Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Z's Diary

Diary Post #339

Good Morning,

I’m hearing from MY TEAM that ‘working the sale’ requires a great deal of effort, hard work, concentration, and energy! They get up very early each morning and leave for the sales grounds. By that time, David and his crew have already gone over ALL of the horses to be offered that day and come up with the ‘short list’ which Dottie, John and The Moss’ review. All aspects of the individuals are evaluated: conformation, size, pedigree, walk, and other physical qualities! Monitoring the horse’s overall temperament is also a part of this process.

Each horse on this list is inspected. If they make this ‘cut’, the veterinarian then examines the horse and his / her xrays in the repository. The VET also scopes the horse’s throat to be sure “all parts are working well’ for good breathing to take place. A good throat is essential for a race horse!

Once a horse passes all of these steps, the decision is made as to the fair market value of the horse. As many of you may know, at an auction people can get caught up in the bidding. MY TEAM tries to be very careful not to do this. They thoroughly appraise each horse before the bidding begins and really try to stay within those limits while bidding.

If all goes well and the hammer falls while a particular HIP they are bidding on is in the ring, they sign the ticket and he or she is now a part of the racing stable!

Attending a sale as this one, is really a fun process…but truthfully a great deal of hard work. Every moment of every day while there is totally consumed with the SALE. It is all about planning for the future and getting the RIGHT HORSE for the program!

As you can see, BABY REAGAN is resting up for all of the company and activity this week. I think she wants to stay up a bit late on Monday night to see my relative, HIP # 147 sell! I do too!

By the way, HRTV is carrying the first few sessions live on their programming schedule. Otherwise, the internet is the best way to follow the events.

HMMM! This baby thing is rather interesting to ME! Reagan was born on March 7th, 2011. That is about the time MY BABY is due in 2012! I just didn’t realize human babies are so small! They told ME my baby will weigh about 125 pounds or so when he/she is born.) This becoming a MOM is really a fascinating process! I’m learning!

Enjoy the week, the racing, and the sales! Dottie is attending them this week and also spending time visiting with ME! When she returns home, we will update you on all of the action. She also promises that MY JOHN will take some terrific photos of ME to share with all of you!

With Love,
Hugs to All~(To my dear fan who made the Z BLANKET as a thank you….THANK YOU! It is absolutely priceless!)
Z

Reader Interactions

976 Comments

  1. / Reply

    I was so hoping for a new diary entry, as I’m sure everybody else is. I hope you all will indulge me while I do some rambling.

    A little about Arapahoe Park Racing and Entertainment, (official name). Arapahoe (common name) is a small, one dirt track racing venue that hosts Thoroughbred, Arabian and Quarter Horse races and the occasional Appaloosa/Paint horse races. These are usually all run on the same day. On the way to the track, you may pass some grazing cattle and the track shares the same access road (paved) off the main road as the Aurora Reservoir. You pass and can see the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds from the race track. In other words, it’s out in the boonies. It would be hard to imagine folks coming in from any distance for a weekend of racing and enjoying the local culture and amenities. I suppose it might be possible during county fair time.

    This past racing season, I’ve been trying to understand the racing form better. It appears that most of the horses are bred in Colorado or nearby states, west of the Mississippi River, anyway. However, I did notice that some of the horses have been bred in Kentucky and some have well known sires. So, as I’ve been watching the Keeneland sales, I’ve been wondering if some of the yearlings, particularly in the later catalogs, will someday be racing here. That’s been kind of fun to ponder.

    I know absolutely nothing about betting on races. At the end of the season, I found out that on certain Saturdays, the track announcer holds a session explaining betting techniques called, Do’s and Donuts. (pretty clever) I plan to attend next year, hopefully to acquire a new talent.

    Thanks for taking the time to read this and for letting me introduce you to my local race track.

  4. / Reply

    @Marty R-IT is quite possible that any sort of a horse sired by many a top stallion could race at Arapahoe. It is important to remember that it is not where the foal is conceived but, rather, where it is born that determines what state it is considered to be “bred” of. To use a well known example, Zenyatta visited, or met, her stallion in Kentucky. However, if the Mosses decided to remove her from Lane’s End and send her to California before the foal is born, the foal would be a Cal-bred and not a Kentucky bred. Likewise any other state. In the breeding world, things are not always as they seem. Mares are sometimes intentionally taken to a location to have their foals because of the breeding bonuses in that particular state.

  5. / Reply

    Too Cute “Z-T’S” (to borrow a phrase we all love).
    @Barbara – I would be happy to contribute to the Blue Bonnet group – I’ll be gone a little over a week, but I’ll check back for address to mail a contribution when I return. Hope (he) feels better soon.
    Speaking of fun race calls, there is one with two female horses- somewhere you can locate on You-Tube with “Don’t tell the Wife” or “not with my wife-(or something close to it” they are running almost side by side and the announcer is just having a blast with the names and they come in 1/2! So funny. Loved theARRRRR video. Good to smile on a gloomy day here in Ca. Zenny, and baby Z glad you are soaking up the love from your owners and trainers.

  9. / Reply

    @Delrene, that one made the national news! Larry Colmus, the announcer who called the race, was on one of the morning shows–Good Morning America, I think. He knows most of the horses that race there, but these two were unfamiliar to him. He said that when he saw they were carded on the same race, he was afraid he would get them mixed up. That’s why the big “whew” at the end. It’s a great race call.

  12. / Reply

    Hi, Sweet Z. Hope you are having a really good day!
    @Trina – your beautiful poem got me kind of misty eyed! Truly wonderful.
    @Susan in TN – I wouldn’t think you’d be “doing ok” so soon. And there is no time limit for grief; your heart will heal eventually and allow the great memories to sustain you.

  13. / Reply

    @Susan in TN–I just thought of something Sherry Beth, our daughter, always says about animals. Each is different, and each one brings his/her own set of joyful experiences to our lives. We never get over their loss, but there’s room in our hearts for more love. There’ll NEVER be another Tiny, but there is a Lou, a Beth, a Chopper, a Chester…..a husband ….you know. This from someone who took 10 years to get over losing our Golden! But I do believe it’s true.
    @Kari B– where are you? Are you ok? Love you.
    @Terry C–keep the redneck one-liners coming!

  16. / Reply

    Dear Judy B, thanks for the link about Black Caviar, Hugs
    @ Eveline, thanks for the news about Zenyatta, now we know she is okay, hugs
    @ Abigail, thanks for the news about the Moss’, hugs
    @ Trina N, love the poem, hugs.

  21. / Reply

    sorry for spelling
    Shackelfor actually Shackelford

    DIRT MILE!!! DIRT MILE!!!! DIRT MILE !!!!

    Might have to meet Uncle Mo there????

  22. / Reply

    @ Terry Crow- Thanks for the explanation. I looked at one of the Arapahoe racing programs to see what made me think I knew where a horse was bred. The line I was looking at showed: color-sex-age-sire-dam-dam sire–Bred in state by whomever(date foaled) But, I understand. Just because it said bred in Kentucky, it could have been conceived in Pa. I guess you can’t fully believe everything you read….not even in a racing program. By the way, my husband’s first name is Robert, not Thomas.

  25. / Reply

    I hope Zenyatta has a new post soon, I’m going to run out of redneck jokes. Do you know why it is so hard to solve a Redneck murder? ‘Cause there’s no dental records and all the DNA is the same;
    You might be a redneck of your grandma is the most cautious driver in the world until you put her in a rental car and then she’s doing donuts in the K-Mart parking lot. You might be a redneck if you think the last four words of the Star Spangled Banner are “Gentlemen … start your engines.” You might be a redneck if you’ve ever mowed your lawn and found a car.

  26. / Reply

    Eveline: Thank you! Our Sweet “Z” looks beautiful as a Mother! :) So relaxed and content, with a special ‘Knowing’ look in her eyes…

  27. / Reply

    Re: the pensioned stallions and gelding, just wanted to add a small bit to LauraJ’s (always) great answer.
    .
    No, most pensioned stallions are not gelded. It’s really just not necessary. They live out their lives (normally) with people who are used to dealing with stallions and as Laura mentioned, gelding at a later age can be more risky health wise and if often does little to change behaviour. It may quell some testosterone, but by the time a stud has been breeding mares for years, just as much of their behaviour/habits is learned and that part won’t change.
    .
    The occassional stallion will be gelded, but it’s normally a health reason. Some get testicular cancer and end up being cut (Boundary, Big Brown’s sire for one).
    .
    I read above or on another post someone asking about ridglings. Yes, it is hereditary. Indy was a ridgling, his dam produced several and Indy in turn has sired many. There have been a number of stallions from the Seattle Slew line who were so it’s no surprise Bernardini is siring some as well. Retained testicles can cause pain and discomfort, not to mention they’re not viable breeding wise. Roman Ruler has his undescended one removed, Funny Cide had both his done after having pain with one. Ridglings are still fertile if the descended testicle is healthy but do have lower sperm production only having the one ‘factory’ producing.

  28. / Reply

    @Laura J—Thanks for the Black Caviar link, and HOOF RAY to her for getting Australian horse of the Year!
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    @Cynthia H— “Suffering from the Z-Ts” —too cute! High hoof!
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    @Marty R—Thanks for introducing us to Arapahoe. Now I’ll have a clearer picture in my mind when I hear news about it.
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    @Delrene—Hope you’ll be having fun while you’re gone.
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    @Eveline and Signofthetimes—Thanks for the link to the new “Zenny and Friends” photos! There’s Z eating a DANDELION! Just like her John recommended! Good girl, Z!
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    @Signofthetimes—That link was incomplete—here’s the whole link. A sweet “I’ll keep her forever” story. http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/winners-circle/archive/2011/09/20/a-shot-in-the-arm-by-deirdre-b-biles.aspx
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    @Rosemary McCauley—Great redneck jokes! Thanks for sharing.

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