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
tony
Zenyatta, GREATNESS becomes you! You wear it well.
Sally L. Hopkins
Zenyatta,you deserved it! That’s GREAT! Del Mar horse racing season will be starting soon. Wish you could be there. I’m looking forward when it starts. Lots of oxxxxoxoxoxoxxoxxoo from Southern California
Lise BC, Canada
TOOOO CUTE! Yod deserve this and none of us are surprized. Since Ruffian, no horse has interested me til you….XOXO
WILD HORSES
You’re always at the TOP of my list Big Z!
Lori
Delrene
Dear Zenyatta – Congratulations to you for this special award. You were the star attraction at the Hollywood Park racetrack. From the tv program the population looked pretty sparse in the stands. Sad as there were some incredible thoroughbreds racing their hearts out for all of us. Very low attendance. I will always remember seeing you race at all 3 California venues. I feel so fortunate that I saw you live and up close. You made history and made me a fan for life. I love this website and thank Dottie in my heart every day for her uplifting articles.
MM in Wyoming
MY HEART BURSTS WITH PRIDE FOR YOU!
Signofthetimes
Congratulations Zenny. Another feather in your
Beautiful hat. Your half sis E is getting so beautiful
And has such a shiny shiny dk brown coat and that
Beautiful Bernardini head.
Sweet Dreams XXXOOO
judy berube
Dear Jeanie:
You’re welcome. Hugs, J.B.
judy berube
Dear Abigail in Montreal:
Oh, that’s a shame. Maybe ESPN will make a DVD of the show available for sale. Hugs, J.B
Debbie G
@Kennedys from San Diego – That’s great that you got to visit Claiborne. Isn’t it great? There’s just so much history there. They brought out Pulpit, Arch and Blame yesterday. The groom talked about Blame winning the BC Classic, but he never mentioned Zenyatta. That is so cool that they said they hoped Z would win when you were there. Our tour guide at Three Chimneys two weeks ago was raving about her, too. That just shows that it doesn’t matter who you are, even if you work at a competing farm. Love for Queen Z is universal!
judy berube
To Terry Crow:
I saw your post about Forrest Gump and I answered it above; I was there in spirit. So great to be a part of Z’ Diary Family and getting to know all of you through the posts. Hugs, J.B.
judy berube
To DJ:
You are a hoot. Very funny joke. Little too close to home though. Ha, ha. Hugs, J.B.
Sunny Boyd
:)
judy berube
Dear Z Fans,
A profile of Native Dancer. Hugs, J.B. http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/nativedancer.html
Katherine
You absolutely deserve to be on that list. Sending my love to you.
KIMBERLY
Queen, Another Congrats to you and your team. You deserve everything big girl!!!
Fran
Wow Z! Another award! We are very proud of you, and I loved watching you on ESPN. They spent a lot of time talking about you but not much time on you at Lane’s End (sad face) but it was still a very very nice piece on you. Have a great day! xxoo
Peggy (N)
@Ensign so glad to see you back. Thank you so much for the updates. So happy about Vertigineux, but so sorry about Balance’s Foal.Your information is always so appreciated. I had a question for you a few weeks back, but you weren’t out there. Laura J stepped up and helped me out it was about the sales. I am going to the sales nextmonth in Ocala and am so excited. Please stay around I misht have more questions. Lol.
@Everyone this is such a great sight with so much great insight from posters.
@Laura J so glad your out there.
@Susan from Tn, had to say Hi neighbor. Hope lou is well.
@Zenyatta Love you so very much, and I know you know that. Love, Peggy
Linda/Maryland
Lovely darling Zenyatta!! You are definitely “TOP of OUR List”
Love you ~
harriett
Congrats to you and to the Mosses! Maestro looked good yesterday, although things got a little wild coming down the stretch. Hope he’s feeling OK today.
Sharon in Seattle
there are wonderful tb’s, some even great, but Zenyatta – you and your team have inspired both old and new generations of tb fans with your talent, charisma, dignity and courage! let the recognition keep rolling in – Z and Team Z deserve every bit of it.
Melissa
You will always be #1 in my book Zenny. What a beautiful girl you are:-)!!!!!
Joyce
Zenny, we are all so proud that you were listed as one of the top five racehorses of all time. Note that you were the only female athelete in the only mixed (guys and gals)category. But WE know you as No. 1. of all time.
A friend at work stopped me in the hall today to tell me all about it (the “mixed” category comment was his). He never knew anything really about horse racing, but was at my birthday party at work where I made sure everyone heard all about you. My gift was a wonderful three part picture set from the Breeder’s Cup 2010 race (there were also a bunch of really large blow-up pictures of Z another co-worker created). Now he is “in the know” and was so excited about Zenyatta being honored on the list.
@AnnaB in MA (aka #1NewEnglandFan) How astute of you to have finally diagnosed the malady “Z tears syndrome,” which I think has afflicted many of us here. Thanks for identifying the name of this strange disease as well as describing so clearly its symptoms at the three moments you mentioned. How crazy some would say to sit for hours happily reading this diary with tears astreaming. Got to love it!!
Irene Caty
Dear zenyatta , I am so happy tht they have inducted you along with the other all time greats into the Greatness Club. Tears are flowing for you as I am so happy that you have been reconized as one of the greates in horseracing as you should be. Zenyatta, I love you so much and am so happoy for you. You have done so much for the sport and to see how much you are appreciated is so wonderful that words can’t explain. I am not surprised that all these awards are being given to you because you well deserve them but I can say this, I congradulate all those that reconize your greatness and commend them highly because they can reconize true talent when they see it and the fire of true desire to win. You are among the greatest my dearest Queen Zenyatta and I love you so very much for everything you are.
Barbara Wood
Good night, darling Z. I think it’s so ironic that both you and Seattle Slew originally sold for SO much less than you turned out to be worth. (You are priceless to us!) Sleep well, sweetie. Talk to you tomorrow.
@Anyone–I hate to be a pain, but I’ve looked through 2 days of posts, and I can’t find what happened to Eveline. Was it her husband? I saw something about lightning.
Jackie
Good Evening Queen “Z” What a action packed weekend it was in racing. Too bad Twirling Candy did not win. Glad Mikey won. A Great Race it was. I was looking for the pink and green silks as Mikey rode to the finish line.
I was out of town on Saturday and returned home late to find my LA Times waiting for me. How exciting to see you once again being honored. Well Deserved. Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Moss for the Pincay Award.
Loved the ESPN program, but unfortunately, there was just not enough of you. Finally getting some accolades from Jerry Baily, (east Coast bias) Sorry for those on the east, but it is so true. I remember last year well before the BC reading a post on a site that Andy Beyer does and as brave as I am, NOT, posted not such nice things and signed it Jack for LA. Did not want to use my real name. Ha! Ha! Again, the East Coast Bias. You have earned respect from so many including the Andy Beyer’s of the world.
Dottie, once again, you are terrific and thank you so much for taking the time to keep us all informed and connected.
Hugs and Kisses to Z and her connections.
Jackie
from LA
Karen Gogue
@Barbara Wood
Ivin passed on this morning. Eveline sent me message this afternoon…
Tere Thomas
You are an extraordinary horse Zenyatta. There is just nothing common about you and you deserve to be on this list. I’m so happy for you and your team. You were born with a gift and your team helped you to develope it – this is as it should be. Love you as always!!
Holly Zemba
That is a great list to be included in. Man O’War was soooo great. You deserve to be in that list!!! And I think you and Mario were sooo good together!
Jackie
Forgot one think Uncle Mo is doing well and will be shipped. Seelink http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2siCaPDTBA
Hugs and kisses