Happy Wednesday to ALL!
It is amazing that in our horse racing world…things really do not stop. Amidst all of the holiday activities, we still have to plan for the future and get everything ready to begin one of the biggest race meets of the year in our industry…”SANTA ANITA–THE GREAT RACE PLACE”!
During the current week, there is NO live thoroughbred racing in California. It is a bit of a breather in that regard for everyone. The day to day work, though, continues. This morning, ENTRIES will be taken for Santa Anita’s Opening Day! This means that the Racing Office will be getting the RACE CARD organized for December 26th. So many tasks must be completed in advance to make all of this information available to the Racing Fans.
This morning, trainers will enter their horses to run on opening day. When they have the ‘fields created’, the race card will be put together for that day. This information is then sent out to the Daily Racing Form and various other publications so all of these facts and details can be shared with you, the FANS.
The data for the programs is then compiled so they can be printed and ready to go as soon as the gates open at 10:00 that morning.
Entries are normally taken ‘at least’ 48 hours in advance. This is true of all race tracks around the country. In California, it is often done 72 hours out. This gives all of the different offices the time required to complete their tasks. The goal of all of this is for the racing public to have as much information as possible when doing their handicapping and making their race day selections.
Such FUN!
It does amaze ME, though, how in all walks of life so much goes on ‘behind the scenes’ to make everything work perfectly. Last night, when MY JOHN and Dottie were walking SOPHIE at Santa Anita, the crews were doing TEST RUNS on the tote boards and the new infield video BOARD to be sure all would be working without a glitch. They have also installed new state-of-the-art VIDEO BOARDS out by the paddock…all to make the racing experience for the fans the BEST IT CAN BE!
From what MY JOHN and Dottie saw last night…these boards are really high-tech!
I must say, I DID LOVE RUNNING AT SANTA ANITA! It will always hold a very special place in my heart, for sure!
Have a wonderful day!
With Love,
Hugs to All~ (Especially Trina Nagele…for the beautiful Anniversary Poem she wrote for MY JOHN and Dottie…Thank you SO MUCH!)
Z
Dawn Conrad - Colorado
@Max – Glad you enjoyed the information about Frankel and Barbaro. I loved Barbaro a great deal and was devastated when we lost him. So of course I agree with everything you said about talent and what could have been. I have seen Dynaformer twice at Three Chimneys. He is a very imposing figure. He stands just over 17 hands and weighs in at around 1500 pounds. He is not known to be warm and fuzzy; in fact the farm considers him to be their most aggressive stallion. They actually ride most of their stallions to give them exercise. They do not ride Dynaformer. Partially due to age, but primarily as one groom said, there is no one on the farm who wants to try to put a bit into his month. I did want to share the link below. It is about his son Purim. The first time I saw Purim at Richland Hills, there was no doubt who the sire was. He is the spitting image of Dynaformer, but much sweeter. I actually got to pet him. You will also see a couple of short pieces on Dynaformer at this same You Tube location.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KelLr301aI
Dawn Conrad - Colorado
@Abigail – The description of your time in the big city was wonderful. Seeing such fantastic plays and spending time with your son must have been magical. I love watching plays and go to them as often as I can. In fact one vacation my best friend and I went on a cruise to Bermuda and then when we came back into New York we spent a week in the city, staying at the Plaza, going to plays every night and museums every day, it was amazing. I found this interview with Steven Spielberg about the movie War Horse. He talks about the emotional connection of the play. It lasts about an hour, with a lot of great information.
http://www.youtube.com/user/WarHorseMovie?v=B7lf9HgFAwQ&feature=pyv&ad=8878711597&kw=#p/a/u/1/kKld9pcOowc
Cynthia H./Santa Anita Girl
Playing catch-up, before the onset of a busy season, fast approaching:
@Barbara Wood (Texas): I raise my cup of Earl Grey in your honor!
@Susan in TN: Thank you very much for your good wishes. Happy Christmas to you!
@Alex Bowdin – MA: My British friends tell me that the second season of Downton Abbey is “brill,” and is every bit as engrossing as the first! It is interesting to note that, like “War Horse,” it is set against the backdrop of WWI England, in which there seems to be a resurgence in interest.
@Dawn Conrad: We have never met, and yet you know exactly what it would take to make me feel better! Your “beyond beautiful” (thank you for finding exactly the right words, Karina Bussell) post, comparing the complex demographics of the Diary to that of the composition of an intricately-made quilt, is strikingly appropriate.
@Abigail in Montreal: Your dream vacation in New York CIty is also mine. I am glad that you had such a fabulous time.
See you at the GREAT RACE PLACE!
Theresa Buck/Texas
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND TASTY AND EVERYONE AT LANE’S END
Cynthia H./Santa Anita Girl
@Dawn Conrad: I appreciate your kind wishes very much. I did not see your above post regarding “Death Comes to Pemberley,” by P.D. James. Hello—Santa? May I add just one last-minute request to the list, please? I hope that Mr. Darcy will remain unscathed! Best wishes for a blessed and happy Christmas.
Marilu V.
Hi Zeny!
Thank you for the information on Santa Anita. Can’t wait to see the new renovations.
I will be out of the country (cross the Pacific Ocean) for three weeks to visit my mom but will not fail to read the postings. She is 94. Bless her heart for being so strong despite her health problems. My brother and his wife take very good care of her. I can’t wait to spend New Year’s Eve with the family. I have not spent New Year’s with them in a very long time.
Merry Christmas Kisses to you, Zeny, and Tasty.
Love and Hugs, Marilu
Janie (in L.A.)
I’m hoping to be at Santa Anita on Opening Day too… Love you, Zenyatta!
Carol Weinstein
Ah, Santa Anita – the last time I was there, I had the most wonderful experience because I saw YOU win the Breeder’s Cup Classic in your own inimitable style. I was there in the paddock when your handlers took you back to the barn and you passed right by me. That’s the closest I came to you, a few feet next to the most glorious and powerful girl in the world. Do we ever miss you in California!!! Love U 4-ever!
Carol in the SF Bay Area.
Maryyette
Much love to you, Zenyatta, Tasty, and to Ebloussante, and to Dottie and John, Lewis Cenicola and family, Sophie Shirreffs, and all of the Zenyatta family in CA, KY and everywhere. Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year. Love you, Sweetie!!!
Margaret
Well I just hope you don’t suffer like suffer like Candlestick Park did the other night! Truly it was unique seeing thousands of people sitting in the dark. Not terribly fun and pretty darn unsafe. Speaking as one who lived through Loma Prieta having the tv announcers liken the power outage to our earthquake was sick. One can tell if they are in a big quake–enough to cause that kind of damage. Think of the biggest roller coaster ride you’ve ever been on that’s kind of like what it was. Only this thing went for MILES!
Sorry I guess I just had to vent a bit. A lot of damage happened and people died. And they liken a simple outage to one of our worst tradgyies to that?
Have a happy Christmas and Chunnackh one and all.
Heidi (Vallejo.Calif)
Hi Zenny and Dumplings. Happy Holidays, everyone be safe! I’ve never been to Santa Anita but, plan on being there for the Breeders Cup in 2012. Hopefully, I’ll have an entourage with me and will meet up with some other Z’sters from here. We’ll see how that goes.
Love ya Big mamma now, I have to go deal with the Post Office. Lucky me! lol
Trisha
I know I speak for so many of your fans, that having seen you run at Santa Anita holds a very special place in all our hearts. You are the best of them all and we miss you.
Love hugs and kisses
nancy
Your on TV tonight Z, will be watching. I love seeing your races over and over :)
will be going to Santa Anita soon as well.
Paula Higgins
Sorry to hear about Mr. Cenicola Judy. It is especially sad his time of year for people to lose loved ones. Saw the Bloodhorse blog on Zenyatta (thanks everyone for the links). She looks just great and happy. Thanks Dottie for the Sant Anita update. Yes, lots of work to keep everything in peak shape and functioning well for opening day. I hope they have great attendance opening day.
Trina Nagele in So Cal
Oh, Zenny! BLUSH, BLUSH! Honestly, my face is turning red with pleasure at reading your kind mention of my poem for your Dottie and John! I’m SO glad you liked it! Thank you! I plan to be at Santa Anita on opening day, and everyone there will for sure be thinking of YOU, dearest Z!
@Diana S—Looking forward to seeing you there!
@Janie in LA—E-mail me at trinambn@yahoo.com if you want to exchange cell phone numbers to facilitate meeting up at Santa Anita. Hope to see you there.
@Dear Dallas in Texas—In writing your birthday poem, I was uncertain as to whether to include the following, but I would like to share these lines with you now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~““““`
Fragment from of an earlier version of “A Birthday Poem for Dallas in Texas”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sadly, as life goes,
With the highs come also the lows,
And life dealt you a blow
On the fifth of November,
For a call came early that day
To say
A cherished family member
Had passed away.
You abandoned your plans
For Mike’s Breeders’ Cup Classic to stay,
And hurried home
With your family to mourn.
With condolences to you
As you this loss remember,
We hope good things to you will be borne
On the gentle wings of coming days
That will your spirit renew.
DMCQ
Beautiful Zenyatta, I’ve been missing you and so I must offer a Belated congratulations to Dottie and Your John for their anniversary. I can tell them that it just gets better and I’m so glad they found each other. :)
My EANDO friend and Dumpling, Barbara W. asked me to see if I could help Georgia from Seattle with getting a video on your site. so,
@Georgia from Seattle: I hope this works for you! First know the title/name you gave the video and where it’s located on your computer. I always put the picture or video I want to share on my “desktop” so it’s easy to locate during this process. Next check in to Zenyatta’s page and in the top, right hand corner, click on Face Book. You cannot put pictures or videos on the diary page, only on the Face Book page. at the top of the Face Book page where the comments are, click to comment. On that page you can comment or choose photo or video. Choose video and click on it. It will ask if you want to make a video or upload/download a video. Choose the last option. Then choose browse and look for your video’s title where you located it on your computer to share in this process. Click enter and wait for the video to get finished loading. Sometimes it may ask if you want it to open. If it asks this, choose yes. When it is finished loading, it will ask whether you want to comment. You can comment as to what the video is about. I hope this works for you because I REALLY want to see it. :)
To ALL: I hope as you go forward into your holiday celebrations that you will be making memories to treasure. Along the way, please take a note from the Queen’s life and be generous to those who are grieving or in need this year. She sets a high standard for giving to others! Please be safe especially if you are traveling. You have many friends here in Zenyatta’s World on this diary who want to continue caring about you and reading your wonderful comments. I’ll probably be commenting again during the holidays but I wanted to make sure to get that message from my heart to yours on the diary.
Gloria Jeanne - The O.C.
Hi D Stuart – not sure how to get a Dumplings name tag? I will be at Santa Anita on opening day – such a treat I can’t wait.
Terry Crow
Catching up on the posts. @Joy-Your opinions are respected. I don’t know how many others out there think as you do, but I take into consideration all points of view. I welcome all comments. @Judy Berube, Debbie G, Kari Bussell, Marshall, Sally B and Sue, thank you. I have said before that these silly jokes are just for amusement, but I may have to rethink my position. @Barb ara Wood-I will not make any further comments on Bear games. @Sue Fredrick-Don’t forget to have moonshine available. Maybe January 27 is a fitting date for the show-down. @Cynthia H- As I said before, if management gives you any trouble, we will occupy Santa Anita. @Susan In TN-Maybe we should name the interstate redneck trafficking as the Stuart act. @Rosemary McCauley, Diana S and Denise in AZ, charter members of the Arizona/New Mexico chapter-You might be a redneck if a trip to the post office takes a full tank of gas. @Debbie G, president of Kentucky chapter-You might be a redneck if you ever lost a karaoke contest to a mime. @Marshall, president of North Carolina chapter-You might be a redneck if you have ever stuffed a pillow with belly button lint. @Sue Fredrick and Sally B, charter members of Wisconsin chapter, presidency to be determined-You might be a redneck if your dog can smoke a cigarette. @Susan in TN and Kari Bussell-You might be a redneck if you think hygiene is a greeting. You might be a redneck if howdy is in your telephone answering machine message. You might be a redneck if you know that tobacco leaves make a good substitute for toilet paper.How do you tell if you are living in an affluent redneck neighborhood? Your has a Cadillac sitting on cement blocks in his front yard.
Shari Voltzfrom Ohio
Hi to Zenyatta and my Z Family. It is our last day of school and the children are so excited. I love Queen Z and hope you and Tasty have a Great day. SA looks so beautiful. I hope someday to visit the state of California. I love you Zenyatta. Hugs and Kisses, Shari XXXOOO
Terry Crow
Lest I forget. @Judy Berube, president of New England chapter-You might be a redneck if you refer to the duct tape on you car as chrome.
JAG ~ Queen Zenny's Auntie Judy (So. Califoria)
Gulfstream: Horse-for-course Little Mike back from long vacation
http://www.drf.com/news/gulfstream-horse-course-little-mike-back-long-vacation
Zenny ~ I like the name of this horse :D
Gloria Jeanne - The O.C.
Hi Everyone-
Zenyatta is at 94,703 Facebook Fans – let’s keep this going. Please let all your friends and family know about Zenny’s Page and have them “Like” her.
Thanks Everyone!!!!
Happy Holidays to All :)
JAG ~ Queen Zenny's Auntie Judy (So. Califoria)
Mommy Zen ~ a personal message for you from John Henry…………. March 9th :D
JAG ~ Queen Zenny's Auntie Judy (So. Califoria)
HAPPY HANUKKAH to all who celebrate this holiday!
D Stuart
@Sue Fredrick: Just finished reading your post on #401 and am laughing so hard I hurt! If that mud wrass’ling event comes off, I’m on the next plane! I’ll cook the veggie dogs. Too funny!
diastu in tempe
judy berube from Rhode Island
Dear Z and Z Fans,
Happy Wednesday. Hope all of you are well. Love you Z and love to all of you, Judy and Russ
judy berube from Rhode Island
Dear Terry Crow:
Don’t know where you get these jokes, but keep ’em coming. They certainly are amusing, but might be some truth there as well. Ha, ha. Hugs, JB
D Stuart
@Gloria Jeanne: Dumpling tag will be there waiting for you. JAG will let us all know where to meet up.
diastu in tempe
suew/Va
Sweet Zenny, when I read about places YOU raced it makes me remember again how GREAT you were. So…I immediately treat myself to some videos and I get thrills, chills and tears all over again. My, you were spectacular on the track. I hope you and TT are enjoying these days before Christmas. I have NO DOUBT your stocking will be full of goodies. After all, you were a good girl all year.
@JAG, I loved the link to tidbits of Zenyatta taken “through the lens”. It was interesting to learn a bit more about Matt, too. Boy, he has the greatest job in the world.
sue and Tony
Zenny, once again we get to learn more about your sport from YOU. We hope when little Z/B comes into the world you continue to tell us everything about her young life. We’ll still waiting for a movie and book about you. Hope they both happen soon.