The Magic of Zenyatta - part 1
November 20th 2011 02:08
The Magic of Zenyatta
A contribution for Thoroughbreds Worldwide & RacingWrite by Vicki L Vinson.
Words & photography by Vicki L Vinson.
Back in the Winter/Spring of 2008 a 4 year old filly really began to catch my eye as I watched horse races on TV, her name was Zenyatta. Zenyatta had run twice in 2007 at Hollywood Park and in a stakes at Santa Anita in January winning all three starts. Finally a day came along where I was able to make it to the track to see her in person. She was entered to run in the Santa Margarita Handicap on March 9th at Santa Anita. When I got to the track I found out Zenyatta had been scratched from the race. That would be the only time in her life that Zenyatta would disappoint me.
Zenyatta would race and win four more times before I got to see her in person for the first time. All during this time I was becoming a bigger and bigger fan. When I won a contest on HRTV during the summer the prize was from HorseHats.com, but it was discouraging when they didn’t have a horse hat featuring Zenyatta yet. Finally in October my chance to lay eyes on Zenyatta in person came. I parked myself and my camera along my special spot along the tree lined path between the receiving barn and the walking ring. I had taken countless photos from this spot of the horses before a race but this time Zenyatta did something no horse had done before or since. As Zenyatta and her groom Mario approached me and the corner to turn left she kept going straight, straight towards me practically sticking her nose on my camera as if to say, “Hi Vicki, I’ve been waiting to meet you.”
My special moment with Zenyatta
Once saddled and out on the track Zenyatta performed for the crowd stepping into her patented dance routine in the post parade. As Zenyatta broke from the starting gate she was off clean but not too fast preferring to linger at the back of the pack saving her energy her other patented move. Still trailing as they moved into the final turn Zenyatta and jockey Mike Smith began to pick up momentum and coming out of the turn she was swinging wide passing horses with every stride to win her first of three back to back wins in the Lady’s Secret Stakes.
Zenyatta and Mike seem to be in sync with their dance moves
A month later two days before the Breeders’ Cup I went to Santa Anita to meet up with my friends Daunice and Megan from back East. I was excited because I was going to get to introduce them to Zenyatta as she was scheduled to school in the paddock that day. Needless to say she won them over and had two more fans to cheer her on in her next race. That next race would be in the Breeders’ Cup on Friday in the Ladies Classic this was the first year the race was known by this name previously it had been called the Distaff. The timing could not have been more perfect for the name change.
Zenyatta schooling in the saddling paddock
There was a huge crowd at Santa Anita on Breeders’ Cup Friday and a lot of them didn’t know much about Zenyatta yet! After taking some quick photos in the paddock I was able to find a spot along the rail to watch the post parade. I noticed a photographer friend Amber along the track edge and yelled to her to watch No. 1 a few moments later Zenyatta kicked into her dance routine. That was all it took for the crowd to start taking notice of Zenyatta. A few minutes later the race was history as Zenyatta won her 9th race in a row. Not long after that race I won another HRTV contest, this time they had a Zenyatta hat. On the back of the hat it says “Undefeated Champion 9 for 9” this is a true collectible. If only they knew.
On the outside Zenyatta makes her move to win the Ladies Classic
Note: I plan to write two more parts to this story about the great Zenyatta.
A contribution for Thoroughbreds Worldwide & RacingWrite by Vicki L Vinson.
Words & photography by Vicki L Vinson.
Back in the Winter/Spring of 2008 a 4 year old filly really began to catch my eye as I watched horse races on TV, her name was Zenyatta. Zenyatta had run twice in 2007 at Hollywood Park and in a stakes at Santa Anita in January winning all three starts. Finally a day came along where I was able to make it to the track to see her in person. She was entered to run in the Santa Margarita Handicap on March 9th at Santa Anita. When I got to the track I found out Zenyatta had been scratched from the race. That would be the only time in her life that Zenyatta would disappoint me.
Zenyatta would race and win four more times before I got to see her in person for the first time. All during this time I was becoming a bigger and bigger fan. When I won a contest on HRTV during the summer the prize was from HorseHats.com, but it was discouraging when they didn’t have a horse hat featuring Zenyatta yet. Finally in October my chance to lay eyes on Zenyatta in person came. I parked myself and my camera along my special spot along the tree lined path between the receiving barn and the walking ring. I had taken countless photos from this spot of the horses before a race but this time Zenyatta did something no horse had done before or since. As Zenyatta and her groom Mario approached me and the corner to turn left she kept going straight, straight towards me practically sticking her nose on my camera as if to say, “Hi Vicki, I’ve been waiting to meet you.”
My special moment with Zenyatta
Once saddled and out on the track Zenyatta performed for the crowd stepping into her patented dance routine in the post parade. As Zenyatta broke from the starting gate she was off clean but not too fast preferring to linger at the back of the pack saving her energy her other patented move. Still trailing as they moved into the final turn Zenyatta and jockey Mike Smith began to pick up momentum and coming out of the turn she was swinging wide passing horses with every stride to win her first of three back to back wins in the Lady’s Secret Stakes.
Zenyatta and Mike seem to be in sync with their dance moves
A month later two days before the Breeders’ Cup I went to Santa Anita to meet up with my friends Daunice and Megan from back East. I was excited because I was going to get to introduce them to Zenyatta as she was scheduled to school in the paddock that day. Needless to say she won them over and had two more fans to cheer her on in her next race. That next race would be in the Breeders’ Cup on Friday in the Ladies Classic this was the first year the race was known by this name previously it had been called the Distaff. The timing could not have been more perfect for the name change.
Zenyatta schooling in the saddling paddock
There was a huge crowd at Santa Anita on Breeders’ Cup Friday and a lot of them didn’t know much about Zenyatta yet! After taking some quick photos in the paddock I was able to find a spot along the rail to watch the post parade. I noticed a photographer friend Amber along the track edge and yelled to her to watch No. 1 a few moments later Zenyatta kicked into her dance routine. That was all it took for the crowd to start taking notice of Zenyatta. A few minutes later the race was history as Zenyatta won her 9th race in a row. Not long after that race I won another HRTV contest, this time they had a Zenyatta hat. On the back of the hat it says “Undefeated Champion 9 for 9” this is a true collectible. If only they knew.
On the outside Zenyatta makes her move to win the Ladies Classic
Note: I plan to write two more parts to this story about the great Zenyatta.
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