heard the name Zenyatta, I say to my self, that horse has to be special, but it was impossible for me to go to the race track to see you because I live in Florida, and thanks to TVG, they made my dream come through, then when I saw you I said she is special, she is so fantastic, I don’t think nobody is like her, this the reason that I love you so much, Ingrid.
LouAnn Cingel of Union, Missouri
It was so nice that Dottie was at Hollywood Park to accept the Pincay award for the Mosses-she is sure looking very good these days. And Zenyatta, Congratulations to you for sure on being a memver in The Greatness Society! You truly deserve it, there’s no doubt about that. You sparkle and shine brighter than any star up above-I love you very much Zenyatta and you always make me smile!
Trina Nagele
Congratulations to Lisa’s Booby Trap who finished 1st by 2 1/2 lengths today at Finger Lakes in Race 8.
Victoria
Every time I read your name as in this terrific Club list, I get all heart Lundy and I just keep saying your name over and over…..ZENYATTAAAAAAAAA! Congratulations to ALL!
Ingrid Arnone
Zenyatta Zenyatta, you are like a dream, you became to this world to be women’s pride, and you are my dream! Ingrid.
Pam Zacek,
wow, what a honor, for you Zen , you can blush all you want but your should be proud, and there are my other two good horses I saw and loved , like you, when seattle slew ran in the woods memoril, I told some people he would win the triple crown, think they all though I was crazy, but there is is name right there, with yours, and your the best. have a great day. Im so proud to have this diary to talk to you *thanks Dottie) and team Zen
Melinda Minjares
Wow Zen! That is quite an accomplishment. Believe me you definitely deserve it. Your owners, trainers and team helped you to make the difference. You are all deserving. Congratulations to you and Team Z – glad I was around to witness it all!!!
Chris Balmes
End of the work day and feeling a little tired and beat up and started to get up and go for a walk and suddenly thought – wait a minute – I know what will make me feel good – ZENYATTA; so I turned around and came back to the laptop and sure enough there is another beautiful update about Zenyatta and her team and beautiful pictures and lots of love and now I feel wonderful. Thanks Zenyatta and your family. And, you certainly should be in the best of all times list – what a girl! You were born to make a difference in life and you are! Thank you again! Going for my dog walk and will be thinking about you and yours………..
Guido
Z – Well deserved and in the company you deserve to join. And as the only female – yeah for you Sweetheart!
Syn Wood
Wow Zenny!!! You are in the company of some very handsome boys on that list. Man O’ War was my favorite horse when I was a kid. After seeing that beautiful red stallion, throughout my teenage years, Secretariat was always Item #1 on my Christmas Wish List.
Linda in NJ
Hi Zenny: Wow, to be a member of this club is quite an honor. To have your name listed among the greatest of great athletes is something. Congratulations to you! Also congratulations to the Moss’ on receiving the Pincay Award. Zenny, the pictures of you in today’s post are stunning.
I am just a little tired after my trip home today. Will write again, tomorrow. Take care, Zenny. Love, Linda
Robyn Mullhausen
A true honor. I think you should have been named first, but if they were going by age, then you are the youngest lady. :)
Robert
Mr. Farmer and Mr. Stevens got it right…you certainly belong in that group! Congrats to all!
Karen Gogue
Yeah Zenny! This is just over-the-top-great news! You are the best, noooo doubt about it girl! I love you more and more!