Happy Friday,
Today is a very memorable day in our industry. The CLASS of 2011 is being inducted into the Hall of Fame which is located at the National Museum of Racing in Saratoga Springs, New York.
The induction ceremonies will be shown this morning on HRTV. They are taking place at 10:30 Eastern Time in the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion. Bobby Flay is hosting the presentation along with broadcaster, Randy Moss. The festivities are open to the public.
Congratulations to all of the 2011 inductees:
Jerry Hollendorfer and Matthew Byrnes, Trainers
Shelby “Pike” Barnes, a Jockey who starred in the 1880’s
Duke of Magenta, Open Mind, Safely Kept, and Sky Beauty, Horses
Sarah was so sweet and took some other photos for us to share of the Museum. I hope you enjoy them.
I wanted to show you ROBERT FRANKEL’S plaque on the wall…as Dottie actually wrote the script for it for Bobby.
Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy all of the fabulous racing taking place around the country during the next few days and HAVE FUN!
Perhaps we’ll see some future Hall of Famers in action and running this weekend! HOOVES CROSSED!
With Love,
Hugs to All~ (Congratulations to HOF Class of 2011)
Z
Arlene
@Kim S, WELL SAID, I Agree wholeheartedly. My opinion is that the conversation going on, caring, etc. keeps us in touch with and, in a way, a part of Zenny and her team. What a wonderful thing we were able to do to share our thoughts with Dottie, Kari and others on their special days, etc. Let’s keep it up, Dumplings! LOL, Arlene
Signofthetimes
Speaking about horses “screaming”, my TB gelding
Is co-dependent and he always finds a mare to bond
With or at least most of the time. He is currently bonded to
One of the fistiest and she is a challenge.
When he was back at the barn he had a trakaner/tb
Mare girlfriend a big girl like he is. When I would get
Him out of the paddock to work. She would “scream”
For him the whole time we were working. He never
Batted an eye and did his work very professionally.
When he returned to the pasture, she would be
Waiting at the gate and he would start “herding” her
All around the pasture. It was TOO CUTE. And he always
Chased the other boys (geldings) away from his girl.
Really love horse talk and behavior. It is so special.
Signofthetimes
@Kimberly Potter and Susan in TN
Thoughts and prayers to you both.
Cynthia H.
.@Trina Nagele: Excellent argument, but don’t try to wiggle out of it. You are first-up for P.L. for DEE.
Gary Moulton
@Baby Results ……………….08-13-11
,
SARATOGA –
Race 2 – WINNER-NO-WINNER – The “The Prize Fighter” ($4.80) won the race but I passed because of the odds. It’s just not worth the risk to bet 10 bucks to win $4. VOID BET
.
Race 6 &7 – Race 6, “Clip The Coupons” won so we were alive in the first half of the Baby Double. “How Do I Win” was up with the pace and finished 4th. Time was just so, so. In the second leg, race 7, “Patrice Merion” in case nobody noticed was a filly against the boys. Pletcher has so many good 2yr olds that he can afford to run a few fillies against the colts to see how they do. He found out where Patrice stands and that’s not too bad. She got respect too, she was moving at the top and got fanned 10 wide and still came back for 3rd. The Sheiks horse “Eben Alsafa” ran around last the whole way. -$8.00
.
DEL MAR –
Race 4 –“Hodge” was up there for a quarter then folded and finished 6th. Time was average. -$10.00
.
Race 9 – “War Excess” was up with the pace and held 3rd. “Starlight Magic” came from off the pace and almost out bobbed War for the show doe but finished 4th. “Too Sharp” showed nothing. Time was OK. They finished 3rd, 4th, & 10th -$6.00
.
-$22.00 Bet Today +$253.20 Starting Out Tomorrow
.
.
@Trina Nagele – Thanks, you are too kind. I know you gals don’t use that term lightly (stamina). I really appreciate your complement. The Epic I’m working on starts around 1700, about the time The Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian, and the Byerley Turk were shipped to England. I’ve been writing about 8 to 12 verses for each year and they are mixed up, 4 and 6 lines verses, they talk about the best horses of that year, famous people, funny, and scandalous things about horse racing and steeplechase that dominated the news of the day. I have about the last 20 years kinda figured out and a lot of years written down with notes on them, but man, you are talking 310+ years x about 10 verses per year. I need to do a lot of research, better get to work.
Cynthia H.
@Gary Moulton: AWESOME! “Stamina” is too light a word for an effort such as yours!
Barbara Wood
@Trina Nagele– thank you!
@Shari Voltz– Isn’t it wonderful when we have a string of horrible life experiences and then we are surprised by pure joy? I feel sorry for people who don’t recognize a mountaintop when they see one. That must have been a mountaintop experience. I would love to be in your “horse corner” when school starts. Your kids are so lucky. Wish I could have worked horses somehow into the 10th grade English curriculum. LOL.
@Dear Z– with every race we watch, we think of you. Good night sweetie. Love you always.
@All–I almost forgot to mention–I checked out Mikey’s Facebook page and went to the pictures, and there is a shot of a girl with a huge tattoo of Z on her right back and shoulder! Unbelievable.
Trish & Mike in Colorado
Missing you so much at the races, still, Z.
Karen Gogue
Adorable Trina
And what would “they” be going away from if not for what is posted here?… I certainly don’t consider it negativity when ones HEART longs for what is not here….greatfulness, graditude….WE ALL are that, but the point seems to be cast aside…re-hash…stymied….yes, we do not want to cover ground already walked upon, and it is in the only ones hands (hooves) who has the say, is it not? That decision is theirs alone to make which direction this site follows in the future, but WE can turn it back into the HEARTBEAT of Zenny with what is discussed and shared here….none of us would ever dream of the loss of this site BUT be mindful of how and what direction each and everyone of us takes the flow…..do we fade off into the dusty pages of history with only our memories? I think not…..the friendships grown here are precious and will not be lost…but is there not other social media out there to grow and extend these friendships with? Sometimes we all come here because of each other and not for Zenny…yes, when there is nothing new to share and the path goes in that direction, I, too, do not visit like I perhaps should…the pulse of Zen is not here and the activity surrounding this great mare is no longer felt here at some of those times…although everyones posts ARE informative and insightful and ARE much appreciated, sometimes my heart looks elsewhere…. I, too, want to keep that flame ablaze for Zenny and this site, I do not want her to ever be among those dusty pages of history…..
Jackie
Good Evening Queen Z. Great day of racing. I was so happy for Barry Abrams today with Burns. Congrats to Barry and the connections.
To The Kennedys of San Diego, thank you for sharing such insight to Mario’s relationship with Zenyatta. I would imagine the relationship developed into one of the most special animal human bond. She actually appeared to have human like behavior. Must have been such an experience one that can never be duplicated.
Good luck to John tomorrow with Harmonious! Good luck and safe trip.
Hugs to all
Jackie
Karen Gogue
For my above post
I care and do deeply FEEL your love and caring here for one another, I , myself post on what others share…BECAUSE I AM a Z’STER, a Z DUMPLING and I feel you ALL are my family, I want to hear what you have to share and what you go through – I would not have it any other way – but Zenny IS my true love and the heart of my heart always and I do look at the future sometimes with a slight wonderment of what it holds…..and I will hold onto this site and this family of my heart that I have grown to love…..
Sunny Boyd
G’night Zenyatta,
all propped up in your straw, may be chewing on a few straws yourself there, huh, big girl. Is the fan blowing your mane all crazy? You have a good night <3 <3 <3
@ Charlotte Farmer
I understand what you're saying, but it is awful hard to think of sthg new to post to continue these diaries. I think we're getting the full scope of it. The romantic side of Zenyatta, her relationship with humans, her rehabilitation in returning being a horse in a paddock & her relationship with other horses, and the business side of how Zenyatta was made.
And we get to know Zenyatta's VIPs, their b-days/d-days, except for one, when is it Jerry Moss' b-day?
@ The Kennedys
I enjoyed reading about Zetty/ sleeping habits & Mario.
How's Mary Jane coming along?
Sunny Boyd
P.S.
My condolences to the connections of Doing Great. What a sad thing to have happened. :(
judy berube
Dear Signofthetimes:
Love to read your stories about your horses. Thanks for sharing. Really feel horse, dogs, cats (animals) have unique personalities and definitely bond with each other and with humans. I’ve seen it many times. Hugs, J.B.
s (in San Diego)
Hi all….so I have not been able to post for a few days and have so missed reading everyones post. But…was sort of surprised that we seem to hitting one of those little bumps in the road. For those worried about Zenny and her care…please try and take the “human” assumption out of it. She is a horse…and now she is living and enjoying a pampered life that does not require her to accept a bit (although I am sure her mouth was handled by the softest of hands), she is not living in a box stall all day and only let out to graze while on a lead, and while she always gave her all, she went to work daily and then when it was show time…she gave us a show!! It was on human time and human terms. She served us (humans) well, with all her heart. Now she is being served by professional at Lanes End. She has Jerry, Ann, Dottie, David and of course John..making sure that she is being given the very best of care. She goes out and is free to play, roll, graze. She comes in and is cleaned up, loved on and has a nice large stall to relax in. She has fresh air, green grass and others of her kind to spend her days with. Horse are herd animals and enjoy the company of others. While I would love to see her at Del Mar, Hollywood Park, or Santa Anita again…I believe given the choice…she would say “Thanks but no thanks…I will take the blue grass and freedom I have now”.
As for the infomation that a few think we are not getting…Sure I would love to see daily photos and hear every detail of her day…but we are BLESSED to have Dottie who continues to keep us going with updates and racing information. For Jerry and Ann..who allow us access to her, even when they have given us so much already.
On a another note…Great racing today. Gio P. gave it a great effort and sure looked great. Just got blocked in. So many big races today…I hardly got anything done:) but tomorrow, after church…headed to Del Mar. So laundry and groceries…will have to wait till after work on Monday.
@Kennedys…Thank you for the Mario story and update. Wish I had the connection you have…but still love my time at Del Mar and looking forward to seeing Harmonious again.
Sweet Dreams.
judy berube
Dear Karen Gogue:
I feel as you and a lot of others do that the people here are like family. We all love Z so much and I hope Dottie keeps this Diary and continues to share Z with us as she so generously does. Hugs, J.B.
judy berube
Dear Shari Voltz:
You’re welcome. Go Mo Go. Hus, J.B.
suew
@Kennedys in San Diego, thank you so much for sharing your Mario aand Zenyatta stories. The bond between them was special. He must miss her terribly…I know I would. We think she is our horse of a lifetime. Just imagine how those who saw and cared for her daily feel…she was a HUGE part of their lives. Larger than life is the best way to describe our Queen.
Kimberly Potter
@Diana S~ Thank you so much for your support.
@Lucia~ Thanks for the encouragement…I so appreciate it. :)
@Barbara Wood~ Thank you as well. I am so blessed to have Z Nation when times are tough… I will most definately keep you posted. Also, I agree with you regarding info on Zenyatta. Seriously, how much more can we ask for? I, for one, completely understand how very busy Dottie is and we ALL should be thankful for everything we get. Geez.
@Trina Nagele~ Thanks for the prayers my friend :). And YES, I saw the Arlington Million. I was so screaming for Gio Ponti, what a great effort!
@Terry Crow~ Feeling your good vibes from Cali…so much appreciated.
@Judy Berube~ I knew I could count on you. Thanks Z’ster.
@Kennedy’s in San Diego~ I loved the special moments between Mario and Our Zenyatta. I can only imagine how much he misses her…Thanks for sharing.
@Dani~ Thanks for the link on Harmonious~I will be rooting for her all the way. I agree with Delrene, they are ALL beautiful. May they all come home safe and sound.
@Shari Voltz~ Very sweet post…and thank you for your prayers.
@Debbie G~ Thank you so much.
@Signofthetimes~ I totally agree with your post to Charlotte Farmer. Let’s all be thankful for what we have and know that our Zenyatta could not be in a better place.
@Arlene~ I know I am sounding like a broken record here, but again, Thank you, I so appreciate your prayers.
@Trina Nagele~ AMEN!
@Kim S~ Beautiful post.
@ALL~ I spent the day with my daughter-n-law, preparing meals for the next week. She is really struggling with the bedrest thing. I will keep you posted on anything new. The hard part right now is keeping her down!
Hugz and sweet dreams~
Zenyatta’s #1 fan in Montana!
judy berube
Dear Gary M.:
Was a strange day today at the Spa. Played a few Exactas at the local casino simulcast and came home to watch the Sword Dancer on Versus. Couldn’t tell what the track was like. Front runners or closers; there didn’t seem to be a bias. The last race was a Maiden Claiming for 3 yr. olds. The horse that won paid $134.00. It was one of those kinds of days. Hugs, J.B.
judy berube
Dear Kimberly Potter:
You’re welcome. Hugs, J.B.
judy berube
Dear s (in San Diego):
Good handicapping tomorrow at Del Mar. Hugs, J.B.
judy berube
Dear Signofthetimes:
I guess Treasure Beach has proven he is very, very good. Hugs, J.B.
judy berube
Dear Signofthtimes:
I really like seeing jockeys patting the horse before and after a race. Mikey, used to do that with Z. Hugs, J.B.
judy berube
Dear Shari Voltz:
Thanks for sharing your story about Tony at Claiborne. The children are so lucky to have you as their teacher. Hugs, J.B.
Kimberly Potter
@Signofthetimes~ Your story about your TB gelding is TOO CUTE! I love stories like that. :) And thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Hugz!
Zenyatta’s #1 fan in Montana
Abigail from Montreal
Hello there my sweet Zenny. By now I guess that “lights are out” in your barn and everyone has settled into a cozy equine shape to catch a few winks. But I want you to know that every time I watch Saturday racing, I miss you….your dance and the drama of watching you run. Like so many here, I have known this kind of loss before but it never gets easier, even when I know what the experience of love & loss is like. I still miss my little Northern Dancer, Nijinsky, Dance Smartly, Genuine Risk and Secretariat. And I started missing them pretty soon after they were retired. In fact, I even miss the ones I fell in love with long after they were gone: Man O’ War, Your Host, Whirlaway, Noor, Busher, Count Fleet and several others. I who I actually saw for the very first time on YouTube!
I fill the gap by collecting old photos of the horses I loved from the distant past, as well as the more contemporary champions. I research their lives and make tons of notes because I will, at some point, mount them in several albums with some written text. I also have a ridiculously large collection of Northern Dancer’s progeny down over the generations, with an emphasis on his British progeny since it was the Brits who cultivated his sire line more than anyone, including we Canadians! I try to channel my love for Zenny and the others and “grow it” into other projects, activities and knowledge. Hence the photos & THE VAULT. That way, I feel that I honour what each and every one of them meant to me.
I think it’s important to do this — to take all that love and let it shine — because otherwise the Zenny’s of our lives kind of wither over time, given the reality of their more “private” lives as broodmares and stallions. Because I’ve been through this (tough!) transition a few times myself, I greeted Zenny’s retirement with poignancy and a certain kind of sadness, even though I was happy for her and knew that she will never need fear the future. I don’t know if that resonates with others here who have written about the special horses in their lives, as well as those of you for whom Zenny is “the first.”
As I read some of your thoughts above, I was also reminded of Marshall McLuhan and his thinking about the media. Media is focused largely on what is “hot” — happening now — and the further a subject/topic moves away from the now, the “colder” it gets, leading to it being pretty much dropped by the media. We @ Zen-nation are probably all experiencing that as well — and, as time goes on, it will get tougher because we rely on media to make us feel connected to Zenny. Except for Dottie, God bless her, who has taken on the really demanding role of keeping us connected to the love we hold for Zenyatta & her team.
Messy thinking. But I would add that we ourselves could contribute to growing this site, by making our own contributions. That’s already happening — we have wonderful links, prayers, candles, Dumpling tags and we’ve been privy to Shari’s classroom and people’s memories and Noor’s journey. True, these things are not exclusively centred on Zenyatta. But at the same time, none of this would have happened without her. It’s impossible for Dottie to have Zenny news that she can share every day, I would think. But this site is “growing” the beauty that began with each of us falling in love with Zenyatta….just go back to the first entries and read forward!
LOVE & HUGS TO ALL. Great to hear such HONEST and respectful conversations!!!!
judy berube
Dear Z,
Goodnight and Sweet Baby Dreams. Love you so much, Judy and Russ
Abigail from Montreal
WHOOPS..typos: it should read “Horses that I only ever saw on YouTube” in par. #1
AND I FORGOT TERLINGUA….blame it on the VERY late hour! But I should add that I never saw Terlingua race or visited her when she was alive. I fell in love with her as I researched her career…and now her photos are all over the house!
Quarterhossgal
Hi Queen Z and baby z…..hope you are enjoying a beautiful day in your pasture!
Kennedy’s: loved the stories about Mario and Zenny. You haven’t lived until your beloved horse screams for you as you enter the barn. I wonder sometimes if I could enter without the horses hearing me but when I’m a few hundred feet from my barn they start their calls….and I love it!
Sad news from Old Friends about Awad passing away. He was one of my favorites, he was one of the lucky ones to live his final years at Old Friends. We’ll miss you Great champion!