Good Morning,
I hope you had a great weekend! The MARCH MADNESS games are now entering the FINAL 4! Congratulations to our local team, the KENTUCKY WILDCATS, for all of their success to this point in the tournament! This town is so excited. Also, so many interesting races took place over the weekend. Wow! There is so much going on in sports. I absolutely love it!
Since it is the foaling season and lots of new baby horses are being born, I wanted to share with you how the data for the birth is officially recorded for a horse. This is done through the JOCKEY CLUB PAPERS. MINE are in the photo above for you to see! Literally, one’s Jockey Club papers are the true official document that follows a race horse throughout its life. They are extremely important…much like a Birth Certificate for a human.
When a foal is a few months old, the farm where it is born does the required ‘technical work’ to apply for the papers. Blood tests are completed on the baby to officially validate the parentage of the foal. This information is noted and qualified in the upper right hand corner…PARENTAGE QUALIFIED. Then the foal’s family is “duly registered with the Jockey Club’ as noted in the first section of the papers. As you can see on mine, I was born on April 1, 2004. I am identified as a Dark Bay or Brown Filly BY Street Cry (Ire)…my dad was born in Ireland…OUT OF Vertigineux who is by KRIS S. This means that my Mom’s sire was Kris S.
There is a place left blank on the top line where the horse’s name will be placed once the owner decides upon it. Until then, the foal is technically referred to by the year of birth and MOM’S name. As a mare only has one foal per year, this is a very clear way of keeping track of this particular horse. For me, I was known as ’04 Vertigineux. There is also a certificate number at the top of the page…which further identifies the data for this foal.
In the mid portion of the papers are the specific notations pertaining to the horse’s markings. An individual who is skilled and certified in HORSE IDENTIFCATION goes to the farm and examines the foal for all notable markings. Photos are also taken to support the details and illustrate the foal’s appearance. The complete description is then detailed on the Jockey Club Papers. This is very, very important. Horse ID people work at all racetracks and these notations are used to be sure the right horse is always being referenced for all purposes as sales and future races.
On the bottom, the owner of record at the time the papers are issued is listed, as well as the breeder and the particular state where a foal is born. As you can see on my papers, they were originally issued to Maverick Productions…who was also my breeder. I was born in KENTUCKY.
There is a portion on the back of the Jockey Club Papers to record any changes in ownership from this point forward in the horse’s life. This is also very important.
Once a horse arrives at the racetrack, the papers are turned into the Racing Office and held there by the track officials. The trainer’s name is listed in the top right hand corner. MINE say SHIRREFFS. A horse also receives a tattoo number and this is noted on the papers as well. When a horse is entered to run in a race, the Jockey Club Papers are pulled from the files and all of this information on them is used for the Racing Form, Programs, and the Horse ID people.
This is something CUTE to note on my papers. On the left hand side of them, you see the number 703 written in pencil. This is from the time when I was in the Keeneland Sale. Owners/breeders are required to turn the JC Papers into the sales company early for several purposes. The HIP NUMBER of the horse for that sale is penciled in at the top of the papers. I WAS HIP # 703. After the Moss’ purchased me from this sale, their name was listed on the back of my papers and they officially became my NEW OWNERS.
Once they named ME…ZENYATTA…the front side of my JOCKEY CLUB PAPERS were complete!
Lucky ME!
Here’s to a great Monday and a fabulous week!
With Love,
Hugs to All~
Z
Melissa
thank you for the great info on your papers
Valeria Cannon
Hi Lady Z, I showed your ‘birth certificate’ (your Jockey Club papers) to the guys at work and they were totally surprised to see them. They wanted to know more about you, and thoroughbreds in general. I even printed out a copy for your scrapbook, maybe one day I’ll get to show it to you and you’ll autograph (hoof-graph) it for me. :) Hope you had a blessed day as well as the girls. Dottie, what can we say but WOWWWWW! This is the kind of continuing education I definitely like. So much yet to learn about your world, can’t get enough of learning about it. Oh yeah, Hootie’s got his own facebook page, too! He seems to be happy and doing well at his new home (TROTT, USA). I know the other horses there look up to him for guidance and advice, and I’m sure they always ask him about working/living side by side with the great ‘Zenyatta’. Boy, all the lives you’ve touched and inspired (including mine) with just being yourself (and with humility, to boot), is simply amazing! Sleep well beautiful Queen, and dream peppermint dreams!! I’m simply amazed by you, simply amazed!!!
Hugs and Kisses,
Valeria
Maria K.
Wow! that is a great information. Thank you so much. Three more days it will be your B-day! I love you Queen Z.
Kathy Kimber
Good morning and kisses to the Queen of racing, love you Zenyatta. Going back over this blog is so wonderful and reviewing the post. So much I never knew great lessons is this class room every single day. Have a great day “Z” well wishes to everyone.
Kathy Kimber
I forgot thanks for the web site for Uncle Mo he is having a fantastic year.
alene
Hi Zenny. Thanks for the info. Very interesting. Hope you are eating well and staying healthy. Miss mommy!! Lots of Hugs and Kisses Alene :-)
mary
Oh Zenny, that was soooooooo sweet of you to show us your papers!! Who do you pick to win the march madness tournament? Since you are the QUEEN and never lose, i’m sure you’ll have the winner of this tournament in your brackets.
hugs xoxoxo
mary
Penny Cornell
♪♫ Happy Birthday to You ♫♪
♪♫ Happy Birthday to You ♫♪
♪♫ Happy Birthday Dear Zenyatta ♫♪
♪♫ Happy Birthday to You. ♫♪
♪♫ From good friends and true, ♫♪
♪♫ From old friends and new, ♫♪
♪♫ May good luck go with you, ♫♪
♪♫ And happiness too. ♫♪
Shari Voltz
Good Morning sweet Zenyatta. The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day in East Liverpool. I will show the children your Jockey Club papers. I am going to call them your birth certificate. I know what the children will say, where are your hoof prints? :) Your birthday is coming up and the children and I hope you like your gift. I am going to have a cupcake cake for them. It is going to look like you. A lady I know at our Walmart is going to try. The children will love it. We are going to sing and everything. They are excited. We wish you could be here or we all could be with you. Well sweet girl have a very blessed day with the girls. Tell Dottie thank you for the new lesson in this post. I and the children are learning a lot. We send Hugs and many Kisses from Shari and Homeroom 215 XXXOOO
Donna
Kris S is out of the great Roberto.
When I was a child my grandfather took me to York Racecourse in England and I saw Roberto beat Brigadier Gerard in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup. I loved The Brigadier that was the only time he was beaten, he still has the highest Time Form rating.
You can see the race on Youtube under Brigadier Gerard.
Roberto was an amazing horse and Z had his will to win.
If you have Roberto in a pedigree you are a winner.
Evy
Thank you for the great Jockey Club info. Now, when people speak of the “horse’s papers”, I will know what that means.
Donna
PS
Roberto won the Epsom Derby too which is a mile and a half.
Great stamina and heart.
Eve
Thanks for all the info. I think this is great–the way you are teaching us fans.
Robyn Mullhausen
You are a lucky girl and I love hearing about the world of racing and Thoroughbreds. Sent off some postcards yesterday and more today. It will be interesting to see how many THOUSANDS of post cards you receive. If anyone at that post office didn’t know you before, they will now! :)
Molly
“Zenyatta”, I did a bit of research and you are one smart cookie. Not only that, but when John Shirreffs was in the middle of a heavy Thoroughbred Times interview, when asked about his best decision, I was expecting him to say something about Zenyatta or another horse he had trained. Instead, without hesitation, John said that his best decision was to marry Dottie Ingordo. Wow! That’s like winning the Triple Crown. Dottie,thank you so much for working so hard to keep all of the Zenyatta fans informed and still feeling close to their favorite thoroughbred.
Mary
DEAREST ZENYATTA
How interresting todays diary is, I had never known any of these things never having a race horse of my own. I never had registered my horses so I didn’t have a clue. So nice to learn such things being a horse lover that I am. Thank you for sharing such things as these.
Have a lovely day Zenyatta. I LOVE YOU.
Mary
P.S. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH MOLLY. DOTTIE THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE FANS OF ZENYATTA UPDATED WITH HER LIFE…SHE IS THE GREATEST HORSE IN MY LIFETIME AND I LOVE HEARING ABOUT WHAT SHES DOING…THANK YOU, AND ALL THOSE WHO GIVE HER SUCH GREAT CARE EVERYDAY…LOVE TO ALL.
LauraJ
@Regina, the terms 2nd Dam, 3rd Dam, etc, refer specifically to the female line of descent. So “1st dam” is the foal’s mother, “2nd dam” is the mother’s mother, “3rd dam” is the mother’s mother’s mother, and so forth. This maternal line is often referred to as the “female family” and also as the “bottom line” of the pedigree (“top line” is the sire line). A strong female family is something potential buyers look for, as it is believed that a daughter or sister of a good producer is likely to be a good producer. In 2005, Zenyatta’s female family was the most appealing thing about her catalog page. Her sire Street Cry was unproven at the time. Her dam Vertigineux was a winner but not a stakes winner. She had three foals, but only one starter at the time–Where’s Bailey, who was not yet stakes placed. Future G1 winner Balance hadn’t started.
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However, Vertigineux had three stakes winning siblings and one stakes placed. Her black-type half-sisters Restrained and On the Staff were themselves producers. Third dam In The Offing, while just an OK racer herself, was a half-sibling to four black-typed runners and was dam of a graded stakes winner, who was herself a successful broodmare. So, there was a good chance that Vertigineux’s offspring would be successful racehorses. Time has borne this out. It is also reasonable to predict that at least some of Vertigineux’s female offspring will be good producers. We all hope so!
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Of course, the credentials of every horse on this page have since become much stronger. Street Cry has proven to be a very successful sire, and his foals are almost always included in the “select” portion of any sale. Vertigineux has produced two multiple Grade 1 winners in Balance and future Hall-of-Famer Zenyatta. Where’s Bailey is stakes placed, and Souper Spectacular may yet get a stakes win. Hopes are high for Eblouissante. What a difference a few years makes.
Sharon Call
@Trinia Negale. WOW! Really interesting about the meet and greet for Uncle Mo. I wonder if we would have seen this BZ (before Zenyatta). I do believe a new standard has been set for making TBs available to their fans. Fantastic – concrete results that have enpacted the TB world whether on the track or retired (witness Rachel’s visitors). A really positive step that can only help the waning racing world.
Sharon Call
@HappyHarriet. I agree 100%. Very well-put and accurate. We are all so blessed to have Dottie as Z’s voice.
Stephanie Quilichini
Great Post! Very Interesting!!
audreycaprio@msn.com
@ Randy
Horses, like all/most animals, have an acute sense of smell, and use this sensory tool in many ways. When one blows up their nose, the horse smells the person’s individual scent, and is thus able to distinquish that person from anyone or anything else (in addition to other forms of recognition.) Therefore, it is rather like a greeting, a form of identification, and a form of bonding. I read somewhere (may or may not be accurate – but it is what I read) that it was the Native Americans who first understood, and employed, this soft blowing up a horse’s nose, as a way to relate to a horse on his own instinctive level.
michael blowen
Great post. The person who said your registration papers belong in the Smithsonian is right…All your old friends send their best…especially Ukiah, Kudos, Falcon Scott and Cherono…
Regina From NJ
@LauraJ: I totally appreciate your crystal clear explanation of those terms which confirms my thoughts AND also for taking the time to respond to my question so quickly. I love how you expanded your reply to give me (and everyone) such a wealth of additional information. Thank you , Laura; I always love your posts, and Zenyatta is most definitely nodding her approval as well. Have a wonderful Tuesday.
Mary
More accolades for the Queen. In the 3/29/11 issue of the Thoroughbred Times form analyst Peter Ellis was asked: “What is the best race you ever watched?” His reply: Zenyatta winning the Breeders Cup in 2009. Then he was asked, “What are the best race horses you have ever seen?” Ellis answered with names of eight horses for turf running and four horses for dirt.
They were Curlin, Invasor(Arg), Pleasantly Perfect and Zenyatta.
Considering Ellis’ long career in racing, I thought it was wonderful that he mentioned our Queen in both replies.
Congratulations darling Z.
tbpartner43
Dear Zenyatta, Please talk to one of your two legged friends and ask that they take some pictures of spring at Lane’s End, and of course add you and the gals in your ‘paddock.’ For those who have never visited KY, that would be a real treat.
Randy
@ audreycaprio Many thanks for your explanation. It’s not at all surprising that the act of gently blowing up a horse’s nose was possibly first done by the Native Americans. I’ve noticed that horses greet each other in much the same fashion. Somehow I stumbled on that technique with my own horse and then tried it on various others and they all seemed to love it but I never really understood why. I would probably list it among the top ten things to learn in “Horse Whispering 101.”
LauraJ
@Regina, you are welcome, and have a great Tuesday also.
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@michael blowen, much love and many carrots to all the Old Friends!
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Smithsonian would be nice. Or the Hall of Fame museum, or the Museum of the Horse at the KY horse park.
Karen
Yes, lucky you, gorgeous Zenyatta. And a perfect name for you, too. You deserve the best because you are the best.
MK
Dottie, THANK YOU for sharing the fascinating details of what it’s like on the other side. You continue to make this fan’s journey an unbeatable experience. Thank you!