Just thought I'd share some updates on the great racemare, Zenyatta. She was retired and sent here to KY on Dec 6th. I posted about it in another topic, but thought she deserved her own topic She won 19 races in a row, stakes races, and leads all horses in consecutive wins in the United States. She has won over $7,000,000, and is one of the most loved horses of modern days. She'll turn 7 years old on Jan 1st <All thoroughbreds age a year on Jan 1st reguardless of their birthdate>. I was at her final farewell on Dec 6th. She was flown in from California to Lexington, KY, put on a van and brought across the road to the racetrack, where she was brought out and paraded in the covered waling ring behind the sales pavillion <I spend a LOT of time here>. It was 17 degrees with a wind chill closer to 0, and over 1,200 fans came out to bid her farewell....it was very emotional for everyone.... Here's a video... BTW, anyone who has watched her race...the 'dance' is her trademark [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y6z0l811fI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y6z0l811fI[/ame] I was inside in the middle...it's always fun watching these videos and putting names to the faces of....the photographers LOL CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO.... Zenyatta has been hand walked for weeks in her new paddock....Yesterday she finally got some freedom. I think it's fare to say...she loves her new found freedom I admit, I was in tears watching this....Isn't she just beautiful? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PdIT-mxKOU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PdIT-mxKOU[/ame] Her owners, trainer/wife, groom/wife all came out fro Californai to see her yesterday, and watch her first romp in the paddock. The guy leading her out in the beginning is a friend of mine, he's the broodmare manager of the farm, he's really great with the horses. We live about 5 minutes from this farm, it's a beautiful farm, and one of the best in the world Fit for a Queen like Z! Actually the 'human' Queen did visit this farm too! She stayed there about 2 years ago Okay enough rambling Anyway, just thought I'd share...this video of her feeling some freedom was just too amazing not to share...
I caught the video of her turn out the other day, marvelous! I found some great pictures taken and put one on my desktop. What a mare...can't wait to hear about her first foal.
What a Beautiful mare Zenyatta is and what a race record,, can't wait to see and hear of who she will be breed to,, who ever it is,, the foal should be awesome to say the lest.. I enjoyed the video's and thank you for posting them,, we live through your pictures and my love for the horse is still there after having owned some years ago.... Betty
Thanks so much Betty, and I am glad you enjoyed the videos. Epona - weren't those pics amazing? Chances are the pics you seen were probably by Barbara Livingston or Anne from the bloodhorse. Barbara is a major horse photographer, she's the short haired one in the videos. I still can't get over her first turnout video. It's amazing seeing a horses reaction to their first time in turnout. I was at Old Friends <retirement home> in Georgetown KY last year visiting and a horse was being turned out for the first time. It was amazing. Just amazing seeing him galloping around kicking up his heels and feeling so good! Of course he had a rough life, and was on the track for almost 10 years, before he was rescued & retired. Big difference! But in the end, it's the same thing. Freedom.
Thank you for sharing....she is so beautiful....It's so nice to hear about all the happy career endings. :leap:
My sister is an artist and she has drawn Zenyatta to commemorate the year she retired. You can get an ornament or greeting cards with Zenyatta's portrait on it. I have the ornament and it's really so pretty! http://www.laurajsmith.com/zenyatta.htm My sister also did several beautiful portraits of Barbaro and with his owner's permission, she sells cards and protraits of him to raise money for the Fund to Fight Laminitis at The New Bolton Center in PA. (She doesn't make any profit on these. It all goes to the fund.) http://www.laurajsmith.com/greetcrd.htm FYI, her work is highly detailed. It is so much more impressive in person. The scanned in versions on the computer don't do it justice. But take a look at this baby! Doesn't it look like a photograph? http://www.laurajsmith.com/ella.htm
Man she is pretty! Cant wait to hear about a foal being born. In the second video she was really loving the freedom.
Katemary - Your sister has major talent! Those are gorgeous!!! Thanks for sharing! I am going to bookmark her site! I have a feeling Zenyatta may visit A.P. Indy this year. He's getting up there in age, and his fertility isn't what it used to be. He's a wonderful stallion and IMO if she were mine and pedigrees lined up the way I liked...no way would I send her to someone else first. Imagine the added value of that foal! Breeding season starts right around Valentine's day! So I'm guessing we'll hear an announcement soon! BTW, sometime after the new year they will be announcing plans to allow fans to come see her! This is very RARE for any mare. Usually once they are off to the farm to start their new career, you don't get to see them again. Rachel Alexandra's owner is going to do the same thing! But he wanted to wait and announce it after the new year, and he didn't want Zenyatta fan's think he was doing it to overshadow/mess with Zenyatta's recent retirement. But plans have been in the works for her fans to see her, and this is exciting as I adore Rachel! Barbaro..... imagine what he could have done and what kind of stallion he'd be. I'll never get over his death, or Eight Belles. I have a beautiful headshot of Barbaro on my wall, as well as one I took of Eight Belles, and a great sprinter named, Lost in the Fog. Fogy was an amazing horse who died after being diagnosed with a football sized tumor near his back. They had no idea until he went downhill. This horse was winning big races and running in big races with that thing in him! So heartbreaking..... I got to see Barbaro. In fact, he was my favorite for the Kentucky Derby in 06. I remember going by the barn and he was standing there with his head poked out just looking around. I went up to the track and waited for him to come up for his morning stroll. He strolled up so laid back, and went around the track once. They took him back towards the tunnel, so I raced around to the paddock and watched him come through the paddock. It was soooo beautiful. I wish I didn't have a lousy camera Okay, camera wasn't lousy, but somehow I had it set on the lowest settings so I got low quality pics...grrrr... I'll never forget that morning though. Then that following day - Saturday- Old Friends who I mentioned earlier <retirement home> was doing a demonstration with a horse they have that was in the Seabiscuit movie <Popcorn Deelites>, and guess who strolled by? Barbaro. I kept whispering to my horsey friends who were there 'Look there's Barbaro" but I didn't want to take all the attention away from the demonstration that was underway. Barbaro strolled by that crowd, and most folks didn't even know it was him. There were a LOT of people there, and he didn't flinch as the crowd parted so he and his rider could get through and go into the saddling area before going out onto the track. I kick myself all the time for not taking pics of him coming towards us. The paddock at our local track is soooo beautiful, especially in the spring, and I wish I had captured a moment of his beauty that morning, with the way the sun was coming up the lighting was so beautiful. When Barbaro broke down....OMG it was like a nightmare. I had lost my mother exactly one week before, and I really needed a 'lift me up' when he broke through that starting gate early in the Preakness, I just knew the outcome wasn't going to be good. I kept thinking...don't put him back in. What was even more strange was the fact, within the same few days as Barbaro's death....my mother received her headstone. Ok enough with the sad stories! I do get carried away, hehe.... OH... here's another video. Zenyatta being sold as a yearling for only $60,000. Look how big she was even as a yearling! I attend this sale and the others at this place all the time. Ironically the last time she was at Keeneland before the farewell sendoff...was when she was a yearling being sold. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP8VFLO25Q4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP8VFLO25Q4[/ame] All those people not paying attention in the seats.... they sure missed out didn't they?
I was watching that preakness, and my heart just sunk when Barbaro crashed through the gate. And then it broke when he was pulled up. What a horse, and what a loss. I was watching Eight Belles as well, cheering that gutsy filly all the way to her second place capture. Another great loss for the industry and for horseman everywhere. I think AP Indy is a good match for Zenyatta.
