THANK YOU, ZENYATTA

When I first sat down to write this post, I wasn’t sure what to say. At first, I was going to write a recap of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. But what could I say that hasn’t already been said?

I thought about writing out a list of the records that Zenyatta has set over the course of her long career. Most money earned by a female race horse in North America, most consecutive wins, most wins in the Vanity Handicap, most wins in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, most wins in the Lady's Secret Stakes, first filly or mare to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, etc., etc.

But let's be honest. Zenyatta is more than numbers and records. Much, much more.

She is unforgettable memories.

I remember when I first heard about Zenyatta. It was right after she won the Apple Blossom Handicap in 2008. I thought to myself, "Hmm, an undefeated filly. She'll be a fun horse to follow. She certainly has an unusual name. I hope I don't forget it. . ."

I didn't.

I remember when she won the 2008 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. I was cheering hard for her that day, and watching the replay later I remember thinking that she was one of the most amazing horses I had ever seen. There were some very nice horses behind her that day, including Ginger Punch, Cocoa Beach, and Music Note, but she just blew past them under a hand ride as if they were nothing. One must watch the race to believe it, for words do not do it justice.

I remember the 2008 Eclipse awards. Curlin was my favorite horse at the time, and I was desperately hoping that he had done enough to win his second consecutive Horse of the Year honor. I wasn't sure how winning the Dubai World Cup and losing the Breeders' Cup Classic would hold up against Zenyatta's undefeated season, but let's just say that I was more than happy when Curlin took home the award yet again.

That was the last (and only) time I would root against Zenyatta.
I remember the 2009 Vanity Handicap, where Zenyatta toted a remarkable 129 pounds to an easy victory. That same day, Rachel Alexandra won the Mother Goose Stakes by twenty lengths. Being a huge fan of both horses, it was a very exciting day. That was when I started comparing Zenyatta to Ruffian.

I remember the 2009 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, where Zenyatta's tremendous strides just got her up in time to win by a head on a track that she didn't care for. This was when I realized that Zenyatta was something more than just a great racehorse. She closed her last five sixteenths in about :28 2/5 seconds, which is simply amazing. But words once again don't do justice.

I remember the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic. Although I picked her to win, I had no idea as to if she could actually defeat the best males in the country. It would be the hardest task she had ever undertaken. Still, I just reminded myself that she still had a gear or two that she had never used before.

I remember when she turned for home on November 7th at Santa Anita Park, in what was to be her final career start. When Mike Smith guided her in between horses and steered her to the outside of Twice Over, I thought it was all over. No ordinary horse could have caught the leaders at that point.

But Zenyatta is no ordinary horse. She found another gear in the stretch and blew right past Gio Ponti to win by a neck. At the time, I had no idea who she had beaten. I thought for a moment that it was Einstein who had gamely finished second. But it didn't really matter to me, for the mare I had enjoyed for a year and a half had achieved the next-to-impossible. It remains the greatest race I have ever watched.

Zenyatta was retired after that. I remember feeling disappointed; as one always does when their favorite horse retires. I wondered what might have happened if Zenyatta had stayed in training one more year. Perhaps she could have broken Citation and Cigar's famous sixteen-win streak in unrestricted races. We would never know.

Or would we?

In early January 2010, the announcement came that Zenyatta would remain in training for one more year, to attempt a repeat victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic. I was elated. She was back for one more year.

I remember when she fought her way through traffic to win the Santa Margarita Handicap under 127 pounds. It was her first start in four months, and to do what she did in her first start back was incredible. The fact that it came on my birthday made it even more special.

I remember her hard-fought third-consecutive victory in the Vanity Handicap. Going into the race I wasn't sure if she was going to be able to spot St. Trinians 9 pounds, for St. Trinians is a very good racehorse. For a brief moment my heart stopped, as it appeared that St. Trinians was going to hold off Zenyatta, but the great big mare shifted gears and got up in the final yards for a half-length victory. I was ecstatic.

Almost lost in all of the excitement was the fact that she had broken Citation and Cigar's win streak. It took sixty-one years for it to fall, a time period that saw horses like Secretariat, Dr. Fager, Kelso, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, and others stake their claims as the greatest horses to have ever run. However, none of them could break the record. It took a horse like Zenyatta to do it.

It may take another sixty-one years before her record falls.

I remember when she won the Ladies' Secret Stakes for the third straight year just six weeks ago. It looked as though she couldn't possibly catch Switch, but she somehow managed to do so inside the final few yards. By winning her nineteenth consecutive race, she tied the modern-day North American record for most victories held by Pepper's Pride. However, Pepper's Pride's streak had been achieved while running in state-restricted races. Therefore, in unrestricted races, Zenyatta's record stands alone.

I remember her loss in the Breeders’ Cup Classic just a few days ago. Despite dropping nearly twenty lengths off the pace on the first turn, Zenyatta did what she always does, overcoming adversity to rally from impossibly far back in the stretch. Unfortunately, for the first time in her career, the finish line came before her colossal strides could carry her the final inches to victory.

I remember the feeling of disappointment immediately following her defeat, a feeling that disappeared when I realized what she had accomplished in defeat. Very few horses could have done what she did, and under the circumstances, I have my doubts that even Secretariat could have come that close.

But most of all I will remember her. Her dancing prior to a race, her charisma, her unbelievable ability, her personality. I will never forget the image of her turning for home under Mike Smith and flying to one victory after another. She created countless records over the course of her career, yes, but more importantly, she created countless memories.

Years from now, I will look back and fondly remember these last three summers, when the great big mare took a hold of horse racing and made it her own, dominating the sport like no other horse before her.

Many of her records stand alone. But numbers on a chart don't do justice to what she means to her vast legion of fans. She is something else entirely; something that cannot be expressed with numbers, charts, or words.

Perhaps someday her name will make it into dictionaries. If so, I know how I would define it.

ZENYATTA (adj) Cannot be described; beyond description.

Thanks for all of the memories, Zenyatta. You've made horse racing that much more special to me.

-Keelerman