An amazing HORSE, mare or otherwise. Ran her eyeballs out, made an enormous move and lost by mere inches. Not to take anything away from Blame, who is certainly a nice horse in his own right, but Z ran one hell of a race.
[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;5206804]
Sweet mudder of divine jesus.:eek:
Why doesn’t this forum have a face palm or head to wall banging icon?[/QUOTE]
In keeping with the divine jesus, ask and ye shall receive…
[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;5206804]
Sweet mudder of divine jesus.:eek:
Why doesn’t this forum have a face palm or head to wall banging icon?[/QUOTE]
For you :bang: :bricks: 
Midge, totally OT but I’ve just noticed your “Location” and laughed so hard! I loves me some Guy Noir.
Had to get on the road right after the race. How did the rest of the field shake out?
And of course, Blame is now retired. You would think that racing would see the benefit of these horses sticking around a bit. If Zenatta showed them nothing else, you think they would have learned this. And yes I know, stud fees, injury risk etc. etc. Racing needs to have its starts stick around a bit, then maybe the fan base would grow again.
[QUOTE=sdlbredfan;5206787]
What I do not understand is, why this wonderful mare who had nothing left to prove to the world, was even entered in this race. Her humans would have been smarter to have just scheduled a Winter letdown and relaxation regime to have begun, so that she could be bred in 2011. They risked her life in this very dangerous sport, for what? Sigh…I am just glad she finished with no injury.[/QUOTE]
Because she is a successful racehorse. Her owners didn’t run her until she was four because she wasn’t ready. That says a lot about her owners. Most horses are running hard at 2 and 3.
I actually have a love hate relationship with horse racing. I love it but at the same time I hate it when a horse breaks down, I hate that failures at the track many times end up at the slaughter house, and that some owners/trainers run horses into the ground without a care. I actually stopped watching and following racing for a couple of years after seeing the horrific breakdown of Landseer in the 2002 Breeders Cup Mile.
Ach du Leibe im Himmel…
[QUOTE=sdlbredfan;5206787]
What I do not understand is, why this wonderful mare who had nothing left to prove to the world, was even entered in this race. Her humans would have been smarter to have just scheduled a Winter letdown and relaxation regime to have begun, so that she could be bred in 2011. They risked her life in this very dangerous sport, for what? Sigh…I am just glad she finished with no injury.[/QUOTE]
Ummmmm, in your way of thinking her life has been risked in a dangerous sport since the beginning.
I thank goodness everyday that Jerry and Ann Moss have shared Zenyatta with us through these past years. They are SPORTSMEN through and through. You’re saying they could be smarter? They are lovely, intelligent and kind people who don’t judge others. 'nuff said.
Here is something I originally posted 9 years ago. I think it applies here. Other than updating my age, the words stand as is:
"I’ve been around all kinds of horses my whole life - hunters and jumpers, polo ponies, foxhunters, western pleasure horses, dressage horses, event horses, gaited horses, and racehorses. I was a licensed judge (retired now) for the USEF, ADMS, and the NMDA.
I’m now 50, and have seen more sadness than anyone should have to deal with. I was there the day Ruffian broke down, and I was there when poor Exogenous flipped at the Breeder’s Cup. These are well-known examples of things that happened on the racetrack - everyone is aware of them because racing is in the news more than any other horse sport. Both of these horses had brilliant trainers who loved these mares with all their heart. Accidents happen - it is a part of any horse sport.
However, I’ve also seen hunters heading to be cripples by the age of 8 because of being lunged for hours and then jumped over a 100 ‘warm-up’ fences before their first class; I’ve seen unfit polo ponies pass out on the polo field; I’ve seen foxhunters fall down because the novice on their back didn’t know what a two-point position was; I’ve seen western pleasure ‘trainers’ deprive their horse of water for hours so that it went ‘dog quiet’; I’ve seen event horses die by breaking legs and necks; I’ve seen dressage horses with blood running from their mouths because the ‘trainer’ had such rough hands; and I’ve seen gaited horses have their brains fried by people setting off fireworks to get the horses upheaded and bright-eyed.
There is abuse and stupidity in every horse discipline. Don’t point fingers just at horse racing! That’s a slippery slope for all horse sports if you start down that hill. There are bad apples in every barrel.
The real issue should be humane education across the board for all horseman. That being said, 99% of the horsemen I meet love their horses and will feed their horses before they buy their own breakfast.
I’ll be honest, if there were a poll, I’ll bet racetrackers donate more money to horse rescues and equine scientific research like the Grayson Jockey Club Foundation (that benefits all horses) than any other group of horseman. I have no statistics on this, but I run with a lot of different ‘crowds’ and I know how generous racetrackers are - from the hotwalkers up to the millionaire owners.
You can argue with me all you want - I’ve been there, done that, and I know what I’ve seen."
To the Zenyatta Team, thank you for showing the world what true horsemanship is.
Hallie
Hallie I. McEvoy
Racing Dreams, LLC
[QUOTE=BabyGoose;5206901]
I actually stopped watching and following racing for a couple of years after seeing the horrific breakdown of Landseer in the 2002 Breeders Cup Mile.[/QUOTE]
I did too after Go For Wand. It was years before I watched another race. Then I felt like a fraud when I learned one breaks down that way about every week at cheap tracks across the country.
[QUOTE=Paragon;5206858]
Midge, totally OT but I’ve just noticed your “Location” and laughed so hard! I loves me some Guy Noir.[/QUOTE]
Me too!!!
Now it’s time for them to approve embryo transplanting in TBs. Lots of people are going to want a Zenyatta foal. As long as the mares are still live covered there should be no problem.
Hallie, thank you for that post.
[QUOTE=Midge;5206907]
I did too after Go For Wand. It was years before I watched another race. Then I felt like a fraud when I learned one breaks down that way about every week at cheap tracks across the country.[/QUOTE]
Me too. And while I have started watching racing on TV again. I have not been to live racing at our local track since Landseer. I don’t think I could handle seeing a breakdown in person right in front of me. Which also makes me feel terrible, like I am burying my head in the sand if I can just turn off the TV and not deal with it. Yep, weird love/hate relationship.
Wow, Blame ran a fantastic race, congrats to his connections. In watching the posted video, I couldn’t tell where Musket Man finished, anybody know? I was really, really, really hoping Quality Road would pull off a win. He is ‘da man’! 
[QUOTE=Debbie;5206752]
20 more feet of track and I bet she would have had him. Unbelieveable that she made it to second in my mind.[/QUOTE]
I don’t believe that. It’s the same thing people said when Mine That Bird lost to Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness last year. I think Blame would have kept digging down and coming up with more, she wouldn’t have gotten around him no matter how much track was left. He’s good.
Hallie-beautifully said.
I’m sad that Queen Z did not win for racing- a fairytale would be so nice right now. But the “team” that has worked with this mare has done a fantastic job. She ended sound- which is really the most important thing.
Bad trip, bad break. She is the Queen.
Away from the first two finishers for a moment. . .
WTH happened to Quality Road? Last?!?!?!?
Amazing race, amazing mare. I don’t think the loss takes anything away from her.
Caitlin
Only need one letter for HOTY:
Z!!!!!!!!!!!!!