Zenyatta

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Zenyatta News

Zenyatta In Foal To War Front

Zenyatta, April 2013. Photo by Kyle Acebo
Zenyatta, April 2013. Photo by Kyle Acebo

Happy Friday!

We are proud to announce that, as of today, Zenyatta is confirmed thirty-seven days in foal.

She was bred earlier this year to the Claiborne Farm stallion War Front. Zenyatta was examined by Dr. Holder this week, and checks out to be happily in foal and in excellent health!

Wishing sunny weather and a happy Father’s Day everyone this weekend!

-Team Z

Reader Interactions

1,114 Comments

  1. / Reply

    Awww how precious:):) makes my heart warm and happy!:) we need some more pics of her current baby though!?!

  2. / Reply

    Wishing Zenyatta a healthy and happy foal and easy pregnancy. Congratulations to all her connections!

  3. / Reply

    Congratulations to Queen Z and the Shirreffs! Good news for all of us…. may her term be easy, healthy, and happy!

    • / Reply

      Zenyatta quite obviously loves her role being a mom…she relishes it, she’s very good at it. Her face just glows as she is so kissy with them. She’s not “just another broodmare,” she quite possibly could someday be a “Broodmare of the Year”, like her dam, Vertigineux. She quite possibly may be building a legacy like some of the really great racemares, like Pretty Polly, who was not only successful on the track, but was so successful at stud that she has her own line. The ease with which Zenyatta has gone through her first two pregnancies — Z13 was 140 lbs — and yet she couldn’t have been more perfect and handled it with ease. Zenyatta is remarkable in so many ways, and she continues to carry the sport whenever her name is mentioned. Her amazing nearly 126,000 fans on her Facebook page continues to confound and astonish her doubters and skeptics, as it keeps adding more and more fans with each passing day. She has been off the track for nearly 3 years, and yet her popularity is still growing as if she were still racing. The most important thing to me is knowing that Zenyatta is blissfully happy being a mom…it could not be more obvious that she likes having a foal at her side. Long live the Queen!! Queen Z!

  7. / Reply

    Mixed thoughts here.. It’s great news Z and baby are healthy. But I really hope Z isn’t going to be a breeding factory until she breaks down for u all. I hope she and baby stay healthy.

      • / Reply

        Most mare love having their foals. Some mare just won’t catch and will only get in foal every other year or so. Their bodies know what they need. We had a mare that would get in foal 2 years in a row and then not the third, she repeated this for 6 foals. Since she was not bred the first tiime till she was 8, after the 6th foal she did not get in foal for 3 years in a row, so she just enjoyed being a great barn buddy. She enjoyed turn our and lots of love the rest of her life, but she would watch the other mares and foal each spring as if she was the proud Aunt. So we called her Aunt Rose . Her real name was Rosenimage. :)

    • / Reply

      Jennifer,
      This has been a concern for many of her fans, please excuse the not so kind remark made by Ann Maree. It is all based on equine physiology. Horses are bred in the wild
      every year, their bodies normally will not become pregnant when it is not
      a good thing/healthy for them. Many broodmare’s spend a year or two
      “barren”. Zenny is a very good at everything she does and one year she
      will not get pregnant because her body says so. Very different from humans.

      Thanks for the concerned comment.

      • / Reply

        “Excuse the not so kind remark”!? Kind of like the pot calling the kettle black, wouldn’t you say?

      • / Reply

        My so called “unkind” remark was right on point. It is especially a dumb thing to say in a private blog managed by owners who so generously share their treasure with all of Z’s fans. I am not one bit interested in being kind to people who are themselves unfeeling and unkind in pointing fingers and voicing such wrong-headed opinions, and basically spitting in the eye of our benefactors. I would hate to lose all that we have through the generosity of the Mosses, the Shirreffs, and all those amazing folks at Lane’s End. If people want to criticize, there are plenty of venues more appropriate, such as the Forum. Keep Zenny’s blog for more positive expressions of our love and support of Z and her connections.

        I am not saying people shouldn’t have their own opinions, just suggesting you consider expressing those opinions if they are critical in a more appropriate venue, not in Zenyatta’s “home”.

        Just a suggestion: before you go expressing a negative opinion, think about phrasing your thought in the form of a question that is respectful and mindful of where you are. There are many here who are more than willing to take the time and share their knowledge with anyone who asks in a nice way. JMHO

        • AMEN ANN!!!

          My grandmother always said “closed mouth catch no flies” meaning you learn a lot more with your mouth SHUT and LISTEN. There are scads of experienced horse folks on here and all are willing to share with anyone who wants to learn. But if someone does not want to learn, they should go somewhere else. There are hundreds of thousands of websites and blogs out there… maybe you can go learn about hockey or bituminous coal or…

  9. / Reply

    Why is it sad that she is relegated to a broodmare. Do you want to continue to run her? She is young and healthy. We need great mares to produce great foals. Do you want her to just stand and do nothing?

      • / Reply

        So you would have her rot in a field with no stimulation, no foal to care for and lavish her love upon very little human interaction?

        Sounds pretty selfish of you.

        • Not to mention her having to watch other mares and their foals while she has none.

        • Zenyen

          One year she will be barren and then she will have a blistful
          year of hanging out with the girls, getting pedicures and eating
          bon bon’s. It is only a matter of equine time.

        • Bon bons?

          No, she will have a very quiet year when she is left open.

          She will be moved away from the mares she knows as her friends and shifted to a part of the farm she has not yet seen. She will have to adapt to a new routine and a new group of ‘friends’ which granted, she is a good natured mare so she’ll adapt.

          For that year she will shuffle between her stall and a field. She will be given base line vet care to ensure her reproductive system remains healthy and I am sure the Mosses will visit her but not much beyond that.

          When the spring comes she will hear and smell the other mares and their foals while she has none at her side.

          For a horse like Zenyatta it will be a very long, dull couple of years.

        • Zenyen,

          Horses love to be out in a field and just being a horse, they adapt
          very quickly to new friends and your are projecting human emotions
          onto a horse.

          The Mosses and everyone will visit her just as they always have,
          they are visiting Zenyatta not necessarily her foals; the foals
          are an extra added prize that she is creating.

  10. / Reply

    Dear Z Fans:

    Well, it’s official. God Bless are Queen and her new little one (maybe a Princess this time). Love and Hugs, JB

  11. / Reply

    Dear Mama Z, COZ, Prince 2 and Z Peanut:

    Goodnight. Sweet Baby Dreams. Love you all so much. Hugs, JB

  12. / Reply

    Dear Zenny,
    What exciting news. I am SO happy for you and all of your connections. It was just a few posts ago when we heard “your Charles” talk about how happy you were to have a new foal at your side when the little red prince was born, and now we know that you can look forward to another one. Like many others here, I’m hoping that War Front delivered the goods for a filly – I think it’s time. I hope to SEE him in the very near future – I’ll give him a pet for you if I can (who knows what they allow?). Lots of love to you, Coz, and LRP.
    Your Ohio friend,
    Sandy

  14. / Reply

    Dear Z Fans:

    Congrats to beautiful Paynter. He won his race at Hollywood today by 4 and 1/2 lengths. God Bless you beautiful boy. Here’s the replay. You may have to click on the date (14) and the track (Hollywood) Race 7. At one point, the track announcer’s voice broke with emotion. Love and Hugs, JB

    http://www.calracing.com/live-video/replays/

      • / Reply

        But… he won? Easily? With his ears going all over and his head held high? Any chance you even watched the race? Otherwise you seem to be making a statement on having 0 facts.

      • / Reply

        SussanL- YOU have NO idea what you are talking about. You do NOT know Paynter, I DO! He WANTS to run, he LOVES it. He was under a hand ride and pulling away. He came back to the winners circle full of himself with his ego even larger than it was before. I have spent many days with Paynter, watching his gallops, his breezes, his demeanor cooling out, in his stall and reported to Mr. Zayat at his request. I have taken countless photos of him and sent them to his owner. I see him roughly every 2 weeks to check on him. This colt looks BETTER than he did in the Belmont last year, let alone the Haskell. His demeanor in the saddling barn today was alertness, bright eyed, and looking around. In the paddock he was alert, looking yet contained. When Rafael was legged up, Paynter wanted to jog out. There is NO reason to retire a horse that wants to run. If you knew him, you would NOT even think that he should be retired

        • Thanks for your eye witness report, Casey! You make us feel like we were there too. Love that caring owner, Mr. Zayat. High hoof to him and to Paynter.

        • Thanks, Casey — so informative, and “from the horses mouth”, so to speak!

        • Thanks for your reports, Casey, and I love your photos. Looking foward to more on Paynter soon. I thought the same thing, that when he burst out of the starting gate, he looked like one very happy horse! He was having fun. This is what they are bred for. I watched a video recently of I’ll Have Another at Big Red Farm racing up and down the fence row with his neighbor in the adjoining paddock. I mean, they were running at breakneck speed, enjoying themselves. Some of the most beautiful footage on video is Secretariat at 12 absolutely jumping for joy, just running for the sheer fun of it. And, I recall with a great deal of pleasure and joy the video of Zenyatta when they “turned her out” in December of 2010, she was whinnying and running in the snow. I cried tears of joy at knowing she was going to be able to make the transition from the track to her new status very easily and that she was going to be happy. I have not seen one thing since then that would cause me to change my mind, that she is cared for, loved, and she gives that love back to her Ann and her Jerry, and to her foals. Here is a link to that video, 12/20/2010, for those who might not have seen it: http://youtu.be/3PdIT-mxKOU

  15. / Reply

    Congratulations to our Queen! I’d heard rumors of her having a ‘date’ with War Front, but it’s nice to have it confirmed. Zenny is such a great mom. I hope I get to see her new boyfriend when I go to Claiborne next week.

    @Stretchrun – I’m still laughing about your comment about Z and Blame. Too cute!

    @Diana Stuart – Best of luck with riding Hoot. I’m sure you’ll do just fine. I have faith in you!

    Congratulations to Paynter! What an amazing, inspiring boy he is.

  17. / Reply

    Zenyatta, Oh, you are such a beautiful Queen Mama. You have the nose I would love to kiss over and over and over.
    So you had a date with War Front and didn’t get my permission! hah hah just kidding
    Believe me, War Front is an awesome thoroughbred to have chosen to date. You have my approval Zenyatta. It is not that I own you or anything but I’m your Auntie!!ha
    Dottie and Ann and Jerry I am sure spent hours to make sure you had the right date.
    I am excited for all involved and you look happy Z.
    I am glad it is months off because I do not want to start pacing and pacing just yet.

    Thank you Team Z and Ann & Jerry for sharing this most precious wonderful news!!!!

    I LOVE you over n over n over too
    Hugs n kisses on your soft nose, some for your boyz too
    Auntie Sally B

  18. / Reply

    Way to go, Paynter. What a comeback. I’m in tears and breathing a sigh of relief.

    RIP dear Miss Robyn, who went down in race 4. Just awful Condolences to those who love her RIP, dear one.

    • / Reply

      Dear Barbara,
      I didn’t know about Miss Robyn either. So sad — another gone too soon.
      Condolences to all connections.
      RIP Miss Robyn

  21. / Reply

    Have just read all pages …
    Zenny and Team Z…so happy for you…have a calm and safe 10 more months or so…
    ….
    Everyone has an opinion …and I respect that….I have only one little bone to pick…
    there is no such thing as ” just a broodmare”….it is easily THE most important job in breeding…no broodmares equals no foals…IMO
    ….
    Ann Moss loves Zenny….nothing will happen to Z that is not in her very best interests…
    anyhow…
    ….
    wasn’t Paynter great….he has the will of a champion…congrats to team P
    ….
    Has anyone heard any more about PoE or OFB….worried for them both..
    ….
    Zenny kisses the boys for me…
    rest sleep exercise eat…check on Coz schedule for school…keep teaching Red the basics ….and for us worriers….PACE…PACE…PACE…

    • / Reply

      Paynter, I’ll say one more thing. I pray for all horses to come home safely from races. But I lift you up as because of your serious Internal Problems and Laminitis of the past.
      I can’t watch you race but always know your very very strong always in my prayers.

  24. / Reply

    While it is nice that you all give Zenyatta a good life; she has also have you a good life, how about letting her keep one of her babies!

  25. / Reply

    While it is nice that you all give Zenyatta a good life; she has also gave you a good life, how about letting her keep one of her babies!

    • / Reply

      “letting her keep one of her babies” —- and what would she do with him?

      Young colts become young wannabe stallions very early; the hormones start kicking in. They get rowdy and rough. They need proper training and discipline and rules to follow. At that age they learn easily and they are a bit easier to handle than if they were biggter and older. Also, you would not want one of Zenny’s boys to try breeding her… which they would do if left with her.

      Weaning is a normal part of the process… it’s rather like sending a child off to kindergarten and grade school. They have life lessons to learn and Mom’s part gets handed off to someone else who knows how to do the next step.

      After a certain point a mare’s milk isn’t very important to the system of a growing youngster. And lactation does pull some mares down. Weaning at 5-6 months is typical and gives both mare and foal the best opportunity for adaptation to the next phase.

      Horses aren’t people… even though we have chatted with Zenny and read her diary, it was through a translator (Dottie etc.). We’ve had great fun with this but— this most wonderful of mares is still, bottom line, a HORSE, a most magnificent and accomplished horse, but a horse just the same, with typical needs and instincts. She’s lucky to be in the hands of such great owners and managers.

      Tune in tomorrow for the next lesson in broodmare and foal management…

      And instead of griping at “too much breeding,” go donate or contribute in some way to a horse or animal rescue. And DO visit a breeding farm whenever you can. There are breeders in just about every state in the US, and certainly all over the UK; I think if you can pay a visit you can better understand the routines, rhythms, and rules of horse breeding.

      *****
      Paynter, you’re fabulous, as are ALL your connections. When you have owners like the Mosses and the Zayats to show the way, you are seeing the finest.

  28. / Reply

    War Front at Claiborne Farm! That means my previous therio Charlie Scoggins bred Zenyatta! Woo Hoo! They (and Zenyatta) are soooooo lucky to have Charlie. Absolutely the very best therio around. Congrats Zenyatta and her team!!!

  30. / Reply

    I am happy for our girl, War Front and the Moss’s, but still waiting for her to be bred to Einstein…Please keep him in mind…I believe he will be a great sire and more beautiful than any of the three(3) she has already been bred to…Again, just a thought…:-)…;=)))

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