HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OF YOU!
It is early Thanksgiving morning as I’m writing this. It is exactly 4 Thanksgivings ago that I won my first race. So much to be thankful for…and so much to be grateful for along the way.
I know so many people are planning a great dinner. Here, at the barn, we will be celebrating with our normal meals and then some fresh SWEET POTATOES! John buys them for us to munch on as a treat! (That part of the Thanksgiving Day Meal I will share with all of you.) He gives them to us nice and whole and then we get to munch on them. My friends at the barn and I just LOVE them!
The track closes early on Thanksgiving morning….so we all have to get out and get a bit of exercise early. It is brisk and cool outside this morning, but it is absolutely gorgeous.
I hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating today with your family and friends. I will with mine and all of my Team!
With tremendous gratitude and love to you all,
Z
Henrietta Wolfe
Sweet potatoes for a SWEETIE. I think about you all the time and check out all the articles on the internet. There have been so many but then that is not surprising. Enjoy your day with your friends and family.I will have some sweet potatoes and will think of you. Zenyatta, YOU ARE THE QUEEN OF HEARTS!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxxo
Pamela J Hebert
Happy Thanksgiving to you Zenny & Team Zenyatta. What a great treat sweet potatoes!! Just recieved my Bloodhorse Zenyatta commemorative edition-well done…great photo. I do so enjoy your posts…thank you Dottie. Enjoy this day of thanks & thank you for just being you gorgeous girl.
Tracy K
Happy Thankgiving Zenyatta and enjoy that sweet potato!
Ellen Zachary
Happy Thanksgiving Z….and to all of your family as well…I’ll be thinking of you when I have some sweet potatoes!! We DO all have so much to be thankful for…lovies, Ellen
Beverly
Happy Thanksgiving Team Zenyatta!!May you all be surrounded by lots of love and many blessings this holiday season! Keeping you all close to my heart and always in my prayers……..
Gloria
Happy Thanksgiving Big Mama Z, from Southern California! And Happy Anniversary! In today’s local newspaper, there’s an article in the sports page about who to give thanks to and John got a nice write up! The hard copy has a picture of you and him. So sweet! Here’s the link! Enjoy! Love you and the ‘Team!
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_16707820
Zenyatta forever
Thx Queen Z!! You are an inspiration and you are Horse of the Century to us, your fans. We miss you on the track and hope to see your foals making you proud! Happy thanksgiving to you and enjoy your sweet potatoes!!
We love you!!
xoxo
Shanna
Happy Thanksgiving Zenyatta!
Zenyatta forever
Happy Thanksgiving to Team Zenyatta too and thank you sooooo much for sharing her with us!!
Best of luck Queen Z!!
Arnie
From today’s Los Angeles Daily News:
Giving Thanks
John Shirreffs
It’s been quite a run for Zenyatta, the most popular American race horse of the past 50 years. Her adoring public lined up each morning in the Churchill Downs barn area during Breeders’ Cup week to catch a glimpse of their equine heroine, and many still show up daily at her Hollywood Park barn bearing gifts for the 6-year-old Street Cry mare and hoping to have their pictures taken with her.
It has all been made possible by Zenyatta’s trainer, John Shirreffs, who did what many horsemen would never have even considered — he has allowed Zenyatta’s fans to get up close and personal with her. In fact, he not only permitted it, he encouraged the fans to show their love. Shirreffs is a big part of the Zenyatta phenomenon, and the sport of kings owes him a debt of gratitude.
“It’s fantastic what Zenyatta means to the average fan,” he recently said. “So many people come by the barn at Hollywood Park just to see her, just to have their picture taken with her. She’s just special to so many people. Even we become fans. I’m her trainer, but I’m a fan.”
Not only Zenyatta’s fans, but the whole industry should give thanks for Shirreffs, a man so unassuming that oftentimes he stays out of the winner’s circle after one of his horses wins because he doesn’t want to detract from their performance. To Shirreffs, it’s all about the horse.
Now to be fair, Zenyatta’s gentle personality allowed her fans to get close and shower her with love. It never would have worked with a horse like the great John Henry, a mean old cuss who wouldn’t have tolerated such affection. It was just the way he was.
But Shirreffs helped cultivate the relationship between Zenyatta and her countless number of fans, and it’s a love affair we’re not likely to see again anytime soon.
— Art Wilson covers horse racing for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Robin Nelson
Happy Thanksgiving Team Z! Hope you have a wonderful day pretty girl!! Muah!! XOXO
Tamyatta
Hi my sweet darlin..I just read on NTRA that you went out for exercise and Steve said you wanted to BOOGIE! I wonder what mom, dad, Uncle John and Aunt Dottie thought when they heard that!! We know you’d rather blow them all out at the racetrack instead of “the other”, as I call it:) But I love you with all my heart no matter what and pray for your continued good health and safety. Today I’m thankful for my family, my country, my job, you and all who love you and care for you. P.S. time for a youtube appearance:)!
Dani
Happy Thanksgiving to Team Z. Thank you for thinking of us today. I am thankful that you, Zen, have made such a difference in my life. You are an angel sent to earth…
Carole
What a wonderful tribute to John Shirreffs, a great trainer and wonderful man, appearing in the Los Angeles Daily News. While we want to see Zenyatta voted 2010 Horse of the Year, we also would be very disappointed if John is not voted Trainer of the Year. Zenyatta is the greatest race horse that I have ever seen or will ever see and so much of that success is due to her having John as her trainer and owners like the Mosses who allowed her time to develop into the magical being that is Zenyatta.
Carolyn
Would have never thought to feed sweet potatoes to horses! Happy Thanksgiving to the whole Zenyatta crew!
Carole
I read that Zenyatta is still eager and that her exercise program had to be expanded — she has jogged and galloped on three consecutive days. According to Steve Willard she wanted “to boogie.”
Maria
Have a nice Thanksgiving Queen Z. Thank you for the fun and thrilling races that you gave us in the last 4 years. I love you.
nancy
Happy T-Day Z have a nice relaxing day injoy your sweet potatoes. Plase send warmest wishes to everyone else as well. Dec 5th is fast comming, just a little over a week. We still don’t want to see you go, I know we all wish you could just stay right here. But we know your looking forward to KY. Your the best Z we love you.
Marty
Happy Thanksgiving!!! Enjoy your sweet potatoes!
Deb
Happy Thanksgiving girly girl! You deserve a happy, restful day.
Edie Dickenson
Happy Thanksgiving, Zenyatta! I just read your “Final” Turn in Bloodhorse, and you and Dottie are so classy! All of you are! I am very thankful that it really isn’t final with you, just on to your next adventure!
Sue
Happy Thanksgiving, my sweet!!! And to all at the barn. .Bless you all!!
Michelle
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND THE WHOLE TEAM!!! You all are so amazing and truly the “good guys” of racing.
Fran
Happy Thanksgiving Z! I will have to try the sweet potatoes for our horse. I hope she likes them. I will tell her the idea is from you!
Penny
Happy Thanksgiving Zen! And thanks so much for sharing with us.
And Angel The Lady Donkey wishes you a great Thanksgiving, too.
Judy Gadwood/California
Thank you Zenny and Team Zenyatta! We are truly blessed for having you in our lives! I give special thanks for getting to be around you. You are beautiful inside and out XO
Love always!
Carolyn
Zenyatta, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your team! I am thankful for everything about you. You blessed us all with you your personality and abilities. I love reading your diary – Thank you.
Donna Powell
HAPPY THANKSGIVING BEAUTIFUL GIRL…..WE LOVE YOU AND “YOUR TEAM”. You’ve given us so many wonderful memories. See you Saturday.
Donna Frederick
Thanks to the Queen’s family – the Shirreffs, the Mosses, Mario and his wife for sharing her with us and making her the champion that she is.
Happy Thanksgiving to Zenyatta, her family, and all of her fans!
Sheila & Larry Ullmann SLU, Inc.
YOU are the most wonderful mare ever! What a contribution you have made to Thoroughbred Racing. Enjoy your retirement and
those SWEET POTATOES!