Good Morning, Everyone,
Here we are starting another week with so many different activities scheduled. I do want to take a moment and CONGRATULATE my Barn 55 Friend, NEREID, on her Grade 1 victory in the American Oaks! Her sire is ROCK HARD TEN, who just happens to be on our stallion roster here at Lane’s End Farm. Needless to say, everyone at our farm is also pleased to hear this news.
YEAH, NEREID! I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU!
To win a Grade 1 race is the ultimate victory in our sport. In our country, a total of 123 Grade 1 races will be offered throughout 2011. This number is further defined in the following manner. There are 112 Grade 1 stakes races offered throughout the year at various racing venues which are designed to incorporate and appeal to the 1) sex of the horse 2) a variety of distances, and 3) different racing surfaces as dirt or turf. Then, additionally, the Breeders’ Cup offers 11 GRADE 1 races on their 2 days of Championship Racing. Thus, to win a Grade 1 race at any time during the year is truly a wonderful achievement and a fabulous addition to one’s pedigree page.
A horse’s pedigree page is a detailed history of the horse’s family. It notes the horse’s race record as well as that of family members. It is outlined through the female members of the family….as 1st Dam, 2nd Dam and 3rd Dam etc. Their names are written in ALL Capital Letters…and whether in blacktype or not depends on the dam’s racing accomplishments. There is an industry format that has been created to note all of this information in a clear and precise manner.
If a horse is unraced or a winner…the name is listed in normal print.
If the horse has achieved in stakes competition….1st, 2nd or 3rd…. BLACK-TYPE print is used.
For example, I will use my name to further illustrate the manner in which this information would be provided on a horse’s pedigree page.
Zenyatta…………written in lower case letters and normal print….means 2 things…that the horse is either “UNRACED” or “WON” some type of race whether it be a maiden race, maiden claiming, and /or additional races at either claiming or allowance levels.
Zenyatta………written in ‘blacktype’ letters in this format indicates the horse has placed (2nd or 3rd) in a stakes race
ZENYATTA……written in BLACKTYPE letters and ALL CAPITALS…indicates that the horse WON a STAKES RACE.
ALL BLACKTYPE ACHIEVEMENTS are very, very important to a horse for many reasons. Firstly, it truly enhances the value of the horse at the breeding shed. Secondly, the trickle down aspect of stakes activity and ‘blacktype’ also extends to the rest of the horse’s entire family.
On the pedigree page, after the horse’s name, they list other pedigree information, the number of races won during the horse’s career, the total amount earned by the particular horse, and the names of the stakes races and their ratings: as G1, G2, G3, (L) which means listed…etc. Further details as this are provided. It is almost like a coding system which is highly monitored to specifically make all of this information readily available to all aspects of the industry.
To further illustrate all of this for you, I’d like to share MY PEDIGREE PAGE which is current in the details through my 18th victory. I’d like to thank the Thoroughbred Daily News for this pedigree information!
Click here to see my pedigree.
With Love,
Hugs to All~
Z
LauraJ
@Karen Mitchell, to continue: yes, in the pedigree the typefaces are the same regardless of the level of the stakes race, so a win in a minor stakes race for state-breds looks the same as a win in a G1. However, since the pedigree lists the stakes won along with their grade if applicable, a buyer will be able to evaluate the quality of the wins. Handicap races don’t get special treatment. “Handicap” is often part of the name of the race; e.g., Vanity Handicap (G1), so one can sometimes tell that way.
The Kennedys in San Diego
@LauraJ — Thank you. You, Dottie and Zenyatta are a wealth of information.
Kathryn Cogswell
Sue Noel: Write Karen Gogue .. . karenlg06@yahoo.com
Terry Crow
@Charlotte Farmer–I add my voice to what Karen Gogue posted on the last diary entry. You have not misplaced your heart or your soul. There is some problem with the information that has been disseminated. Have you reached your goal?
Barbara Wood
Aha! I see our lurking paid off. Wow, Zenny, Nereid is one gorgeous girl. Does she resemble her dad? If I get to LE, I want to see Rock Hard Ten. Up to this point, Tiznow is the most impressive boy I have seen, but RHT may give him a run for his money.
Guess what Zenny–you have a great pedigree, but even if you didn’t, it is YOU who will make your progeny great. We love you dearly.
One question about pedigree sites: does “b” stand for “black” or “bay”? I realize there are very few true blacks.
judy berube
To Gary Moulton:
It’s a shame this kind of stuff is still happening. I can remember being at the track when Julie Krone was riding. Some so called “men” would make the most vulgar, nasty and sexist remarks before, during and after a race she was riding in. Can only imagine what we didn’t hear going on among jockeys at that time. I wonder if things will ever change. Hugs, J.B.
Tressia
I will be going to Del Mar for my first time on August 6th, do you know if our John or the Mosses have any horses racing that day? I would sure like to place some bets on our TEAM! There will be a Grade 1 stakes race that day, should be a good one!
judy berube
Dear Jeanne and Brown Bess Fans:
Here’s an article from the Thoroughbred Times. Hugs, J.B. http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2011/07/16/eclipse-award-winner-brown-bess-dies.aspx
Celeste
Thank you for sharing the great photo of Nereid! Congratulations on that exciting win, Nereid and I love that Star Billing got the other place – it was a thrilling race. Thank you so much for sharing with us the information regarding how to read the pedigree pages – it is always wonderful to learn more about our sport. Thank you for providing the link to your pedigree page so we may learn more also. Your page is beautiful and I love that your name is in Black Type, but your value is far beyond anything that could be recorded on a piece of paper, at least in my heart. Thank you one more time, Dottie and Zenyatta for allowing us to grow here and learn and to dwell in the joy that Zenyatta brings!!
Delrene
Thanks so much for the pedigree education. You know more about your ancestors than I do. You are racing royalty. Everyone at Barn 55 should be celebrating today. A great HP race day.
Hope you are well and enjoying your gal-pals in Ky. Looking forward to DM opening day and the racing season here in sunny So. Cal.
judy berube
Dear Charlotte Farmer:
Congratulations. Hugs, J.B.
Dear Terry Crow:
I did not realize Best Pal ran second in the KD. I think you are right he was the leading Cal Bred money winner at that time. Loved your joke and DJ’s. Got one for you: What’s the hardest thing about learning to ride a horse? The ground. Hugs, J.B.
Linda Deutsch
Way to go, Nereid – I loved Rock Hard Ten and would love to someday see Zenyatta bred to him – if the bloodlines agree. He is as handsome as Z is beautiful!!! He is on his way to becoming a leading sire – well deserved! Hugs to you, Z and all your “peeps”!
Brenda S
Dear Zenny, This is coming to you from the beautiful blue grass state of Kentucky. We have arrived in Lexington and settled in to out hotel, we are so close to you now and can hardly wait for our visit to Lane’s End on Thursday. Congratulations to Nereid, we’ll say “Hello” to her daddy if we see him. Pender Harbor won the Prince of Wales yesterday with Luis Contreras up and paid out quite nicely. I would have liked to see Roger Attfield’s horse finish in the money but it was not to be. I think he, like your John, is a nice trainer.
Thank you Dottie for another informative post, there’s so much to learn and you explain so well. Thanks to Your John for that lovely photo of Nereid.
Sending many Hugs and Kisses, hope you can feel them.
Lucia
Congrats Nereid! And thank you again Zenyatta for sharing that information about pedigrees with us! I didn’t know any of it so thanks for teaching me. Lots of love and blessings to Team Z and the Queen Z (+ 1 yay!),
Sharon Call
@Everyone. If you haven’t see film of the American Oaks with Nereid and Cambina, here it is.
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/64058/cambina-nereid-in-american-oaks-dead-heat
In the first paragraph of the article, the last word is VIDEO. Click on that and you can see the race. Spectacular! I’m really impressed with Star Billing, one of John’s horses. She didn’t break well and had to come from way, way back and wound up finishing third. She did an awesome job.
Enjoy!
Maggie N
@Gary Moulton, How sad that this is 2011 and this still happens. Unfortunately, this happens more than you can imagine in a world where men are usually the dominate ones in a profession. Some act like little boys and just don’t like getting their toes stepped on.
Congrats Nereid!
Karen Gogue
Thank you Terry Crow! :)
Mary Copelin
@AnnMaree-Nereid is a filly not a colt!
@LauraJ – Thank you for the site references you provided. They will be valuable references in the future.
@Dottie – Thank you for the very informative post today and for all you do each and everyday for Z’s fans and for all of racing.
Ingrid in MA
What a race Nereid ran! Simply amazing is all I can say. Although I must say,watching Blind Luck in the Delaware put me in mind of YOU,dear Zenny! She’s another exciting last-second closer like you are/were. Had me on the edge of my seat! I just love all the information you and Dottie give us about racing,horses,etc. I’ve ALWAYS loved horses, and thanks to YOU (and Big Brown in 2008, but mostly YOU) I got into racing,but knew nothing about the sport or the details that go into racing. You and Dottie explain it so well and so easy to understand. I don’t see it as just beautiful animals doing what they do best running around in a circle anymore. I can appreciate everybody’s roles and backgrounds so much more now. So BIG Thank You’s to Zenyatta and Dottie!
Love you,Sweet Zen!
DmamaKlock
Hi Z, thank you for the continuing education of race horses, its always interesting to me. Congrats to your friend Nereid…. saw it on HRTV and they had YOUR John on camera. Dead Heat an unusual win, very exciting.
herman
Dear Zenny,
What happens @ Barn 55 now that racing is moving to Del Mar? Does your John move all the horses there or does the barn get split somehow between the 2 tracks? Also, can you ask Dottie about John’s box seats @ Hollywood Park? Is there a story behind them? I noticed that there is a sign on the front of them that says Frankel/Shireffs.
Thank you!
Terry Crow
@Judy Berube–Good one. You have a few I do not have. Our team would have my name first as the straight man. @Karen Gogue–You are welcome. @Gary Moulton-I’ll take a wild guess at this one. Kayla Stra?
Paul
Zenyatta, congratulations to your Barn 55 buddy Nereid for her win!!!! It must be pretty awesome that her sire lives with the stallions at Lane’s End Farm. It’s also pretty awesome to win a Grade 1 race anyway. It’s also pretty amazing that 11 of the 123 grade 1 races in a year are Breeder’s Cup races. Some of the information about what is listed on a horse’s pedigree page is a little confusing to me, but pretty interesting just the same. It includes racing info concerning all members of the horse’s family and what type of races they ran in. It’s also interesting to know that different type and combos of capital and lowercase letters are used in a horse’s name depending on races raced in, races won, what place they were in if they did not win, and whether or not they have ever raced in the first place. This is all pretty amazing, but I’m still trying to figure it all out. I’m having fun doing it and one day, hopefully, I will be a pro at it.
sherry drish
GOOD INFO. I WATCHED THE RACING CHANNEL IT IS TOO HOT FOR ME TO GO TO THE RACES, OUR TRACK IS ABOUT SEVEN MILES FROM US. I RATHER WATCH ALL THE RACES ACROSS THE U.STHE HARD TIME A JOCK GAVE CHANTEL IS SO VERY NOT NEEDED. BEST WAY TO SHUT UP BULLY JOCKEYS IS TO BE IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE MORE THAN THE BOYS. CHANTEL IS A VERY GREAT JOCKEY. SHERRY D. WV.
Sue Noel
@ Kathryn Cogswell–“Ask and ye shall receive”–Thank you SO much!! This site is so amazing–it really IS an extended family!!
@ Karen Gogue–Thanks to Kathryn was able to send the “other thing” to you!! Will email you tonight–I pray I’m not too late!!! THANKS!!!
Penny
Dear Zenny,
I watched the race and was very excited for Nereid & John. His interview was cute but I couldn’t help but think there was something missing….you!
Kathryn Cogswell
Gary Moulton: If Lara Logan hadn`t recently allowed ’60 Minutes’ an interview about her treatment in Egypt the night of that state`s great triumph, Chantal`s incident in the jock`s room might not have a shadow by comparison. The sorry truth is that whatever animated the men surrounding a working journalist doing her job is painfully akin to the same strings pulling on whoever made Ms. Sutherland`s presence, preparing for her job, uncomfortable. That something — so indicative of a male world off its beam — could take place in an environment just pulling itself to a democratic stance; that is one thing. That something — barely less harmful or just — taking place within an established sport, even where a review is held on the matter and dismissed, sends up a flare.
Karen Gogue
Thank you too Kathryn!
Sharon Call
Does anyone know when Hollywood Park is closing for good? Is it true it’s going to be demolished? I’m sure that another strip shopping center or big box store is just what the area needs (NOT).
@Herman. A very good question about where John’s horses will be going. Does anyone know that, as well?
Bobbi
This is very interesting, Dottie and Zenyatta. Thanks so much for continuing to educate those of us new to the sport.