Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Z's Diary

Diary Post #435

So many wonderful friends I have! Photo by Sarah Campion

Happy Friday!

Another week! Wow, the time truly passes by so quickly. Thus, we often get so caught up in our various daily activities that we forget to say THANK YOU to those people around us…..who care so much and work so hard to make our lives special!

Today, I’d like to take the time to do so! MY JOHN and Dottie receive lovely notes all of the time from so many of you. They asked that I personally THANK YOU for them. The time you take to write them…and the words expressed so graciously do mean a great deal to them and all of MY TEAM. YOU ARE SO KIND!

Last Saturday, Victoria Racimo was visiting Los Angeles from her home in New York. Steve Haskin (who you all know as he writes for The Bloodhorse) emailed John asking if she could visit BARN 55. Victoria had been at Keeneland the evening I arrived in Lexington and stood in the 17 degree weather for hours to see ME. She commented to John that she “still remembers rubbing ME that evening and feeling the warmth of my body”.

Victoria has a friend, James, who is 10 years old and receiving chemo treatments for a rare form of Leukemia. His parents work in a Feed Shop in Paris, Kentucky, and are very involved working with and following horses in our industry.

Per Victoria, “James has followed and adored Zenyatta from when she first started to make her mark. He is only 10 years old now.”

There are so many wonderful moments to Victoria’s visit to BARN 55 and her follow-up note to John. One very special and touching part was hearing about James and being able to visit with him. MY JOHN called him. At that very moment when MY JOHN called, he was in the hospital receiving treatment. Per Victoria, “James has been over the moon since that day.”

MY JOHN also gave Victoria MY DODGER BILLBOARD for him, the one he had standing on his desk. It is on his way to James right now. Victoria commented, “it took me a while to package and wrap so her ears would be safe.” (Thank you, Victoria! I appreciate that!)

In her note, Victoria went on to state, “I want to let you know how meaningful your good works are to so many. You, Dottie, and the Z Team continue to be a life force carrying on Zenyatta’s magic—the magic that has made the difference in thousands upon thousands of lives. I thank you for the kindness of that day. You are blessed to have met Zenyatta and she you and in the rest of the scheme of things, we are all winners because of your presence and grace in this world.”

To Victoria and All of YOU….WE WANT TO SAY….. THANK YOU! The true beauty of all of these experiences is we have all met each other and been able to share in so many special moments and friendships! THANK YOU for your kindness and the difference YOU have all made in our lives as well.

With Love,
Hugs to All~(A special HUG this morning for you, James!)
Z

Reader Interactions

714 Comments

  1. / Reply

    Congratulation to your John for becoming chairperson for the CHRB for medication and track safety. As busy as he is he takes the time to help make horseracing safer. Again congrats John as we know you care.

  2. / Reply

    What a magical experience Cynthia, you lucky, lucky girl!!! The depth of John and Dottie’s hearts is beyond measure and we all fortunate to be a part of their world.

  3. / Reply

    Congratulations to John Shirreffs for being named chair of the medication advisory panel for the California Horse Racing Board. I am confident that he will help to find a solution to the many issues of racehorse medications that insure the safety of all equine athletes, especially those who race as claimers. I hope that California will set an example for other states. Thank you Mr. Shirreffs for taking on what will certainly be a complicated and contentious task.

    • / Reply

      Thanks for the reminder, Eveline. I love those gorgeous Clydesdales and the playful corgis. And there’s a special mane so appropriate for Valentine’s Day!

  5. / Reply

    OMG!!!! Zenyatta, you are my favorite race horse ever!!! My room is covered in your pictures and I cant wait for you to have your baby!!! I love your diary posts and read them every day!!! I LOVE YOU, ZENYATTA!!!!!!! I am your biggest fan ever!!!
    Your friend,
    Kayla

  6. / Reply

    My Queen
    Your are soo cool!! You are the best!! You have always have the best stories to tell!! I cant wait for the big day when you become an official mommy!!! Are you excited??? Well you are always going to be THE QUEEN!!!

  7. / Reply

    Good morning Zenny, Dottie, TT, Babies X 2 and you frisky Zen-sters who, it seems, have been up to all kinds of things since I checked in with you last night! Kind of like those Sea Monkeys that you plop into a bowl of water and leave briefly, only to discover that they’ve exploded into all kinds of permutations & configurations…. (Actually, I kind of like thinking of all of my Zensters as Sea Monkeys, getting up to adventures right here in our virtual bowl ! )

    @ Trina, Brenda, Terry Crow, Jan S., Dawn, Paula Higgins & Vicki B: Thanks so much for your warm thoughts regarding Ms. Daisy Doodlebug. (For those of you who might think someone dropped me on my head for getting so uptight about spaying a dog: As Daisy was rescued by me at the age of 18-24 months, spaying her is akin to a woman who has had a Caesarian section. Plus, she’s my first female dog EVER, so I’m feeling a trifle inexperienced.) The Doodle & the kitties & their mummy opened the Zenyatta plushie together and ALL DECLARED IT TO BE A VERY BEFITTING TRIBUTE TO QUEEN Z. The kitties found it VERY PLUSHY and Ms. Daisy was FASCINATED by Zenny’s foal being so “ATTACHED” to her, if you get my drift!

    Then came time to a) cuddle plushies & 4-leggeds; b) put on a Netflix movie….Friday night tv being somewhat hopeless unless you are outfitted with all of the current paraphernalia which I am not AND c) place the Doodle in the “Cone of Shame” so that she couldn’t lick @ her incision. In the latter case, the vet tech was MOST insistent because of the risk of infection.

    Well, I did TRY, folks. But the Doodle became paralyzed when said Cone was placed on her. By which I mean: she sat on the sofa and refused to lie down or get off. So I helped her off. THEN she sat on her dog bed & refused to lie down. FINALLY, she raised her elegant head and let out a series of VERY WOLF-EY HOWLS.

    The kitties all ran for cover, as I stood there in rapt amazement (being a MAJOR wolf fan). BUT then the howling went on….and on…..and on.

    SO…..I ran to the medicine cabinet & grabbed the “quick heal” Polysporin and then to the wardrobe for an oversized M.A.S.H. t-shirt. I pulled off the Doodle’s Cone, crooned to her, rubbed Polysporin over the incision and then popped on the M.A.S.H. t-shirt, pulling it tight and tying it up with a rubber band over her tummy. I must say, she looked very M.A.S.H. – worthy as we all settled down to our movie……

    But THIS MORNING, when the DOODLE appeared to wake me up for breakfast, I noticed the t-shirt was rather saggy over the belly because it was SOAKING WET from the Doodle’s long, efficient tongue!!!!!!

    • / Reply

      Great story. My old hound used to howl. The first time I heard it I couldn’t believe it. Who could help but not feel sorry for a friend with one of those cones on.

    • / Reply

      Dear Abigail:
      We had a Greyhound that was a “Houdini of the Cone”. She had a gash on her paw and the vet gave us a cone for her to wear. We couldn’t keep it on her. We finally gave up and I just kept dressing the wound and trying to keep her from touching it. It did heal well, finally. I think most of them hate wearing them. Can’t blame them. Good luck with your Doodle. She couldn’t ask for a better nurse then you. Love and Hugs, JB

    • / Reply

      I am hoping that Saturday is progressing in a peaceful, quiet way Abigail with Miss Daisy being totally co-operative in her recovery. I haven’t met an animal yet who will accept the cone and no amount of gentle persuasion will produce compliance and so I think you will just have to accept that the weekend will be spent cuddled up with all the four legged family members (assuming the felines have reappeared) and sharing the plushie. Many hugs to you all.

    • / Reply

      Dear Cynthia H.:

      I agree with everyone that you have may have missed your “calling”. What a well written, description of a special day. But then, you’re a special lady. Love and Hugs, JB

      • / Reply

        Dear Judy, YOU are a very special lady. Thank you for your kind words, and for sharing vicariously in that special day. I have many a relative who lives in Providence. Love and hugs to you, too!

    • / Reply

      Great post, Abigail! And high hoof to you on your inventive solution to the problem of the “cone of shame” (you sure do have a way with words)! I hope Daisy heals up well and that nobody makes any incisions on the plushies! I know I could NOT trust my darling rescue Daisy, who is still with me because her skin issues haven’t yet been resolved. When she’s well, she really needs and deserves a home with more playful companions than my somewhat stodgy, senior citizen canines.

    • / Reply

      Sounds like a good substitute for “the cone” even if all wet. I only ever had a cat, and she sure looked unhappy and disgusted at that cone, but otherwise put up with the minimal amount of crap like that I ever did to her.

  8. / Reply

    Abigail,
    I can’t believe that the vet left the application of “the cone” to YOU! Sounds like all the times I heard “oh, giving this pill to your cat is easy – just watch” (as the vet and an assistant popped it down in the blink of an eye). Of course when you get home, and there IS no assistant, THEN you find out what it’s REALLY like :-) Hope she can leave the stitches alone until they heal!
    On another note, I laughed out loud at your previous post (“great comments everyone – now can we just move on?”). We have both been on too many committees :-)
    Sandy

    • / Reply

      Great post Abigail. The vets always make it sound so easy. And Sandy, why is it that the vets have such an easy time giving a cat a pill? It’s nearly impossible. The last time I had to give my girl cat Elsie an antibiotic I asked for the liquid kind because it tasted like bubble gum and I thought it would be easier. Boy, was I wrong. There was pink stuff all over her mouth and fur, not to mention the bathroom. We won’t even talk about all the scratches on my hands!

      • / Reply

        Yeah, I’ve tried the liquid thing too with a similar result. I think some vets just have a mesmerizing effect. My first cat, Tibby, would practically hold up her paw and say “Here, Dr W, you want to clip my claws? Go ahead!” or “Want to see my teeth? I’ll just open my mouth up big and wide for you” :-) I remember one time my Dad went with me (my parents lived out of town, and Tibby was definitely a one-person cat) and couldn’t believe his eyes!

    • / Reply

      So right, Sandy! Right now, none of my cats need medication, but I have discovered something new called Pill Pockets for dogs made by the people who make Greenie chew bones. My dogs love getting their pills in the Pill Pockets, but I don’t even know if Pockets are available for kitties. BTW, the Greenie chews are NOT as digestible as they should be–I have stopped using them after two dogs had to go to the vet for intestinal blockage.

      • / Reply

        Oh YES , pill pockets for cats, the best thing ever. That is if the cat will eat it. They come in three flavors and are a lifesaver for some cats, or rather the person that is trying to medicate them. I found that a large percentage of cats really like them.

      • / Reply

        Trina,
        At the moment, I have no kitties. My second cat, Snickers, died very unexpectedly almost two years ago, and problems with my getting around (especially down to the basement) have kept me from having any more on a permanent basis. I did have two siblings briefly (who were adorable) at a time when we thought that a series of injections might save my knee, but the medicine wasn’t effective, and the kitties (9 months old) were just more than I could keep up with. It nearly killed me to take them back, but I knew it was the right decision. Next time I’ll be going for a more “mature” cat.

  10. / Reply

    Hi Zenny, that was a very nice story from Victoria. You have many wonderful fans and that is due to your Greatness and the love that you have always projected. Your many wins and the drive you had to win those races gave way to having the love of so many fans. You deserve all this love and praise and I am so glad that this still continues and once you have your foal it will even get bigger. Look forward to your posts and sending you love from my heart, stay well.

  11. / Reply

    Dearest Queen-Z & Team-Z,
    This was a lovely Diary Entry…a wonderful reminder of how important “GRATITUDE”
    is in each of our lives. Thank you for the gentle manner in which you “touch” my life,
    and so many others’ lives. Zenny & Tasty stay toasty-warm and have a great week-
    end playing in the snow. Hugs to you all. Fondly, OraJean

  12. / Reply

    Queen Z….you are surrounded by some of the kindest,most caring people in the world.
    From the Moss family to John and Dottie and all the people you have touched, You bring such love and joy to people from all backgrounds. The story about James and his love for you just made my day. I will keep James in my prayers.
    The empathy your fans show for each other is so wonderful to experience. You have done so much for all of us Queen Z, We all pray for a safe and quick delivery for your special foal. We can’t wait to see Little Z.

  13. / Reply

    SAN MARCOS STAKES – Race 9 @ 4:30 PT approx. —-
    Best of Luck UTOPIAN / Moss / Shirreffs / Mikey

    Safe racing for ALL!! XO

    • / Reply

      Judy, this pair of eagles produced their first egg on February 23rd last year so I’m sure they are busy getting their house in order. The bowl looks nice and tidy with lots of dry grass already in place. I’ll now be on egg watch as well as foal watch.

  15. / Reply

    Kari B.
    I posted a video of El Vino from almost a year ago now of his winning at Santa Anita. He bows to the crowd in winners circle and John talks about El Vino’s ears, listening for Zenny coming up from behind him, too cute! As we all know he was Zenny’s work out mate for a long time.

    • / Reply

      Our favorite personal memory of El Vino was shortly after surgery (gelding?), he was placed in a stall directly across from John Shirreffs’ Barn 55 office where he could be watched more closely during his recovery. He loved the stall location where he could be in the thick of things and could observe all the happenings as trainers, vets, vendors, exercise riders conducted their business. He was so curious, so kind. We will never forget his unabashed joy of being in that location in the barn.

  17. / Reply

    Thanks for the link Judy,
    she has such an awesome turn of foot;
    Hope they can lengthen her out and she
    will be able to run well overseas.

    Love the fact that she is a little bit quirky.
    TB are so special with their little quirks.

    • / Reply

      Dear Signofthetimes:

      Hope Black Caviar races in the U.S. some day. She is really something.
      You are so right, I think, about the stamina bred into the Euros vs. our horses. And then there’s Z. She was able to start slowly and really turn in on at the end. But, she does have those Euro genes on her Dad’s side. Thanks for all the links on the different stallions. They are all handsome boys, but Bernie’s my favorite. Hugs, JB

      • / Reply

        You know I forgot she has the Euro jeans.
        And so very mature beyond her years. I
        Think she was silly so but always all business
        During her races.

        Bernie is so gorgeous. He has the most beautiful
        Head.

  18. / Reply

    Yes, I agree. But he Euro’s run farther, and much more physically challenging race courses, with hills and dales and so very many curves. I think Goldikova’s years
    of racing were much more of a physical challenge that perhaps our American filly/mare dirt racing TB. Running a mile she had to be very quick through out the race, very fit and then always running against the boys, which was much more of challenge than our US mares.

    Zenny had a very unique running style for such a young horse. She was able to conserve her energy at the beginning of a race by breaking slowly and staying at the back of the pack without pressure; then accelerate and blow everyone away at the end. I think this style would be difficult to maintain in the EURO races.

    Different type of stamina in Europe than stamina to run on dirt.

    • / Reply

      This was an AWFUL accident. Baby Girl a two year old filly went through there last fall. She had ten treatments for a horrible infection from a VERY DEEP puncture wound that went all the way to bone covering her brain.

      Before it was agonizing watching her. And after her treatments? You’d swear they were two different horses!

      You can read about Baby Girl at Beauty’s Haven in Florida.

  26. / Reply

    Dear Z Fans:
    Shackleford goes in the mile and 1/8 Grade I Donn H. Stakes at 4:45 EST Gulfstream Park.
    Go Shack.

      • / Reply

        Dear Ingrid Arnone:

        Me too. As I said in my post to The Kennedy’s, I hope they look for a sprint race to enter him in. Love that Boy and really hope he does well. Hugs, JB

    • / Reply

      We are disappointed for Shackleford — he is one of our favorities. We will look forward to his next race.

      • / Reply

        Dear Kennedy’s in San Diego:

        I’m disappointed for him too. I thought the jock overused the whip. Shack gave it his all and just had nothing left. Hope his connections look for a sprint race for him. Really feel Shack will be at his best as a Sprinter. What do you think? Hugs, JB

  27. / Reply

    @Rosemary McCauley, Denise in AZ and Diana S, charter members of Arizona/New Mexico chapter-You might be a redneck if you ever salted your toothpaste. @Darlene Daniels, president of Indiana chapter-You might be a redneck if you’ve ever used an inner tube patch on your jeans. @Marty R, president of Colorado chapter-You might be a redneck if, when you say let’s hit the hay, you really mean it. @Stephanie in San Diego and Vicki B, members of California chapter-You might be a redneck if you ever shoplifted spam. @Judy Berube, president of New England chapter-You might be a redneck if your care has never had a full tank of gas. @Marshall, president of North Carolina chapter-You might be a redneck if you lose your camoflauge truck. @Debbie G, president of Kentucky chapter-You might be a redneck if you have ever deep fried a frozen dinner. @signofthetimes, president, and Barbara Wood, charter member of Texas chapter-You might be a redneck if you have ever used bread bags for shoes. @Sue Fredrick and Sally B, charter members of Wisconsin chapter, presidency to be determined-You might be a redneck if you own a glass eye collection. @Brenda S, president, and Abigail in Montreal, member of Canadian chapter-You might be a Canadian redneck if the word prompt is never used the describe winter mail delivery. @carol in Utah, president of Utah chapter-You might be a redneck if your main job is breeding chia pets. @Sandy in northern Ohio, president, and Shari Voltz, charter member of Ohio chapter-You might be a redneck if your engagement ring came out of a machine called The Claw. @Sue Colvin, president of New Jersey chapter-You might be a redneck if every picture in your house has PROOF written on it. @Susan in TN and Kari Bussell-You might be a redneck if you ever made night crawler jerky. You might be a redneck if you tell time based on when your dog has to go. You might be a redneck if you’ve ever smiled at someone and had a tooth fall out. You might be a redneck if your husband ever gave you earrings made out of fishing lures. You might be a redneck if you’ve ever corrected your child with a beer can.

    • / Reply

      You’ve got me laughing out loud, Terry. I have a mental image of some redneck opening his mouth for a big grin and a tooth falling out. Too funny!

    • / Reply

      Like these, Terry. As a child, I loved fried Spam & peanut-butter sandwiches. Everything that’s not healthy for me now. But not me, shoplifting. A couple a redneck relatives, yes. Speaking of which, I posted above, but will repeat it here, since the Diary has moved on:

      I was just telling a friend yesterday about the Redneck Club here, and he told me his one story, about his Aunt Oley. “You might be a redneck relative, if you rotate your shoes, so they will wear more evenly.” I laughed and laughed. He said her feet musta hurt, but she did it apparently most of her adult life. It was a “family story” he heard. Her name was pronounced like “Oh-Lee”.

    • / Reply

      I have never used bread bags for shoes, but in an emergency, have used plastic bags for rain shoes, but I thought that was just good, common sense — not much on looks, but got the job done.

  28. / Reply

    Last night I saw Black Caviar in her 18 win, she is a fantastic horse, but her personality is not even close to yours, and all her fans they imitated the way we were with you, I keep saying that you are a very unique horse, you are so special, I love you forever and ever.
    Ingrid.

  29. / Reply

    Love LONHRO…..think he is gorgeous…is he going to come up here every yr…or only this once…..also love HAT TRICK….but that’s because of his daddy

    • / Reply

      He sure is something, when I first saw him
      I thought he was way too bulky and his legs
      were too short, until I saw him run. What a talent.
      Not sure if Darley is going to keep him here.
      He did get a good book of mates and has a reasonable
      Stud fee for a proven Aussie stud. He is supposed
      To be a real pro in the shed.

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