Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Zenyatta News

Dr. Holder Talks Z

New paddock mates! Photo by Alys Emson/Lane's End
Look, new paddock mates! Photo by Alys Emson/Lane’s End

Happy Thursday!

Zenyatta and her Tapit colt have new paddock mates at Lane’s End. Alys snapped the first photo of the group, and we’ll post some more once the little ones get to know each other.

We have an video interview to share today. Dr. Holder, who was present at the April 1st foaling, met up with us at Lane’s End the following day to talk about Zenyatta. You’ll also see a sneak peak of our footage from the night of the foaling—there’s more of that to come along with our next round of video interviews!

Photo by Alys Emson
Photo by Alys Emson

Enjoy!
-Team Z

Reader Interactions

1,025 Comments

  1. / Reply

    Happy Mother’s Day Zenyatta!!! (Will you be having brunch somewhere special?) And of course to all the other four legged/two legged mothers everywhere. Depressed about Hollywood Park, but delighted to wish our Queen the best on her Day! I’m starting backwards, will review comments in a bit. Thanks LE and Team Z, you never cease to amaze me and bring a smile to my face. I think I quickly saw a few birthdays in here, so as not to miss anyone, Happy Birthday to all. :-) May you all have happy celebrations.

    Request, if I may, for you North Carolinians: in a couple of weeks I will be vacationing in NC, visiting friends who live in the mountains, closest town is Boone. Any advice on sites to see? (keeping mind I am not athletic, LOL.) Thanks in advance.

    Hoofray for Orb, but what a muddy Derby. So happy all came out well. Onward to the Preakness! Very nice for all the “firsts” for Orb’s connections. WELL DESERVED!

    Happy Saturday everyone, especially to you, Zenyatta and your two sons!!

    • / Reply

      I would go see Boone. Beautiful city, good shopping, good good. I would also go see the Builtmore house if you haven’t already. The grounds are beautiful and the garden is something to see when in full bloom.

    • / Reply

      Sadness about HWP – the Dumplings may have to retire !!
      Santa Anita is the great race place, hope that helps.

      Enjoy your trip to NC, one of the most beautiful states
      in the US.

    • / Reply

      Dear Anne from Paramount,
      You will enjoy the Western North Carolina area for sure! Boone and Blowing Rock are lovely places. Also, in that general area: Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, Linville Caverns in Linville, and basically, anywhere on the Blue Ridge Parkway, including surrounding areas. Yes, by all means, take in Asheville (birthplace/hometown of Thomas Wolfe) if you can — The Biltmore Estate is fabulous (former home of the George Vanderbilt family). There are lots of little towns sprinkled around this area. You might like Grandfather Mountain, also.
      Have a wonderful time on your visit to the “Tarheel State”!! Hugs

    • / Reply

      About Hollywood Pk., yeah, I was shocked to read that the Shireffs are leaving CA, what’s going to happen to all their horses, and Mario and all connected with the old Team Z?? What’s going to happen to the Shirreffs??
      I mean people always comment on the Z’s behavior and the way she carries herself, doesn’t a lot of that reflect Mr. Shirreffs’ influence on her? Too sad, really!!

      • / Reply

        Mr Shirreffs has taken some thirty horses with him to Belmont, including of course Eblouissante, whose owner Mr Kronfeld lives in New York–I’m sure he will be happy to have her close by. Mario and his wife Carmen have gone to Belmont with John and will continue to take care of Ebby. Some of John’s staff are still at HP taking care of horses that didn’t move east–we will see where they go when HP closes forever at the end of this year. John did say he would come back for racing at Santa Anita, and it was a false rumor that the Shirreffses had put their home in Arcadia up for sale. Certainly it is sad to see the end of Hollywood Park. We wish the Shirreffses both all the best and hope we’ll continue to get to see them out here in So Cal at least part of the year. Maybe other Dumplings can add more specific information.

  2. / Reply

    Zenyatta; You will always be the Queen of Racing but you have shown me you are a sweet, caring, nurturing Queen MAMA of two gorgeous colts!
    I would be so tickled for you if you see Ann & Jerry tomorrow!
    Happy Mothers Day wishes for you Zenyatta with many kisses on your soft nose, a gentle hug around your neck and a pat on your awesome hindquarter!!
    lovenkisses to Z, Coz and 13z Auntie Sally B

    I am extending warmest wishes to all the mothers on the blog; Happy Mothers Day.
    hugs!

  3. / Reply

    happy mother’s day to everyone in Zenyatta blog-land who has nurtured and/or rescued a living being, may you be blessed always.

  5. / Reply

    Happy Mom’s Day to all appropriate …
    esp. to you….Zenny…your boys are very different but both gorgeous …
    Coz …you are growing up so fast…off to prep school soon…when there be sure to remember all Mama Z taught you….
    Red….learn the lessons from your SuperMom well…enjoy every minute spent with her
    …..
    hugs around

  6. / Reply

    Hi Zenny, Happy Mother’s Day To You!!
    Love The New Photos With You & 13Z And Your New Friends Too, Hope You All Have Lots Of Fun Together!! Awwww Zenny, Your Little Boy Is Absolutely Adorable, Love Him & Love You Too!!!!! Plus Enjoyed The Video, Thanks For Sharing It!!!!

  7. / Reply

    Hello, all–Just checking in. Happy Mother’s Day to all, whether you have children, animals, or both.

    @Anne from Paramount–thought I’m not in NC, if you can make it down to Asheville, a visit to the Biltmore Estate is a must. Hugs.

  8. / Reply

    dear Kathy R Idont know if you will see this message but I am sure I speak for many who miss your regular posts from down under I know you feel hurt and may need time to heal I do hope you will reconsider and start posting one day again will always keep you in my thoughts and prayers I have no one to send my lovely welsh rain to anymore!!! God bless love and hugs sheena

    • / Reply

      Dear Kathy R.:

      I agree with Sheena. Hope you will continue to post and be a part of Z’s fan family. We miss hearing from you. Hugs, JB

  12. / Reply

    Happy Mother’s Day Zenyatta! So great to see you and 13Z looking so great. Enjoy your day and I hope you get lot’s of yummy treats and nose kisses & your precious baby as well. :)

  13. / Reply

    To lovely Queen Z:
    HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! Enjoy your day with friends and Baby 13Z — hope you get some yummy treats, too!

    To all Z’sters:
    HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! Hope everyone has a lovely day with their two-legged and/or four-legged families.
    All the Best with lots of hugs

    • / Reply

      I gave Katie from my lesson barn a big hug today. She had one foal waaaayyyy back when (before I was even riding at the barn) because she never was really “ready” I guess, to be a mom. So, my trainer’s husband had gotten a free covering deal from one of the local studs that his friend had offered him. Trainer was not excited, but her husband was all gung-ho about it, so they bred them. Katie produced a filly that was tiny tiny tiny! My trainer had to wait until Katie’s filly was almost 3 years old before she could be ridden and trained because she was so small, but that filly was never sick or lame a day in her life. The one pregnancy that took, and Katie produces an iron filly. The filly was sold to a good family, and she is in her late teens now, and takes the trails like a mare half her age. She’s a real trooper. That was Katie’s only baby, and we thought she would be too small to ride, but she turned out to be one heck of a mare. That family is very lucky. I credit that to Katie’s iron will being “stuck” on her genes. When she doesn’t want to do something, come heck or high water, she won’t do it and vice versa; when she really wants to do something, there isn’t much you can do to stop her, and her filly is the same way. Old age or not, she refuses to slow down. Now Katie mothers the little girls that are learning to ride. She is providing an excellent background for the up and comers in the riding world. That’s my horsey Mother’s Day story. :-) Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

  14. / Reply

    Thank you Lane’s End. What Great pictures and enjoyed the video. I always share with the children.
    Happy Mother’s day Zenyatta. You are a Great Mom. I love you, Cozmic One and Baby Z. Love, Shari XXXOOO

  15. / Reply

    Speaking of mothers, does anyone know if Tasty accepted this years foal? Another question, when a mare becomes a nurse mare, what becomes of her foal?

    • / Reply

      Lots of discussion about that….the nurse mare for RA13 is Ojas…her foal is being hand raised ….Ojas is a professional at this….and comes from a reputable farm…

  16. / Reply

    Didn’t see this posted yet: Bill Dwyre – Hollywood Park’s ghost of a chance casts pall on Southland racing. He points out the role Indian Casinos had in killing the adding of slot machines at HP.

    Talking to my brother this morning, he pointed out that back East, the tracks do have slots to help support them, while in Calif. tracks don’t, and that the better money enabled out-of-state people to snatch up a lot of Calif. claimers years ago, against the interests of Calif. racing. This was news to me, and I can’t verify the accuracy, but perhaps others more experienced with racing here, can comment (like TC).

    http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0511-dwyre-20130511,0,6808499.column

  17. / Reply

    Dear Zenyatta,

    Happy Mothers Day!
    Thank you, because you are one in a million!
    Hugs and kiss!
    Love you! Ingrid.

    Z fans to all big hugs! Happy Mothers Day!
    Ingrid.

  18. / Reply

    Dear Z, COZ and Little Red Prince:

    Goodnight. Sweet Dreams. Love Ya. Hugs, JB

  20. / Reply

    I’m posting this in the late afternoon on May 11, 2013 and this is the 318th comment.
    Don’t any one try to tell me that Zenyatta’s popularity is going away any time soon.

    Love You Miss Zenyatta, you are still the Queen of our Hearts. Happy Mother’s Day
    to you and all your Mare Mamas.

  22. / Reply

    @Pati, Marshall (NC Broad) and Tracy F, thanks so much for your comments and suggestions about Boone and surrounding territory. Much appreciated!! :-) will pass these along to my friends. Years ago on a motor home trip back east to visit family and friends we traveled on Blue Ridge Parkway. Beautiful. I think we may be having a picnic somewhere along the way there one day. I’ll be there for about a week.

    Re the remarks by Dr. Holder, above at one point on a lark, I clicked on the close captions. I know these are done in real time, sometimes making the results inadvertently funny—just how it happens when there’s no time to edit, but it sure can change the content or be very confusing. I used to work with some people who were deaf or hard of hearing and they ran into this a lot.

    Between my two posts today our refrigerator door fell off!! Really. I told Rod earlier in week it was “resistant” to closing, so he realigned the bottom drawers, but that did not last long. There I was holding this door to a wide open fridge! Yes, TC, we know about duct tape—in fact, later several people asked us if that is what we did. Well, Rod at first tried to get it back in it holes on his own (with my pushing, pulling as he directed from the floor (yes, from the floor TC), but after a half hour (at least) it became clear that was not working. FORTUNATELY we have another fridge, so I transferred all –make that shoved– all from one fridge to another-and my oh my–the stuff one finds when the fridge is cleared out. Well, the stuff we found….did not know how really crowded it had become. I do wonder what went on in the back on bottom shelf. Nah, won’t go there (as we obviously had not for a while…) We then called Martin’s office (he had come before several yrs ago on another fridge matter) learned he had left at noon, so an app’t was made for Mon.am. That is when the food transfer began. THEN Rod thought of a friend who is very handy, called him and within the hour Skeeter (yes, TC, Skeeter) was here, spent an hour or more on what he thought would be a “five minute” job. He is a TALKATIVE person, all the while figuring out what goes where. We kind of got a refrigerator travelogue as he worked. So, I ask you all now, did you know refrigerators are ambidextrous? Ours now opens from the left side when before it was from the right. As I eyeballed the other fridge I saw that it is left handed, Skeeter said all fridges can work either way. Hmm…never knew this before. The new things we learned in one afternoon….

    Rod had been planning to cook, but after that we went out for a quick bite. We’ll see how it holds up through tomorrow to see if we still need to keep that Mon appointment. (With a 59.95 service charge. All we gave Skeeter was an adult drink.) So far so good. We do have plans to go to Hollywood Park tomorrow (won’t be able to say that for much longer) so we’ll see how it is when we get home.

    It will be good to talk to other track rats tomorrow. Last year many of us found it very therapeutic to talk, laugh and even scream the day after I’ll Have Another got scratched. That’s what you call a LARGE group therapy session!

    Before I sign off, I MUST say hello to Coz! Hi baby! Much love to you and yours, Zenyatta!!

    • / Reply

      Dear Anne,
      Loved your refrigerator story! Thanks for sharing — hope the left-handed door position continues to work. I think it will, but then I am a lefty!!
      Take care and Hugs

  23. / Reply

    Zenyatta – Happy Mothers Day!
    I am sure that Coz and Z13 are proud of you and your Mothering skills. You are a Natural!

    There is so much love for you from all over the States & World.

    You are one very very SPECIAL mare.

    Again, Happy Mothers Day!
    XOXO

  24. / Reply

    Thanks Z Team and Lane’s End for new photos and video — these updates are our link to our Zenyatta, her foals and life on the farm. It is so difficult to find out anything about horse racing and the thoroughbreds — so little media coverage and not many web sites either. Zenyatta.com gives us the opportunity to follow the events in Z’s life, but the forums also provide so many tidbits of information that help educate us on thoroughbred breeding and the sport of horse racing. I learn something new about great champions and memorable moments in the sport when I browse the forum topics — I often follow up with web searches looking for more on the subject.

    Thank you, again, for keeping us up to date and sharing Zenyatta with all of us. Looking forward to more about Z and 13Z and our big guy, Coz!

    Happy Mothers Day to our Queen Zenyatta and all of the Moms who are on the Z team!

    Betty In Tampa
    (bleubetty)

  25. / Reply

    Dear Zenyatta,
    Happy Mothers Day! Your two beautiful sons are wonderful blessings for you and all of us, your forever fans. Love you forever, my angel. I have been blessed with one wonderful, beautiful daughter and three wonderful grandchildren, and of course one great son-in-law. And also this Mothers Day is the 13th anniversary of the day my beloved little dog Chupy came to live with us. She was cruelly dumped out at our place May 12, 2000. She was cold, wet, bruised, skinny and scared to death. I took her in, fed her, comforted her, let her sleep with me the first night on the couch, and we quickly bonded and totally fell in love. My Chalupa, a little fox terrier has brought so much joy and richness to my husband and me. She is now old and showing signs of declining, cant hear or see well anymore. We love her very much and it is breaking our hearts to see her declining. Happy Mothers Day to all. Love to all.

    • / Reply

      Happy Mother’s Day, Darlene. I hope your dear Chupy can be with you yet a good long time before you have to let her go to the Rainbow Bridge. Hugz, and pats for Chupy.

    • / Reply

      Dear Delrene:

      Very sad to see them failing. Remember all the joy. Love and Hugs,JB

    • / Reply

      Dear Darlene and husband,
      Prayers for you and Chalupa! Inspite of some loss of faculties, your sweet Chupy knows that she is loved very much. Hope she thrives for quite some time. The first dog that I remember, as a child, was a fox terrier. I was about 3 (I think) and there are pictures of me with Rags. He was a sweetheart.
      Take care and enjoy your sweet little girl! Hugs

  26. / Reply

    deardarlene such a loving postchupy has had a wonderful life with you just imagine if you hadn’t found her happy mother’s day to all ofyou moms on the blog especially to a certain special mother we all know and love hope she’s having lots of treats!!!love and hugs sheena

  27. / Reply

    I hope that this special Sunday brings happiness to all especially those of you that are Mothers. I will spend just a few hours with my Mom today. Mom is recovering from her first chemo treatment. It was a bit hard on her and she needs to rest. The next round is in about 10 days. We can’t have a family dinner or take her out because she can’t eat much. I think we can clean up the house for her and wash the car. When she completes the chemo and recovers from the surgery that follows we will celebrate big time. Heck maybe I can bring her to the other sunny state and meet my Dumpling friends. I think a trip in November could just work out.
    Happy Mothers Day to all.
    HMD Big Z best horse ever

    • / Reply

      Best wishes for you and your mom, Sue, and we So Cal-ers would all love to meet you both in November. Hugz and Mother’s Day blessings.

    • / Reply

      We had a good day. I was so tried from cleaning I dozed off for a bit on the floor. My Mom was watching a ball game. She really loves baseball. Me not so much. Anyway thanks for all the well wishes.

    • / Reply

      Dear Sue,
      All the very best wishes to your mother — prayers for strength and healing, too.
      Enjoy each other for a good long time. Hugs

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