Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Ask The Experts

Ask The Experts #15

Q:

I always hear that the large Kentucky farms (and others, too) have their horses in the barn during the day and turn them out into paddocks/pastures at night. What is the reasoning behind that schedule?

Debra Medlock

Fall River Mills, CA

Zenyatta in her stall. Photo by Kyle Acebo.

A:We bring them up to the barns in the daytime for a number of reasons. We like to monitor their feed intake, so feeding them inside ensures that each horse is getting their fair share of feed and the right amount depending on the individual. We also like to check temperatures and make sure each horse is healthy and free of any kicks, bumps and bruises.

Handling the youngsters is an essential part of their education and makes them much more manageable for the farrier and vet. It also allows them to relax and rest for a while and have a break from the weather. We put fans on them in the summer whilst in the barn so they can cool off. We also have automatic fly spray systems installed in the barns so they are all quite happy to come in during the heat of the day. In the winter they enjoy bedding down in the straw for a few hours and warming up.

Our Expert

Charles Campbell

Broodmare Manager, Lane’s End

Originally from England, Charles has traveled the world working with horses. He has been the Broomare Manager at Lane’s End for four years, and he was with Zenyatta the night she foaled.

Reader Interactions

693 Comments

  1. / Reply

    Tom Hall‏ tweet on Sale
    KeeNov day1 ends w/ five 7-fig horses:
    Plum Pretty (4.2 mill), Harmonious (2.8 mill), Zazu (2.1 mill),
    Shotgun Gulch (1.6) & Negligee (1.25)

      • / Reply

        Especially if the Prince turns out to be good on the track. The Queen of the track, and an amazing producer? 40 million for sure..

    • / Reply

      Keta. Love these links. Paynter is looking so good. He must be improving if they let him into a bigger paddock. That farm is nice. Power Up Paynter.

      • / Reply

        Max,
        I noticed two things-he seemed much calmer in the larger area and he was able to graze on his own.
        Isn’t it wonderful to see how Paynter is progressing?
        Keta

        • Keta. You bet it is. It was looking very bad for him for a long time. I was so happy to see him like this. PUP!

    • / Reply

      Dear Kathy R,

      Interesting analysis, almost like our dirt races, able to slow down the pace on
      firm ground so the Euros had a tougher time of it. Guess on soft, yielding turf
      stamina rather than speed is the most important.

      • / Reply

        Dear Sign: The Melbourne Cup is always a very tactical race – the old punters used to say a favourite rarely wins, because the Australian way of racing is to gang up on the favourite and keep it out. There is also a tendency (or has been in recent years) for the internationals to think they just had to turn up to beat the locals. I’ve mentioned before about Aidan O’Brien and a notorious Cup when he destroyed his three entrants by pushing them out too hard and they finished at the back of the pack. He went to the airport and was recalled back to the track by the stewards to explain himself. He hasn’t put a horse in the Cup since!

        • Dear Kathy R,

          We do the same thing with favorites in the US. Try to squeeze them out
          or injure them by mad jockey’s that did not get the mount or got taken
          off the mount. TOO FUNNY !!! Same thing done in a different way.

          Adian is a unique guy, I guess with ties to Coolmore he has money to
          burn. Our commentators said kind of the same thing, he brought a
          few horses here for the Breeders Cup that were questionable. And then
          what he did to So You Think, running him on dirt in the Classic with blinkers on so the dirt would not fly in his face. And actually SYT did not do bad, he is such a very tough soul. Then this year Fame and Glory, had the blinkers on for the same reason, and absolutely hated dirt and gave up
          after the first furlong, according to the jockey.

          Of course, we have a trainer, 78 years old, won 19 breeders cup races and
          had his colt Hightail, break his maiden race in a Breeders Cup. These trainers can be quite different.

  4. / Reply

    I will be forever grateful Charles was with Zenyatta, among a few others, on the day-evening Z foaled. It is most interesting to learn all the knowledge and reasoning behind the care of these beautiful mares. Thank you team z
    Auntie Sally

  6. / Reply

    Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital post on Facebook
    Congratulations to all of the winners from this past weekend’s Breeder’s Cup races!
    It was a great weekend for former Rood & Riddle patients!
    Of the 30 horses to Win or Place, 12 are former Rood & Riddle Patients!
    That is 40 percent of all winners or second place horses!
    Keta Note;
    A salute to Rood & Riddle for their great care of these amazing animals! Thank you!

  7. / Reply

    We just LOVE this picture of our Queen. Beautiful! And, such a great question and an equally good answer. Thanks, Charles. When you go on vacation why not call us and we’ll fill in for you.

  8. / Reply

    Zenny looks sublime in this photo. LE is doing such a great job with her…and to think at one time we were all so worried about her living in Ky.
    Charles, you have a great job…thanks for answering this question.

  9. / Reply

    Awesome Feather post on Facebook:
    Hello everyone, ♥
    I’m sorry if I disappointed some of you. I did not handle the track at all in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. I came out of race in good shape and my Trainer Chadd Brown said he will draw a line through this start.
    After talking with my jockey (Jeffrey Sanchez), watching replays, and seeing how I was never engaged in the bridle Chadd said it wasn’t my day. He won’t take anything away from Royal Delta, she was fabulous. Even if I’d handled the track, it’s hard to imagine anyone beating Royal Delta the way she ran.
    My trainer will talk to Mr. Stronach (my owner) about what they want to do regarding next year. There have been no plans.

  11. / Reply

    AMERICAIN RETIRED
    Andrew Bensley‏ tweet
    Americain to be retired says part owner Gerry Ryan.
    Stud deals to be finalised in the next fortnight, here and International market

  13. / Reply

    So sorry that ZaZu won’t enjoy the kind of retirement that Zendatta does. I’m sure she will be well taken care of though. Guess that kind of money is hard to resist.

    • / Reply

      Happy happy happy birthday Gloria Jean.
      Hope you had a wonderful day or are going to have a great day.

  15. / Reply

    ZAGORA WAS SOLD !!!

    “Jeffroy was referring to the Nov. 5 Fasig-Tipton November sale, when Mandore paid $1.525 million for grade I winner Eden’s Moon (by Malibu Moon ) and $2.5 million for this year’s Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) winner Zagora (by Green Tune).”

  16. / Reply

    Dear Z fans,

    I think Bill Farrish’s comment about Zenny being home, she was foaled and bred
    in KY, which is her real “home”, even though she raced in California and racing fans
    think of California as her home.

  17. / Reply

    QUESTING’S EYE FINE; SHE PROBABLY DID IT IN THE STARTING GATE

    Questing Was Found to Have Eye Injury
    By Steve Haskin, @BH_SHaskin
    Updated: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 3:46 PM
    Posted: Monday, November 5, 2012 2:35 PM

    Questing breaking for the starting gate in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic.
    Godolphin Racing’s Questing, who was eased in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (gr. I) after showing no inclination to run, was found to have suffered an injury to her eye, though no one knows exactly how and when it happened.

    “When she got back to the barn that evening, her eye was swollen shut,” Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said. “Fortunately, it was fine the following morning. We’re not sure what happened, but she seemed fine going to the post, so you would have to assume something happened in the starting gate. Perhaps she banged herself or got hit with something as soon as the gates opened.

    “It’s really a shame, because the race would have set up perfectly for her, with her speed and the way the track was playing, favoring speed. She was coming up to the race in fantastic shape.”

    Besilu Stables’ Royal Delta won the Ladies’ Classic for the second consecutive year. Questing, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., broke behind the others in the Ladies’ Classic and gradually dropped out of contention before being eased. She was removed from the track by equine ambulance, but on-call veterinarians said they detected no injuries upon inspection.

    Questing, a 3-year-old Hard Spun filly bred by Darley in Great Britain, was sent off as the 8-1 fourth choice in the eight-horse field despite having scored dominating victories in the Alabama Stakes and TVG Coaching Club American Oaks (both gr. I). In her previous start, she was narrowly beaten by My Miss Aurelia in the Cotillion Stakes (gr. I) over a deep, tiring track at Parx Racing while giving the winner seven pounds.

    • / Reply

      Thanks, Sign.
      They are great photos. I really like #18. That shows the fighting spirit of, Zagora. Look at her,right in the middle of that pack…what a gal she is!!!
      Well…all of these horses are great.

      Photos from day 2….the one of Trinni…he is massive,I had no idea.It is a super photo of him,looking, oh so proud!

      • / Reply

        Dear Ann,

        Love the photos of Zagora, too. I will post the video of Garrett Gomez
        talking about his ride on Beholder, she had a bit of an “attitude” and quite
        running for him until the other horses came by, she quite focusing on
        him and started competing with the other horse. He said she forgot about him.

        It is really a cute video, he said mares are like that, Mikey had the same
        experience with Royal Delta when she got “mad at him”.

        Love that photo of Royal Delta with all 4’s off the ground, looks like she
        is flying with that head down, body stretched out and that huge stride. So love those horses with huge strides, feels like you are gliding on air.

    • / Reply

      Dear Sign:

      Thanks for sharing the great BC slideshow. Just love Zagora and Royal Delta. What beauties. Hugs, JB

  20. / Reply

    Hate to end the evening on a sad note, but many of you have been aware of the story of DynaKing, half-brother of Barbaro, who was found wandering in the dog patch area of Tucson, alone and abandoned. Tomorrow at 11 a.m. MST, he will cross the Rainbow Bridge. He has been deteriorating, and his prognosis is no longer good. To make matters worse, his rescuer and head of Heart of Tucsoon, will be leaving the hospital to be with him. She has been in a battle of her own with cancer. God bless everyone at Heart of Tucson for your wonderful care of your charges. Hugs to all, with tears.

      • / Reply

        Dear Max,

        Have not seen any since the report 3 days ago.
        Carol said 55 % of horses on Lasix bleed, we definately don’t see this
        we would see them disappear for 3 months as they can’t race for
        2-3 months after the bleed. Their is a protocol they have to follow
        after a bleed before they can run again. I don’t see any horses disappearing
        for that length of time ???

        • Thanks Sign. I am very worried about Spring (Little Zenyatta) and the others. I agree with Uncle Mike. The horses who need lasix should be allowed to use it. I think that well respected trainers like John Shirreffs also favor its use.

        • Dear Max,

          Will keep looking for any information about Spring in the Air,
          we may not hear anything until she starts to recover and they decide if
          she will run again.

          It is very sad, Lasix is harmless !!!

    • / Reply

      And to that extent, I agree with Mr. Repole. I was initial just thinking he was pitching a hissy fit, but now looking at the results, I am beginning to see exactly why he was worried to begin with. Spring in the Air was a very talented filly, and probably at or near the top of her generation. She must have felt the bleeding coming around the turn (I saw her do something funny, and watched her fall from contention) and everything went into survival, “holy crap what’s happening” mode. She bled really bad if it was leaking out of her nose and she was coughing it up long after the race was over. Now, everyone who reads about this story will think that horse racing is inhumaine because we would rather our horses bleeding than run them on the anti-bleeding drug. While you can’t please everyone, I would rather no bleeding than bleeding.

    • / Reply

      Get rid of these chronic bleeders! Weak breed! Sick of it!!! The Euros get by, why can’t we! The sport deserves the death spiral it is in, in America, fragile pieces of china that they are!

  22. / Reply

    Aww, I was so excited for Little Zenyatta. So sad to see her as one of the casualties of No Lasix racing. So sad.

  23. / Reply

    Good morning to all
    So sorry to hear of Dynaking and Rose if Peace…may they both run free together …
    …..
    interesting statistic about lasix above…..55% of all thoroughbreds “bleed” to some extent no matter what their “job”
    ……
    can not wait to hear about Americain stud deal….sounds like he could end up here …at least part of the year….last I checked he topped the earnings list for ALL of BigD’s kids..
    I am sure he would be well received…I hope..
    …..
    the happiest of birthday wishes to Gloria Jeanne….
    …….
    Last day in Utah….pull out tomorrow am….wish us luck

      • / Reply

        Safe travels Carol. We’re all thinking of you and hoping that everything goes well. No move is easy, and we’re good listeners when you need us.

    • / Reply

      Carol. Just checked out the map. You have a long trip ahead. You are however moving closer to Z. Best wishes that it all goes well.

      • / Reply

        Safe travels, Carol. I don’t think you will confront any weather issues. If the cats get too loud, turn the radio volume louder. Let us know as soon as possible when you arrive. Happy trails to you…..

    • / Reply

      Dear Carol,

      Funny we don’t hear about 55 % of the TB on lasix and their bleeding stories ???

      • / Reply

        Carol, safe travels and as everyone else said, stay in touch when you can!

        Happy BDay Gloria Jeanne

  24. / Reply

    KAUTO STONE
    Racing Post‏ tweet: Kauto Stone, whose half-brother Kauto Star won the race five times,
    is among five possibles for Paul Nicholls has in the King George

  25. / Reply

    Charles
    Are you going on vacation? Zenyatta has plenty of aunties and dumplins who would jump at the chance to take care of our queen.
    Oh well i can dream can’t I
    Love to all who care for our Zenyatta. You are too special for words.

  26. / Reply

    thanks for all the well wishes….we are going southeast from here into Gallup NM…to catch I40….that takes us to Ark and we can find our way from there…2-3 day trip….we hope and dont know when we will get back on-line

  27. / Reply

    I can’t speak of anything but how heartbroken I am about the beautiful Dyna King! May he rest in peace! Heartbroken and praying for Judy! RIP Rose of Peace.

  28. / Reply

    ♥ FYI – this is an email I received regarding the Z documentary. I told them it was such an emotional hit!!
    “If people enjoyed the 30 min HRTV show, then they will love the documentary! We are still making minor tweaks to the doc but I anticipate it being done next week. I read somewhere the Moss’ wanted to have it out by the holidays. It might be available by Thanksgiving… We’ll see. I’m sure the Zenyatta website will have updates!”

    JAG ♥

    • / Reply

      Dear JAG,

      Great update, we are all waiting to fill our Christmas stockings.

  29. / Reply

    Diana- DynaKing has had a long & brave fight. It is time! Go in peace to a better place!
    Judy remains in my prayers. This must be so difficult for her & for you.

    Carol–Safe trip! Let us know how you and your tribe are doing. Moving is one of the
    fun parts of being a pet parent. Good luck! :)

    Kathy R–We grieve with you on the loss of Rose of Peace!

    Thoughts & prayers with each of you
    Hugs, Keta

  30. / Reply

    Pure Clan Sells for $4.5 Million at Keeneland
    By Ron Mitchell, @BH_RMitchell Updated: Wednesday, November 7, 2012 6:44 PM
    Goncalo Torrealba, who operates TNT Stud in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, went to $4.5 million to purchase the millionaire Pure Clan during the second session of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale in Lexington Nov. 7.
    Consigned by John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, Pure Clan was sold as Hip 279 in foal to Bernardini .
    “We just loved her,” said Torrealba, adding that he purchased the 7-year-old daughter of Pure Prize on behalf of his family’s breeding operation. “I liked her very much, the way she won on both dirt and turf. We are trying to build a broodmare band.”
    Bred by A. Lakin and sons, Pure Clan won half of her 16 career starts, including the Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) and American Oaks Invitational Stakes (gr. IT). She earned $1,987,498.
    Torrealba said the mare, who had been sold by Lakin to an undisclosed buyer upon her retirement in August 2010, will be sent to Robert Clay’s Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky.
    Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/74285/pure-clan-sells-for-45-million-at-keeneland#ixzz2BaH7knsd

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