Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Z's Diary

Diary Post #434

It's snowing! Photo by Sarah Campion

Good morning dear friends,

Yesterday, we had a bit of snow on the ground. It is actually quite beautiful and we certainly have had a much more ‘mild’ winter this year compared to last. The temperatures are brisk, but comfortable. My coat has grown a bit and I must say it keeps ME nice and cozy!

TASTY and I now have our favorite places to ‘stand’ and ‘look around’ in our new paddock. We have adapted beautifully to our new space. Here you can see us just hanging out together and enjoying our time outdoors.

Several mares at the farm have foaled already…so the 2012 Season is in full bloom. The activity at the stallion barn in relation to the breeding shed will not begin until the mid-point of this month. Everything is getting completely organized in that division of the farm for each of the Lane’s End stallions right now.

Breeding Season is a very busy time of the year at a farm. Every new foal brings promise, hope, anticipation, and excitement!

It is so much fun to think about WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS!

Have a wonderful day!

With Love,
Hugs to All~
Z

Reader Interactions

290 Comments

  3. / Reply

    just wanted to hurry and see if I could be # 1 today!!! Greetings to all. Z looks lovely in her winter coat and hanging out with a best friend is. . . . .well, the best!!

  4. / Reply

    Good morning Z
    Yesterday Stonestreet Farm posted a picture of Rachel Alexandra & as they put it her
    “spirited” colt in the snow. So, I knew your were also having snow.
    As a So Cal gal, is this the first time you have seen snow?

    There was a story today on the horse deaths in filming “Luck”
    Excerpts from The Horse Channel article:
    According to the American Humane Association (AHA), which supervises animal action in films and television, the two incidents occurred months apart. One occurred during the filming of the pilot in April 2010 and the other happened during the filming of the seventh episode. Those two episodes do not carry the AHA’s “No animals were harmed” certification.
    In both cases, the horses fell during the filming of short racing sequences and suffered severe fractures. The on-site veterinarians examined the horses and made the call to euthanize them. Necropsies were performed on both horses, but HBO has declined to release the results.
    For full story, here is the link.
    http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-news/2012/02/09/luck-horse-deaths.aspx

    Hope you have a great day in your new fav spot!

  5. / Reply

    For Rapid Redux fans in the Maryland area
    The Maryland Jockey Club will honor the connections of Rapid Redux on February 18. Rapid Redux has won 22 consecutive races, including a perfect 19-for-19 season a year ago and took home a pair of national awards last month.
    The celebration will include a poster giveaway, a winners’ circle presentation and an autograph session with owner Robert Cole, trainer David Wells and primary jockey J.D. Acosta (depending on mounts).
    Cole, a Baltimore County, Maryland, native, claimed the son of Pleasantly Perfect at Penn National for $6,250 on October 13, 2010. In his next 24 races, Rapid Redux won 23 times with earnings of $266,074. The win streak began December 2, 2010 at Penn National. During the streak, Rapid Redux won races at seven different tracks at distances from five furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, using seven riders.
    Thought you might be interested.

  7. / Reply

    Wow I love the pictures… You look gorgeous as always.
    Well it’s snowing in Kentucky but here in Socal it’s gonna be a warm day. Hope you and Tasty have a great day. Be careful playing in that snow, Mama’s to be…

    Signofthetimes I just wanted to let you know that I think it’s super sweet that you are always congratulating the person who posts first every morning. I think it’s super sweet of you!!!!

  9. / Reply

    Good morning “Z”. Im glad that you are so happy and with your friend Tasty. Best Friends are always so important especially at this special time. I bet the snow is nice and pretty and probably feels very calming. The fresh cool air is nicely refreshing as well.
    Have a splendid day “Z”, and I look forward to your next post. Love you so much and I am happy that you like to share your daily adventures with the rest of us. Have a nice day and say hello to Tasty.

  10. / Reply

    Dear Great One,

    Can you tell us if Pirate Queen has foaled yet?

    Remeber, you are aiming for March 3! Jeanyatta could be a name. Just saying…

    Your humble J

  12. / Reply

    You look so healthy and happy Z. Can’t wait till the day that a post is made about you becoming a mom… How special that will be. Has anyone decided who will be the sire of your next foal?
    You and Tasty have fun in the snow.

  13. / Reply

    I just went to the Stonestreet Farm video of Rachel Alexandra’a colt (thanks, Keta!). That white blaze on his forehead looks like someone gave him a HIGH HOOF!!! I also read that R.A. will be bred to Bernardini this year. Can someone tell me: is this the fate of mares…a foal every year?!?!?!

    • / Reply

      Dear Jeanne, LauraJ has shared with us before that it is perfectly normal for a mare to have a foal every year. This is how Mother Nature plans it in the wild. If the mare needs a rest, her body will naturally take care of that too.

    • / Reply

      This has been discussed before, but yes, it is general practice to breed the mare each year. As long as she is healthy, it does her no harm. A mare’s body is well adapted to be pregnant each year. In the wild, she would have a foal every year from puberty until her fertility declined. If there is a health or environmental reason why she should not have a foal, she will not conceive, or if already pregnant she will resorb or slip the embryo/fetus.

      The health of a valuable mare such as Rachel or Zenyatta is monitored very closely. She won’t be bred if it would jeopardize her health. She might also skip a year to adjust her calendar.

  14. / Reply

    Well goodmorning Z! I can NOT wait to see Z jr :) it is so great to hear from you everyday, its nice to have a real friend! I hope you have a wonderful day! Hopefully one day I can meet you in person so I can give you a big ole hug!

  15. / Reply

    Dear Zenny,
    It’s hard to believe that there is snow in Kentucky when we haven’t had any for almost two weeks. Today, however, may be the last “nice” day for a while – much cold air coming in for the weekend which always raises the potential for “lake effect snow” here in northeast Ohio. Lake Erie is completely “open” as opposed to usual at this time of year so the cold winds blowing across the water may mean the white stuff will return. That looks like quite a group you’re out there with – looking around and enjoying each other’s company. Hope you have a great day.
    Love from your Ohio friend, Sandy

    @Brenda S. Ontario
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I’m sending “cheers” over the lake. Did you hear that they might be rethinking the idea of having a ferry during the summer? Sure would make the trip shorter. Hope you have a great day. I’m trying a little experiment here so there may (or may not) be a little “birthday visual.”

    @Trina
    Another great poem (to all those who didn’t see it, it’s near the end of #433). You do SO much to promote all of the good feelings on this site (and not just the poems!)

    @Signofthetimes
    Thanks for your response yesterday about the pony (had no idea that’s what they were called). In many of the video clips, Zenny seems to have had the same one – another example of how “routine” is crucial for her :-)

    • / Reply

      OK – the experiment didn’t work. I thought if people could paste in hearts, maybe I could paste in a cake image, but it didn’t take :-(

    • / Reply

      Yes, they keep the same Pony through their racing
      Careers. There are some really cute pony stories.
      It’s Tricky is real attached to her pony he provides her
      A lot of comfort and support as she get high strung.

      There is a recently retired well known racing gelding
      About 7 or 9 that is a part-time pony; he is part-time
      Because he will bite the race horses back if they
      Bite him. When he does that he has to go back to the
      Barn and come out and poney the next day.

      • / Reply

        Not all race horses keep the same pony through their racing careers . When the horse is entered into a race,they are asked if they will need a pony and if they do they are assigned one of the pony horses that live at each track and usually they belong to the rider.When you run a horse,the groom usually doesn’t know who their pony will be until they are walking to the paddock and they approach you and ask,what quirks they may have and what if anything else they need to do for you.Some horses may need to be ponyed from the paddock to the track,but most are met at the entrance to the track at which time the groom gives the horse to the pony person and waits for the end of the race at which time groom then enters the track and grabs their horse from the jockey and then your on your own. Some horses may need to travel with a companion,I have gone to the races with a goat and also an old polo pony that at one time was riden on the polo field by my trainer.Sometimes it was another race horse that wasn’t going to race,but needed some travel training,and the one that was racing needed some company. I worked on the farm,and traveled in the van with the horse to the various tracks,going racing was one of my favorite jobs that I did.It was hard work,sometimes having a 15 hour or more day,often not getting back to the barn till midnight,then unloading the horse and the equipment,putting the horse in his stall and feeding them their special racing mash that my trainer always insisted they have,and they loved it and looked forward to it ! Then it was home to bed for me so I could be up at 6 and head back to the farm for the next day and I LOVED every minute of every day,I shared with the most beautiful creatures God blessed us with !!!!!!!!!

        • Cheryl,
          Thanks for the very interesting additional information. You paint a great visual picture of how this happens. I’ve seen lots of shots of Mario walking Zenny from the paddock to the track (just the two of them) so this explains a lot.
          Sandy

  16. / Reply

    oh yum, snow to welcome in your and Tasty’s new babies, it’s getting close. I wonder sometimes, what a mare thinks and feels when she gives birth to her first foal. I mean, do you really understand a baby is growing in you during this first pregnancy. I’m so curious about this. Happy to see you doing so well. hugs and pears

  17. / Reply

    hi Z! Happy Thursday to YOU and Tasty! Have fun in the snow;) Love YOU gorgeous mama xoxoxo I received my PLUSHIE love love love

  20. / Reply

    Hi Zenny-

    I was walking my dog early this morning and passed by a house of some friends who I ran into at Keeneland the evening you arrived in 2010. As I passed by a big smile crossed my face because it took me back to that wonderful evening that I got to see you.

    Stay warm today, the temps are a bit brisk here. Tell Tasty hello.

    Love you, Big Mare

  22. / Reply

    Hi, sweet Z,
    By my calculations, I believe your Facebook page will reach 100,000 by the last week in February, so you will have a huge welcome to your little foal, and a great celebration. I’m so excited that it’s only a few short weeks and we will see your precious baby! Un-beeee-leeev–aaaa–ble!! Big hugs. Love you bunches. Ann Maree

  24. / Reply

    Queen Mommy Z
    Let me think………….. one month from today is March 9th…………. I wonder what that means to John Henry and I :-D ………… Oh, right, we would be honored and humbled if you foaled on that day :-)
    ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥

    {{HUGS}} my Queen and tummy rubs for Baby Z. Whatever day your foal comes into the world, we pray that he/she is healthy and that YOU have a safe delivery!!

    XOXOXO
    Judy G (thinking pink) ;-P

  25. / Reply

    Zenyatta,

    You and Tasty look cute and curious out in your paddock. I bet you make some pretty big angels there in the snow ;);) This month is going by so fast, pretty soon you’ll be a mommy. Stay warm, happy and healthy Big Zweetie..

    • / Reply

      Jan S., I like your “Big Zweetie”. Since no one yet knows whether filly or colt, I am happily awaiting her Zensational Zurprise!

        • Yep, and Karen Gogue and Sierra joined in below, too. Sierra wants to start a list too. But I remember lists were started when Zenny got pregnant, and votes were taken. Zendini was one of the more popular ones, but it didn’t do anything for me — not much better than Zamboni, and that’s already taken by the ice-rink machine. I like “Zinger” though. Got to be a Z…

  26. / Reply

    I saw some photos of the snow in Kentucky and it looks absolutely stunning there. Glad to hear Big Mama Z is keeping “cozy”. Take care of our girl, Lane’s End peeps! Thank you for the pictures. Hey Team Z., I read a very nice story on John Shear’s Facebook page that said how John and Dottie paid for the Shear’s dinner at a restaurant that they all happen to be dining at (separately). Man, I love hearing stories like that. Team Z rocks! Love to you all!

  27. / Reply

    I received my Zenyatta plushie yesterday, signed by Dottie & John Shirreffs. I had this picture of them patiently sitting there signing hundreds of them (mine is #165). John and Dottie, thank you so much for caring about us fans–we really do appreciate all you do for us!

    • / Reply

      I thought the same thing; to sign each and every document is incredible!! But, as we already know they are incredible people!!! ♥♥

    • / Reply

      I got mine on Monday, number 110. Lucky to the person who got number 1. And I wonder how many did they make??? Anybody know that one??

      • / Reply

        This is part of the description for the plushie:
        “…..limited time as an early Valentine’s Day bonus, certificates will be double hand-signed by trainer John Shirreffs and his wife, Moss Racing Manager, Dottie as a complimentary Barn 55 Signature Special.”

        “We expect subsequent versions of the duo will feature the markings of the actual foal once he or she arrives, but for now Zenyatta fans can enjoy the two-for one bonus of this collectible first edition.”

        I couldn’t find anything on HOW MANY were made, though.

        I’d like to know who got #1 and #8!!! :-)

  28. / Reply

    Dear Zenyatta You look Beautiful standing in the snow. I brought my Plushie to school and YOU and BABY are a BIG HIT. Everyone wants to hold you children and the adults. Everyone is saying how soft, cute and all want one. I wish I could afford to buy each child one but at least they had you for a day. I love you Zenyatta you bring smiles to all and always positive thoughts. I am so lucky to have you in my lifetime. Thank you for not only your Racing but all the other good things you have brought to us. I also feel blessed to have this Family in my life. I am sending many Hugs and Kisses. Tell Tasty hi for us. WE LOVE you Zenyatta, Mrs. Voltz and Homeroom 215
    PS I wish I could write like Dawn or Abigail
    @ Abigail the book you sent me ( I RODE THE RED HORSE ) the children have been taking out to read. It is such a wonderful story. Thank you again : )

  29. / Reply

    Hi Zenny – I’m so happy you get you enjoy some snow now and then – it sure looks beautiful there- enjoy.

    This time of year at the farms is so much fun – I can’t wait to see your foal.

    I wonder if the Moss’s are trying to find a new Stallion for you this year – I kind of hope so – but then having you enjoy your first foal without having a new foal in your tummy would be cool too. I know it’s a business and all, but you are different.

    Anyway – I know your owners will take the right choices for you because they know who you are and what you mean to all your almost 100,000 fans.

    With Love and Hugs

    Thank you Lane’s End for the wonderful pictures and sharing them with us.

    • / Reply

      Julie thanks for mentioning LE’s facebook page I never realized they had one. Oh the pictures of the babys are great and the one’s of my Indy are wonderful. I have some photographic printer paper and I will try to print some of them. Hugs

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