Last call to see the big mare.

[Grits]

On Dec. 6th, the day after her farewell event at Hollywood Park, Zenyatta's Tex Sutton jet will land at Lexington's BlueGrass Airport around 3:45 pm. She'll van straight to Keeneland. (That's a quick 5 minute ride down Man O War Blvd.) Her legion of fans will be able to see her one last time, in the paddock at 4:15pm.

This isn't difficult to reason on the part of Lane's End and her connections. Though Zenyatta may be a bit confused.

"How many more times we doin' this?"

Here's hoping for a beautiful late December afternoon and a great crowd. The days are getting shorter; one may need their flash.

For the future, I should add . . . glad I'm not the person who is in charge of Lane's End's Open House.:faint:

http://www.drf.com/news/zenyatta-parade-keeneland-dec-6

“In the future, fans wanting to see Zenyatta will need to check her website at zenyatta.com or at lanesend.com to see what her schedule might be while she is preparing for her second career as a broodmare,” the farm’s release said.

[andymays]

Trainer Barry Abrams and Zenyatta.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=967Exnk0zqU

[Grits]

Maybe she DID sleep at the foot of the Moss's bed.

We'll not ever know where she got such a rare gentleness about her--most likely, it was simply born to her. Things work that way sometimes.

She's a gift, and she will surely be missed. Surely so.

[Miss Disco]

That was lovely, Grits. Thanks for posting.
She seems as gentle as child's riding horse.

[joanied]

hey andy,

Glad you posted that video for all to see...now talk about trusting a horse...it was a wonderful thing to see. Just love it when you see a horse licking like she does all the time...when I was teaching my foals their lessons, once I got that lip licking it was like...tah-dah:jump:

Zenyatta is a true treasure, her gentle nature and sweetness goes way above most other gentle horses...
I beleive it was the enviornment...she was mentioned as quite a 'hussy' as a youngster...so I beleive the folks that were her life is why she became what she is...110% trustworthy with a heart she wears on her shirtsleeve (for lack of a better term)...and her intelligence enables her to feel more than most, that she was always aware of the people around her...and would be especially gentle and patient when a handicapped person was there to visit with her...

it was not just her race record, the 'streak' that endeared her to so many, it's her charisma, her 'dancing', her gentle almost other worldy manner...how could you not love a mare like this!!

[JustRalph]

Barry is wishing she would visit Unusual Heat............

great vid andy :ThmbUp:

[SmartyParty]

hey andy,

Glad you posted that video for all to see...now talk about trusting a horse...it was a wonderful thing to see. Just love it when you see a horse licking like she does all the time...when I was teaching my foals their lessons, once I got that lip licking it was like...tah-dah:jump:

Zenyatta is a true treasure, her gentle nature and sweetness goes way above most other gentle horses...
I beleive it was the enviornment...she was mentioned as quite a 'hussy' as a youngster...so I beleive the folks that were her life is why she became what she is...110% trustworthy with a heart she wears on her shirtsleeve (for lack of a better term)...and her intelligence enables her to feel more than most, that she was always aware of the people around her...and would be especially gentle and patient when a handicapped person was there to visit with her...

it was not just her race record, the 'streak' that endeared her to so many, it's her charisma, her 'dancing', her gentle almost other worldy manner...how could you not love a mare like this!!

Couldn't have said it any better, Joanie!

[Greyfox]

Great gesture. It wouldn't hurt horse racing to take her to NY and Florida too.

[Grits]

Sorry, I didn't recall Zenyatta's early days.:confused:

[joanied]

Couldn't have said it any better, Joanie!

Thanks:) SmartyParty... I got the Blood Horse magazine issue with the special supplement about Zenyatta...a lot of it was repeat stuff (which for some reason, I read again anyway:D ) but they also had some very inspirational things in there...how Zenyatta inspried so many handicapped folks to keep going, to try harder and that some children wanted to see her as their last wish...I'm getting goosebumps typing this...one woman was in a wheelchair, they told her chances of walking again were slim...some time later, she visited Zen at the barn again...and John Shireff's was amazed that this gal was out of her wheelchair....Zen was her inspiration.
Animals are amazing, what they can do for us, especially dogs and horses...and Zenyatta somehow has been given a special gift, she can inspire, she can somehow, just by being her, give some people with no hope the ability to go on, to fight, to never give up, and that is a true gift...one woman is terminally ill...her wish was to see Zenyatta before she dies, and when she visited, she was able to touch the great mare..this woman defied the doctors and said she was not going to die until she touched Zenyatta and that the mare gave her to strength to live long enough to do that...

how can anyone not realize what this mare has meant to so many...I doubt there will ever be another horse like her...it's as if she was created by the Good Lord to not just be a great race horse, but to be a source of incredible joy and inspiration to hundreds of people...and everyone should thank the Moss's and John Shireff's for sharing her with so many...
and I beleive she will continue to do this when she's at the farm, and I beleive she is going to be an incredible mother to her foals...maybe a good word to use in discribing what Zenyatta is, is simply...love.

[joanied]

Sorry, I didn't recall Zenyatta's early days.:confused:

No need to apologize...but, yep, they did say she was a bugger for a while...which many of them are as youngsters...she had folks 'breaking' her that were exceptional at what they do...but no one teaches a horse to be what she turned out to be...that occurs because she was surrounded by love and gentle hands...although, Grits, I think her gentle nature was there all the time, because the main reason the Moss's purchased her is because when they went back to see her again (at the sale), she laid her head on Ann's shoulder...that sealed the deal:ThmbUp: :) :ThmbUp:

[SmartyParty]

When she was at Churchill and I was lucky enough to be near her for one hour on that Wednesday before the Classic, it really was something else! Dottie and Ann Moss didn't leave the area. John Shirreffs was there with Steve Haskin and Michael Blowen hanging around. And her aura as she was grazing, sniffing people who'd u-turned on Longfield, looking right at you with those big beautiful incredible eyes ... She is, without a doubt, a gift. What a spirit she has. What love and what a love for life! It just comes through loud and clear!

[joanied]

SmartyParty.... You are one lucky sonofagun...I'd give a lot to spend 5 minutes with her... she shines.

I can't help but feel a saddness for her now...everything she's known will change...maybe they will allow Mario to stay at the farm for a week or so, to help her through this major change. Horses are generally good to adjust, but sometimes you get one that really doesn't deal with it well and will get 'depressed', until Mother Nature kicks in and the process of change begins...as time goes by what they once knew fades, but I also know that they never forget...so she will always have that lingering memory of the life she once knew.
I wish she didn't have to wait a year before foaling...her first baby will make her a very happy and content mare.

[Cratos]

SmartyParty.... You are one lucky sonofagun...I'd give a lot to spend 5 minutes with her... she shines.

I can't help but feel a saddness for her now...everything she's known will change...maybe they will allow Mario to stay at the farm for a week or so, to help her through this major change. Horses are generally good to adjust, but sometimes you get one that really doesn't deal with it well and will get 'depressed', until Mother Nature kicks in and the process of change begins...as time goes by what they once knew fades, but I also know that they never forget...so she will always have that lingering memory of the life she once knew.
I wish she didn't have to wait a year before foaling...her first baby will make her a very happy and content mare.

Joanied, I always enjoy reading your posts because while many of us talk handicapping on this forum, you talk HORSES and inform many us of what this game is about and it is HORSES.

[SmartyParty]

Joanie, what has helped me these last few weeks was when you talked about how mares are so happy and looked after very well with people that they bond with, etc. I know very little about this aspect of our industry so the more you'd like to share, the more relieved I'll feel about Zenyatta's new life. I love her so much and just want this next chapter to be another happy one.

[andymays]

Zenyatta a reminder to celebrate life By Barbara Livingston

http://www.drf.com/blogs/zenyatta-reminder-celebrate-life

[joanied]

Joanied, I always enjoy reading your posts because while many of us talk handicapping on this forum, you talk HORSES and inform many us of what this game is about and it is HORSES.

Thank you, cratos:) :blush: :)

[joanied]

Joanie, what has helped me these last few weeks was when you talked about how mares are so happy and looked after very well with people that they bond with, etc. I know very little about this aspect of our industry so the more you'd like to share, the more relieved I'll feel about Zenyatta's new life. I love her so much and just want this next chapter to be another happy one.

Thank you, SP:) ...be sure to read the article andymays put a link to in his post...thanks, andy...it's written by Barbara Livingston...a woman that's be around all the great ones, and her words about Zenyatta are as wonderful as her photographs...

Zen will be happy in her new life on the farm...broodmares are just so specail, and there is no doubt that the folks at Lane's End that care for the mares and foals will show Zen an incrediable amount of love.
I look foward to seeing video of her running through the pasture with her newborn beside her...and once you see that, SP, you will stop feeling sad and will find yourself smiling... a lot:ThmbUp:

[SmartyParty]

Joanie, I did read Barbara's article. She writes so well and, yes, Zenyatta has been a gift from God to all of us.

[Grits]

Zenyatta a reminder to celebrate life By Barbara Livingston

http://www.drf.com/blogs/zenyatta-reminder-celebrate-life

In all of the 120+ comments at Barbara's story on Zenyatta, one of her collegues, who also is an equine photographer, stated one of the shortest, finest compliments I've ever seen paid to her.

One that fits her to a T . . . because strut, she has . . . with an air of confidence and intelligence like no other racemare I've seen. She has rocked this sport and its fans everytime she has stepped on a racetrack. A fact than can never be taken for granted, not now as she retires.

Some won't remember the song, but many of us will. The Hollies came along quite some time before Sting.

Equine Paparrazi wrote:

In the words of the Hollies "That long cool woman had it all."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP94PlEtsEQ