Forget HOY. Zenyatta is the HOML!

[Giant Oak]

Well, it's the next day and, to my surprise, the sun did rise this morning (although for some reason it was an hour off). And the excitement and, yes, disappointment, from yesterday is starting to mellow.

And now the discussion inevitably turns to HOY. Blame will probably get it, and if so, he would be a deserving winner. But Zenyatta might get it, and if so, how can you deny her? (And believe me, the purpose of this thread is NOT to have that debate here. There are other threads for that.)

But a thought occurred to me this morning. Zenyatta is, undoubtedly, the HOML (Horse Of My Life)! That is a totally personal statement of course, and said as much on an emotional, subjective level as on an objective level. She just excited me, and thrilled me, and affected me, more than any other horse in my lifetime.

And my lifetime is pretty long. I grew up in Louisville, and started going to the track in the mid-1950's. I think I attended every Kentucky Derby from 1957 to about 1980, so I saw some great ones, including the immortal Secretariat. I was even fortunate enough to be at Belmont on that day in 1977 when Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown.

But somehow, no horse ever reached in and grabbed me like Lady Z. The first time I even heard of her was when I stumbled across the YouTube of her 2008 Apple Blossom, when she literally flew around the far turn and proceeded to annihilate Ginger Punch and every other horse on the track that day.

From that day forward, I've watched every single one of her races, live as it happened. And yesterday was the single most exciting sports event I've ever seen.

And like many people think about Seattle Slew, I believe her single greatest race came in defeat, when she overcame all sorts of adversity and, with enormous courage and heart, roared down the stretch under the lights at CD and came within inches of winning her second BCC. (And let me be clear - I totally congratulate Blame, who is a wonderful racehorse, and a very deserving winner.)

But Zenyatta is special. Although it's become a cliche, she is, truly, a horseracing rock star. Her personality, her dancing and prancing, her willingness to meet and greet her fans. Zenyatta is just simply larger than life, and we won't see her like again, at least for a long time.

So what's ahead for our girl now? Knowing the Mosses, anything might happen. Jerry has never actually said he's going to retire her. And now that the "unbeaten" monkey is off his back...who knows? As far as Ann, I read she wants to move Zenyatta into a spare bedroom in their Bel Air mansion. One thing I do know - no racehorse has ever had more loving connections, and she will be well-treated for the rest of her life.

(Note to John Sherriffs...if you do keep racing, there's a nice track in Chicago with a synth surface so she won't get dirt in her face. And she's got lots of fans here!)

For my money, Zenyatta is one of the all-time great racehorses of the modern era.

And she's the Horse Of My Life! (And I'm guessing I'm not alone.) I just wish I had gotten to see her in person.

I will miss her, and never forget her.

[The Tin Man]

Well, it's the next day and, to my surprise, the sun did rise this morning (although for some reason it was an hour off). And the excitement and, yes, disappointment, from yesterday is starting to mellow.

And now the discussion inevitably turns to HOY. Blame will probably get it, and if so, he would be a deserving winner. But Zenyatta might get it, and if so, how can you deny her? (And believe me, the purpose of this thread is NOT to have that debate here. There are other threads for that.)

But a thought occurred to me this morning. Zenyatta is, undoubtedly, the HOML (Horse Of My Life)! That is a totally personal statement of course, and said as much on an emotional, subjective level as on an objective level. She just excited me, and thrilled me, and affected me, more than any other horse in my lifetime.

And my lifetime is pretty long. I grew up in Louisville, and started going to the track in the mid-1950's. I think I attended every Kentucky Derby from 1957 to about 1980, so I saw some great ones, including the immortal Secretariat. I was even fortunate enough to be at Belmont on that day in 1977 when Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown.

But somehow, no horse ever reached in and grabbed me like Lady Z. The first time I even heard of her was when I stumbled across the YouTube of her 2008 Apple Blossom, when she literally flew around the far turn and proceeded to annihilate Ginger Punch and every other horse on the track that day.

From that day forward, I've watched every single one of her races, live as it happened. And yesterday was the single most exciting sports event I've ever seen.

And like many people think about Seattle Slew, I believe her single greatest race came in defeat, when she overcame all sorts of adversity and, with enormous courage and heart, roared down the stretch under the lights at CD and came within inches of winning her second BCC. (And let me be clear - I totally congratulate Blame, who is a wonderful racehorse, and a very deserving winner.)

But Zenyatta is special. Although it's become a cliche, she is, truly, a horseracing rock star. Her personality, her dancing and prancing, her willingness to meet and greet her fans. Zenyatta is just simply larger than life, and we won't see her like again, at least for a long time.

So what's ahead for our girl now? Knowing the Mosses, anything might happen. Jerry has never actually said he's going to retire her. And now that the "unbeaten" monkey is off his back...who knows? As far as Ann, I read she wants to move Zenyatta into a spare bedroom in their Bel Air mansion. One thing I do know - no racehorse has ever had more loving connections, and she will be well-treated for the rest of her life.

(Note to John Sherriffs...if you do keep racing, there's a nice track in Chicago with a synth surface so she won't get dirt in her face. And she's got lots of fans here!)

For my money, Zenyatta is one of the all-time great racehorses of the modern era.

And she's the Horse Of My Life! (And I'm guessing I'm not alone.) I just wish I had gotten to see her in person.

I will miss her, and never forget her.

Damn that was awesome! And with your long history of horse racing, it means a lot. Made me all bleary eyed. Glad you've enjoyed her as much as I. ;-)

[Bickersons]

That's really something, Giant Oak. Thanks for posting that.

While it would be fantastic to see her run even one more time, to right that loss back at home, I honestly don't think anyone involved with her can take it. Oh, she's FINE. But the Mosses looked like their hearts had been torn out, even John Shirreffs looked devastated, and Mike was inconsolable. They're just wrung out. Hopefully she'll get a nice retirement party

Just as before, I'll pay special attention to Shirreffs' horses, and any owned by the Mosses. I hope Mike keeps going, too. At least until it doesn't hurt so much.

[Curlin]

That's really something, Giant Oak. Thanks for posting that.

While it would be fantastic to see her run even one more time, to right that loss back at home, I honestly don't think anyone involved with her can take it. Oh, she's FINE. But the Mosses looked like their hearts had been torn out, even John Shirreffs looked devastated, and Mike was inconsolable. They're just wrung out. Hopefully she'll get a nice retirement party

Just as before, I'll pay special attention to Shirreffs' horses, and any owned by the Mosses. I hope Mike keeps going, too. At least until it doesn't hurt so much.

If she sticks around in So Cal till opening day at SA, I hope she gets another retirement party. The crowd, undoubtedly, will be HUGE. My guess is it would be on a par with a BC day.

Giant Oak, I'm not far behind you age-wise, and I would agree, she really did capture the imagination, especially for racing fans here in So Cal. I sobbed after her loss, and your post made me weepy all over again. Yeah, it's probably totally stupid to cry because of a race horse. There are wars in the world. The economy stinks. But Zenyatta was the one positive constant, much like Seabiscuit was in the late 30s. She put a smile on many faces, she gave many borderline heart attacks (I know my cardiac health will improve upon her retirement!), but one thing we could be sure of is her roaring down that stretch and getting to that wire first. Yesterday, she was gallant in defeat. To me, it was the performance of her life.

I feel fortunate to have experienced the force of nature that is Zenyatta. Hope she stays happy and healthy, and enjoys her retirement and motherhood. She's earned it in spades.

[Dusty]

Well, it's the next day and, to my surprise, the sun did rise this morning (although for some reason it was an hour off). And the excitement and, yes, disappointment, from yesterday is starting to mellow.

And now the discussion inevitably turns to HOY. Blame will probably get it, and if so, he would be a deserving winner. But Zenyatta might get it, and if so, how can you deny her? (And believe me, the purpose of this thread is NOT to have that debate here. There are other threads for that.)

But a thought occurred to me this morning. Zenyatta is, undoubtedly, the HOML (Horse Of My Life)! That is a totally personal statement of course, and said as much on an emotional, subjective level as on an objective level. She just excited me, and thrilled me, and affected me, more than any other horse in my lifetime.

And my lifetime is pretty long. I grew up in Louisville, and started going to the track in the mid-1950's. I think I attended every Kentucky Derby from 1957 to about 1980, so I saw some great ones, including the immortal Secretariat. I was even fortunate enough to be at Belmont on that day in 1977 when Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown.

But somehow, no horse ever reached in and grabbed me like Lady Z. The first time I even heard of her was when I stumbled across the YouTube of her 2008 Apple Blossom, when she literally flew around the far turn and proceeded to annihilate Ginger Punch and every other horse on the track that day.

From that day forward, I've watched every single one of her races, live as it happened. And yesterday was the single most exciting sports event I've ever seen.

And like many people think about Seattle Slew, I believe her single greatest race came in defeat, when she overcame all sorts of adversity and, with enormous courage and heart, roared down the stretch under the lights at CD and came within inches of winning her second BCC. (And let me be clear - I totally congratulate Blame, who is a wonderful racehorse, and a very deserving winner.)

But Zenyatta is special. Although it's become a cliche, she is, truly, a horseracing rock star. Her personality, her dancing and prancing, her willingness to meet and greet her fans. Zenyatta is just simply larger than life, and we won't see her like again, at least for a long time.

So what's ahead for our girl now? Knowing the Mosses, anything might happen. Jerry has never actually said he's going to retire her. And now that the "unbeaten" monkey is off his back...who knows? As far as Ann, I read she wants to move Zenyatta into a spare bedroom in their Bel Air mansion. One thing I do know - no racehorse has ever had more loving connections, and she will be well-treated for the rest of her life.

(Note to John Sherriffs...if you do keep racing, there's a nice track in Chicago with a synth surface so she won't get dirt in her face. And she's got lots of fans here!)

For my money, Zenyatta is one of the all-time great racehorses of the modern era.

And she's the Horse Of My Life! (And I'm guessing I'm not alone.) I just wish I had gotten to see her in person.

I will miss her, and never forget her.

Nicely said! Wish I could have written it! I have seen her numerous times and the thrill was the most incredible experience I have ever had - her second race and Vic Stauffer "this is a future superstar" I was hooked - luckily I live in Ca and had the chance to "watch her RUN!" I am fortunate to have had that experience - at last years BC - Anne invited me to the winner's circle - she did not know me but I had a Zenyatta shirt on - she grabbed my hand and said "come on"

What great ambassadors for racing = what a presence Z has - she is also the horse of my life

[luvsgeldings]

yup, i am with you guys - zen is it for me - i don't expect to ever get as emotionally attached to another horse again - she is the complete and total package - more than i could have ever wished for or dreamed of... and i will appreciate her until the end of my days.

[Happy Endings]

Well said.

I will miss the anticipation I felt looking forward to each of her races.

[Liztannica]

I will miss the anticipation I felt looking forward to each of her races.

Me too...I do not think it has fully sunk in yet. I haven't been this attached to a horse since Sunday Silence

[susan]

I have refrained from getting too involved in the HOY arguments, how great she was or wasn't, and the defense of Z when she needs none .

There are nice sentiments on this thread and I wholly concur .

Though she gained respect in defeat from the naysayers , it hurts that inches could cost HOY after she appeared so hopelessly beaten and then burst through the tiring wall of horses to nearly bull her way home first .

Winner be damned--she OWNED that race, and without her in it the 2010 BCC would have been just another race .

The mare brought the house down and drew the crowds .

She is my HOY--and I have seen them all from Bold Ruler to present .

HOY is an opinion of an animal's accomplishments, but there are no set rules as to what exactly that means .

In the black and white world of " numbers and facts " trotted out and argued ad nauseum, there seems to be no appreciation of true star power backed up by near perfection--even factoring in that four letter word--dirt ...

It is written off as emotionalism and hyperbole, and now finally given a consolation prize of grudging respect and qualified compliments.

Never in all my years following racing have I seen a horse so admired yet so picked apart and held to a different standard as this one by professionals and amateurs alike .

She played the crowd for the last three years--strutting , mugging and posing, and ran the same race that left her vulnerable regardless who she faced and on what, and failed to be flawless by inches .

She was the " it girl " the minute she got on the track--a jaw droppingly lovely amazon .

And everyone just stared .

Just look at her--what she did, how she ran and the thrilling effect of her performances and personality .

How simplistic to say Blame beat her a short head, as simplistic as Haynesfield beating him by daylight or the three others that did the same .

She went out in a blaze in the dull ember of this sport we love and brought the curtain down grandly .

A tip of the hat to Blame, but hats off to Zenyatta ..

[hagginwood]

Lovely thoughts Susan - articulate as always.

I am so glad that I have the ability to appreciate what I have seen. If it means I have to endure the title of Zealot or Zentard, then so be it, because watching the Big Mare has been a rewarding experience. To be an eyewitness to the remarkable athleticism, grace and intelligence of this once in a lifetime creature... A fierce amazon on the track, and gentle kitten off the track.one who NEVER failed to entertain. Not once.

The only mare to win the BC Classic. And the only mare to come in second in the Classic. A million to one, once in a lifetime horse, and I was so damn lucky to see her 10 times in person, starting with her maiden win. Thank you Jerry and Ann Moss for sharing her with us this year instead of retiring her. She really is a gift.

[susan]

Lovely thoughts Susan - articulate as always.

I am so glad that I have the ability to appreciate what I have seen. If it means I have to endure the title of Zealot or Zentard, then so be it, because watching the Big Mare has been a rewarding experience. To be an eyewitness to the remarkable athleticism, grace and intelligence of this once in a lifetime creature... A fierce amazon on the track, and gentle kitten off the track.one who NEVER failed to entertain. Not once.

The only mare to win the BC Classic. And the only mare to come in second in the Classic. A million to one, once in a lifetime horse, and I was so damn lucky to see her 10 times in person, starting with her maiden win. Thank you Jerry and Ann Moss for sharing her with us this year instead of retiring her. She really is a gift.

Your welcome, fellow zentard ...

Wish I could have been an eyewitness ...

[Prairie Bayou]

If they had taken more risks with her earlier this year and won (which IMO they would have) instead of laying it all on the line in one race she would be HOTY. Even with a defeat in the Classic. She won't be HOTY now no way. Blame ran the race of his life. He won Gr1 events in open company. He wins. If Rachel had not had the untypical campaign last year Zenyatta would have been HOTY in 2009. I'll bet if she won last year she would not have run this year. Zenyatta will go down in history as one of the greatest horses never to win a HOTY title. That is a shame.

[Codysmom55]

If they had taken more risks with her earlier this year and won (which IMO they would have) instead of laying it all on the line in one race she would be HOTY. Even with a defeat in the Classic. She won't be HOTY now no way. Blame ran the race of his life. He won Gr1 events in open company. He wins. If Rachel had not had the untypical campaign last year Zenyatta would have been HOTY in 2009. I'll bet if she won last year she would not have run this year. Zenyatta will go down in history as one of the greatest horses never to win a HOTY title. That is a shame.

She'll also go down as the only mare to win a BC Distaff, a BCC, finish a very close second in a BCC. on two different surfaces. There'll be other HOYs, but this achievement may never be duplicated.

[Codysmom55]

I have refrained from getting too involved in the HOY arguments, how great she was or wasn't, and the defense of Z when she needs none .

There are nice sentiments on this thread and I wholly concur .

Though she gained respect in defeat from the naysayers , it hurts that inches could cost HOY after she appeared so hopelessly beaten and then burst through the tiring wall of horses to nearly bull her way home first .

Winner be damned--she OWNED that race, and without her in it the 2010 BCC would have been just another race .

The mare brought the house down and drew the crowds .

She is my HOY--and I have seen them all from Bold Ruler to present .

HOY is an opinion of an animal's accomplishments, but there are no set rules as to what exactly that means .

In the black and white world of " numbers and facts " trotted out and argued ad nauseum, there seems to be no appreciation of true star power backed up by near perfection--even factoring in that four letter word--dirt ...

It is written off as emotionalism and hyperbole, and now finally given a consolation prize of grudging respect and qualified compliments.

Never in all my years following racing have I seen a horse so admired yet so picked apart and held to a different standard as this one by professionals and amateurs alike .

She played the crowd for the last three years--strutting , mugging and posing, and ran the same race that left her vulnerable regardless who she faced and on what, and failed to be flawless by inches .

She was the " it girl " the minute she got on the track--a jaw droppingly lovely amazon .

And everyone just stared .

Just look at her--what she did, how she ran and the thrilling effect of her performances and personality .

How simplistic to say Blame beat her a short head, as simplistic as Haynesfield beating him by daylight or the three others that did the same .

She went out in a blaze in the dull ember of this sport we love and brought the curtain down grandly .

A tip of the hat to Blame, but hats off to Zenyatta ..

Well stated and I agree 100%.

[My Flag]

My aunt was born the year Assault won the Triple Crown. Until this year, I never thought she would ever love another horse the way she loved Ruffian, but Zenyatta was the one. As they were going into the gate Saturday, my aunt turned to me and said, "Whether she wins or loses, she's the greatest horse I've seen in my lifetime."

[Drumtop]

I'm a long-time lurker, but had to come out for this one today. I don't think I've ever had so much satisfaction in seeing a horse run (and my racing memories go all the way back to Northern Dancer) as I have had with Zenyatta. The most amazing thing to me was that she never once did not run her race. She had no excuses and needed none. She never once stepped on a safety pin in her stall, or ran a low-grade fever, or just didn't feel like it today, or otherwise phoned it in. In every one of her twenty races we counted on seeing that patented swooping run in the stretch, and we saw it. She was a model of consistency, and I give John Shirreffs full credit for the amazing job he did to keep her healthy and fit over all that time.
Zenyatta and Secretariat are the only two horses whose photos grace my walls.

[MonmouthGuy]

She'll also go down as the only mare to win a BC Distaff, a BCC, finish a very close second in a BCC. on two different surfaces. There'll be other HOYs, but this achievement may never be duplicated.

I agree with you that the achievement may never be duplicated, but I am not sure that we should award bonus points because California made a terrible error with the installation of Pro-Ride.

Your post stands on its own as a remarkable achievement without the mention of the different surfaces.

[Dave in TJMex]

Giant Oak, obviously, based on the posts here following your opening post in this thread, you speak for probably most of the Z fans on this Board. Thanks for your post.

Yes, Z certainly was much more than just a terrific and terrificly consistent race horse with an exciting, come-from-behind style. She had such personality and charisma, with all the dancing, goose-stepping, prancing and posing. She was, as others have stated here, an Amazon beauty.

Z had great, highly personable connections. And twice, she took on the boys in the most dramatic of settings, and delivered great performances in both races. Add it all together, and she was the "horse of a lifetime" for many of us.

Weeks before the BCC this year, Jay Hovdey of the DRF wrote a column and ended it by saying something like "Zenyatta has the opportunity to make her final race her finest moment." I thought that was a wonderful phrase. And even though we did not get the Hollywood moment Saturday afternoon, Hovdey's statement was still proved true. For my money, Z's race Saturday was her best effort ever, given the quality of competition and the traffic problems she had to overcome. She may have lost the race, by inches, but Z was gaining with every stride, and in every sense of the phrase, did not disappoint.

Yes, it is a bummer she lost. Hopefully she is retired now, safe and sound. If so, we can thank her connections for three fabulous years of racing excitement, and for handling her so adroitly that she never ran a bad race, never was injured, and her final race at the ripe old age of 6 was likely her best performance ever, given the travel, the dirt, the competition, the traffic problems, and all the hoopla.

Yes, we have been extremely fortunate to watch her the last three years. Those of us who got to see her run live saw time after time, in the words of Trevor Denman last BCC day, "a performance we'll never forget."

I went up to HP in October to see her run and to say goodbye. But hopefully, HP and SA will have another series of "farewell parties" for Z in the next couple of months, and we can say goodbye again.

Then again, Curlin from this Board and I have hatched a plan. After reading the ESPN article last week that says that Ann Moss is seriously trying to figure out how to allow Zenyatta to live on the estate she and Jerry Moss share in Bel Air (apparently, the zoning regulations there allow you to keep a horse on your property there), Curlin and I were considering buying a six pack of Guinness beer, going up and knocking on the Mosses' door, and asking if we can share a beer with "the Queen."

Anyone want to join us?

[Vic in Chicago]

Then again, Curlin from this Board and I have hatched a plan. After reading the ESPN article last week that says that Ann Moss is seriously trying to figure out how to allow Zenyatta to live on the estate she and Jerry Moss share in Bel Air (apparently, the zoning regulations there allow you to keep a horse on your property there), Curlin and I were considering buying a six pack of Guinness beer, going up and knocking on the Mosses' door, and asking if we can share a beer with "the Queen."

Anyone want to join us?

Dave, that is truly a great idea. I haven't been to California for a while, but if you do that, I'd be sorely tempted to join you. (And I think you'd have a good shot to get in!)

[Dusty]

NY Times: AGREES!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/sp...cing.html?_r=2