Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Ask The Experts

Ask The Experts at Lane’s End

Photo courtesy of Alys Emson/Lane's End

Is there something you’ve always wondered about Zenyatta, Baby Z or Lane’s End?

For the next few weeks we will be collecting questions from Zenyatta’s amazing fans—questions about thoroughbred breeding and life on the farm.

Zenyatta will help us pick some of your questions to use in upcoming features on the the website. We’ll collaborate with the expert staff at Lane’s End to answer your questions.

To send in your question, please fill out the form below.

We look forward to hearing from you!
-Team Z

Edit: We have receieved so many great questions from all of you! Submissions are now closed for the time being. If you didn’t get a chance to ask your question, don’t worry, there will be more opportunities in the future.

Reader Interactions

959 Comments

  1. / Reply

    I’m sure all my questions that I could think of will be asked and answered, so I want to use this space to say “Thank you” to all at Lane’s End for understanding what Zenyatta means to so many people and opening some doors for us to have a window now and again into the lives of Zenny and her colt, and for sharing pictures and videos. We can’t get enough of her, so please forgive us if we always seem to be asking for more. We are never ever going to get “enough” of Zenyatta, and that’s a fact! Now that she has been with you for a year and a half, I know you know first hand what we have all seen and loved for all the years she flew around the track and the way she is with people, especially children. I suspect some Zenyatta fairy dust has fallen on all of you and that you have fallen under her spell, just like we have. She makes grown men weep, she stirs the emotions in a way no one can adequately explain, but those who have experienced it know exactly what we mean. The word “otherworldly” has been used to describe her, and she is that.

    Now that she has one of her own to tend to, she seems more happy and content, which is a tremendous pleasure to witness. The Community of Zenyatta has broadened and continues to grow in many ways: her Facebook page, which is now at an incredible 108,000 fans and still growing!! Many, many “fan” pages and group pages dedicted to Zenny, and of course the Blog and the Forum. “The Zenyatta Effect” is to bring people together in a common adventure and joyful experience. She has always represented the very best part of the sport.

    So, thank you once again for sharing her with us…it means so much.

  2. / Reply

    Lane’s End, what a great learning opportunity you are offering us! I admit, I knew nothing at all about racing, thoroughbreds, etc., when I first came to Zenny’s Diary back when it began. I’m no pro now, but I have been so enlightened by the real pros on this site, and Zenny herself with her former daily diary lessons. It just keeps getting better.
    Zen Baby Boy, you are too darn cute! I wish I was hanging out at the fence with you.
    Zenny, I hope you are well and I’m sending you my love forever.

    suew/VA – “Thriller” would be a cool name, especially if the apple has fallen right next to its Mama’s tree :-)

  3. / Reply

    Congratulations to Lane’s End & Charles & Donna and all the team on a
    successful foaling season!
    Lane’s End Farm on Facebook
    Yesterday, our last foal arrived at 3:30am, a colt with a lovely pedigree – Distorted Humor/Film Maker.
    The cheering from the broodmare crew could be heard all day :)!
    To see a list of all the foals click here
    http://www.lanesend.com/2012/04/2012-foals.html

    • / Reply

      Thanks for sharing that, Keta! I had not seen it yet and Film Maker was one of my favorite race mares for a long time. I’m following her 3 year old,, Film Shot who is by Distorted Humor in my VS, but it is hard to get information on theses mares as we well know. We are so fortunate to have Zenyatta’s great connections continuing to share her with us!!

      • / Reply

        Celeste,
        There is a Question Form at the top of the Blog.
        If you ask Lane’s End to please post a photo of Film Maker and her colt, perhaps they will?
        Just a thought
        Keta

  4. / Reply

    LE, thank you for continuing to keep us involved with the great Zenyatta. The Mosses are very special people to allow us to continue on the marvelous Zenyatta adventure. That little guy has her sweet face and soft eyes. What a handsome foal he is…so much like his mom.
    And the questions…we have no doubt you will receive thousands. There is so much interest in Z, little Z and your beautiful farm.
    To us, Zenyatta is a very spiritual being…her light brightens even the gloomiest day and always rings a huge smile. As her Ann has said many times…she is a gift.

  5. / Reply

    Congrats LE on a very successful foaling season. You “did good” as they say.
    I must admit though, baby Z is the best looking of them all. But then, his mother is the QUEEN.

  6. / Reply

    Ooooh! What a darling picture of our Prince! I can’t believe how big he is (or how much darker his coat has gotten). Thank you SO much to Team Z and the Lane’s End folks for the update and also for the opportunity to pose questions. As others have noted, some of us are real “horse novices,” and although we’ve learned a lot, I’m sure we’re about to learn a lot more about the life and times of a very special broodmare and her colt. High hoof to all involved!!!

  7. / Reply

    @JAG– thank you so much for that link. I have actually had some contact with her. As one of my jobs for Equi-Army, I assigned myself the task of writing to rescues to introduce our group to them. This lady was kind enough to write me back and thank us. There are not enough rewards in the world for these folks who work so hard to save and keep these horses! Thank you for posting!

    @Terry Crow, GP (although the GP may be suspect for knowingly missing a Loudon Wainwright appearance). I get such great mileage out of your jokes by sharing them the next day with my water aerobics class.

  8. / Reply

    LE I love the Q & A idea. Really a very good one. We are always full of questions.

    I would like to ask for more photos of the prince and Zenny. We love looking at them and I hope you can add at least 1 photo a week to the watch Baby Z grow photo post.

    One a week is that too much to ask pretty please with peppermints on top.

    Thanks Sue Love you Z girl and Prince Jr Z

  9. / Reply

    Baby Z that is such a beautiful picture of you. Thank you Lane’s End for sharing so graciously with us.
    @Barbara Wood, wanted to let you know back we didn’t have much bad weather from this last storm. Just a little rain and wind. I heard Jim Cantorie say on TV that there were even people even at the beaches in Ponte Vedra on Monday in North Florida and in St Simmons Island, Ga. We lucked out this time.
    Oh and we had a wonderful Birthday Food Day at Work this month. Just fantastic.
    Only one bad thing happened yesterday. My birthday cake that was suppose to come to me yesterday. The Bakery sent me the wrong cake. They were so sorry and made the right cake today. I got it just a while ago. Looks delicious. Red Velvet. Wish I could share with all of you.
    Oh, and I meant to say Congratulations to Sheik Mohamed for It’s Tricky’s win over the weekend. A million thanks go out to you for sharing her longer with us. I believe he takes good care of his horses and I hope when she goes to Broodmare, Maybe just Maybe I hope he will leave her at Darley.

    • / Reply

      Oh yes, I have a friend that lives in Orlando and they were battening down the hatches yesterday waiting for the storm. Did not come that far inland, though.

        • So glad for you, too. Peggy N.

          Not sure if Houston is going to be in the sights of any Hurricanes this
          year, sure hope not.

        • Oh yes, Ike and Tropical storm Allison and the graze
          by Hurricane Rita, I am going to Austin next storm
          For sure !!!

    • / Reply

      I’m glad you got a birthday cake–my own birthday celebration continued over the weekend when friends took me out to dinner and surprised me with a cake too! How sweet it is! Enjoy your cake! Birthdays only come around once a year…

      • / Reply

        Trina so glad you had a good celebration. And I am so glad you got your cake too. We have to have that cake……………………….

      • / Reply

        Our celebration pictures (videos) still forthcoming in emails, Trina, GF! :-)

  10. / Reply

    Team Z and Zenny – such a wonderful post and picture. Cannot wait to see more of Baby Z running around with Zenny and squeeling! Too CUTE!!

    We love you and miss you, Linda and George

  13. / Reply

    I am showing this Saturday! I’ve been waiting and training for close to a month for this!

    I am very excited, and I am applying to adopt a retiring OTTB and maybe take him to college with me, just have to apply SUPER early or it might
    not be accepted.

    Loving’ me my El Vino! Can’t wait for him to race again! I have to post the rest of the pictures I took of him from Vanity Day 2011…

    I might just cheat and send ALL my questions in, under a pseudonym of course! ;-P

    Does anyone love Gone with the Wind as much as I do? I read the book and watched the movie and I am thoroughly convinced that I want a husband like Rhett. LOL

    • / Reply

      Pati- good luck at your show! Let us know how it goes :)
      I read a very interesting book a few years ago about Margaret Mitchell and how and why she wrote the book. I can’t remember the title- maybe someone else can?? One factoid: she wrote the book from back to front, starting with the end of the story. Sounds really hard to me!

      • / Reply

        Margaret Mitchell lived in Atlanta and her house is still preserved to this day and private tours are given by appointment. Interesting fact about the book – the heroine’s name was Pansy – can you believe that? It was changed to Scarlett for the movie. Margaret Mitchell was born to a well-to-do family and was supposed to be a debutante but eschewed that altogether. She wound up being socially ostracized by the upper class in Atlanta. She had the last laugh by writing one of the most publicized, printed and loved books in history. Take that upper-class Atlanta! Clark Gable had to be forced to play the part of Rhett. He said he wasn’t comfortable with the character and didn’t want to do it. Vivien Leigh was chosen for Scarlett after the movie had started filming. Every up and coming female star and starlett in Hollywood tried out for the part but none seemed “right” for the part. Vivien Leigh was English. Good job of hiding that accent in the movie. I used to have a coffee table book called “Scarlett Fever” that I read several times. It had great insight into the book and filming of the movie and some equally great pictures. My dog chewed it up and I never could find another copy of it.

        • When your dog got a hold of that book, it was gone with the wind. Some interesting facts here. I understand that Vivian Leigh did not enjoy kissing Clark Gable because of his teeth. As I recall, she was married to Laurence Olivier at the time.

        • Did it change also for the original book? I have two copies of GWTW and they both have Scarlett as the heroine? Thank you, very interesting!

        • Terry and Karen: I know she lived with Olivier a long time but I don’t know when they actually got married. Karen, you’re probably right about the name change. It was probably changed for the book printing. I do know she used Pansy when she was writing the book.

  14. / Reply

    Re: Auntie Judy aka JAG’s link relating to “Little Lady offers haven for scarred horses”….. Thank you for this link! Upon reviewing the video and its associated webcite “Brighterdayshorserefuge.org” to make a donation, I came across an interesting way to donate to this farm via an organization called iGive. You can link into it when you hit the donate button on the Brighter days webcite or even GOOGLE it for more info. iGive allows you to pick an affiliated charity of YOUR CHOICE and this farm is one of the choices. Donations are made to your selected charity by merchants that you may shop with based upon your purchases. The donation link is self explanatory and involves a simple free download. There are many VERY WELL KNOWN associated merchants including hotel chains and airlines that many use. (even my favorite TV shopping network) So if you are making a purchase, taking a vacation, have an upcoming hotel stay,etc. using iGive is a way to help out this farm or whatever charity you may choose by just shopping!!!. I set myself up today! Have a great day. GO Mario and “I’ll HAVE ANOTHER – it would be so great to have a Triple Crown winner!!!!

  15. / Reply

    love your photo Baby (huh?) Z… give our thanks to your mama’s team for showing you off! :)

    More another time–just checking in for now. Evening greetings to all! :-)

  17. / Reply

    Dear Lane’s End – Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to ask “all things Zen and Zenny’s little Prince….. I’m sure there will be lots of them. Now, hear I am and can’t think of one. I have had many, and hopefully one or two will come to me!!! You truly care about her fans and we appreciate all you do for all your horses.

    Little Prince playing Peek-a-Boo. He is truly a good-looking baby….

  19. / Reply

    Doris- I am so glad to hear from you! Glad McDude is well. That must have been so scary! How kind of you to take in Tucker. I laughed at your naming trials and tribulations! I love what you came up with, though. What a lucky boy!

  20. / Reply

    Dear Team Z/ LE,
    Thank you for all you are doing for us and Zenyatta AND little z. He has that indescribable look of a baby (of any species) who is well taken care of and much- loved.

  22. / Reply

    Hi Everyone!

    I noticed yesterday that some great videos featuring Queen Z have very few
    Utube “hits”, while others have several thousand views. In case you guys
    haven’t seen these touching tributes to our beautiful champion, try searching
    “Zenyatta’s Race for the Ages” ( produced by the Oaklawn Jockey Club ) and
    “Zenyatta – a living legend”. I also enjoyed another one called “Dancing Queen”, submitted by “animalsrockforlove”, which shows her prancing and swaying to
    ABBA’s old hit song.
    Thank you all for confessing that you too, have watched replays of the 2009
    BC Classic dozens of times! I thought I was a little crazy for wanting to re-live
    that magic moment over and over. I guess we horse lovers are hopelessly
    attracted to the courage and grace of these majestic creatures.
    Bless you all and have a happy summer!

    • / Reply

      Animalsrockforlove was/is the moniker for Kari Bussell, one of, if not the, most treasured celestial members of the old diary. We all miss her here.

    • / Reply

      can’t even kept count of how many times I’ve watched the rerun of the 2009 BC Classic – one for the ages, for sure!!!

        • Terry, I could see the end of Z’s movie as 12Z running across the paddock squealing for joy. That sort of says it all for me.

        • Your idea is much better than mine. Mr. Demille-Sharon is ready for her close-up.

        • I thought Zenyatta winning the BC classic should be the end. The idea of 12Z running across the screen was the brainchild of our newest chapter president, Sharon in Atlanta. Her idea is far superior.

    • / Reply

      @zeebest, Kari’s daughter, Ashton, has continued Kari’s labor of love with some beautiful musical tributes. She sometimes posts under Kari’s YouTube channel, and Ashton also has a channel of her own.

  23. / Reply

    OK, I thought about leaving this in a reply to either Vicki B or signofthetimes but I thought it merited a separate post. I have scoured the entertainment section of the Los Angeles Times and, to my chagrin, there is no review, as of yet, of the appearance by Loudon Wainwright last night. Perhaps later. However, if you are a fan of Shaggy there is one. And, if you wish to bid on Elvis’ crypt, the opening bid is $100,000. The crypt is where his body was kept until it was moved to Graceland. You will all be happy to know that Justin Bieber has a new record out, there is a new Asiatic rapper, and old people do not smell so bad after all. No wonder I don’t get out much and, after reading this stuff, I have the sudden urge to take a shower.

      • / Reply

        Sally, all the things I cited are actually in the entertainment section of the Times. I guess I am getting old. Now when I fall asleep people wonder if I’m dead.

        • So Terry, do you fall asleep in your chair in front of the computer?
          And, that hard head bob wakes you up?
          And, there are a bunch of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz on the screen?
          Just asking
          Keta

    • / Reply

      Love this comment TC, strange no review of
      The concert, could be good or bad.

      Hope you had a great shower !!!!

      • / Reply

        It’s very sad that Billy Turner, the trainer of Seattle Slew, has very few horses and is just scraping by. Slew was quite a handful and to get him to the track must have been some job. Steve Haskin had quite an article in Bloodhorse about Turner.
        Even if the owners forget, the other trainers should let him co-train their difficult or misunderstood horses. Nick Zito sends Jackson Bend back to his original trainer in Miami every now and again. And it would make sense to me for the West Coast trainers to send their horses to him that they want to run in NY.

        • Terri,
          I loved this part,
          “There’s a big difference between I’ll Have Another and Slew,” he said. “The reason I worked Slew the way I did wasn’t for fitness, it was for his exuberance. I wanted to take a little of the edge off him.
          I agree Terri, he is the key in training those most exuberant horses.
          I love the Billy Turners of racing,wish he could have another great!!

      • / Reply

        It seems bizarre, that more owners have not gone to Billy Turner for help. They must either think all the years have dimmed his experience, or that his success was luck. Fine, but without investigating the truth for themselves, as O’Neill seems inclined to do, they simply “stay ignorant”.

        • I think Billy Turner’s alcohol issues did him
          In.

        • Ah, well, that’s another issue. If he’s still in that, it’s just a sad waste.

        • I do admire O’Neill for taking the time and hashing over the wisdom.
          Billy can get into the head of these horses, where some don’t even take the time. I’d still take a Billy, than some that are all styling and profiling.

          Maybe he will get that one horse to save him,or he will save the horse,can’t stop dreaming. That why we have horses.

    • / Reply

      There are only a dozen or so burning. Please take a minute and visit the site.
      Thanks JAG for noticing.

    • / Reply

      JAG
      Thanks for the reminder
      I lite two–one: Remembering Kari and one: Buck & all who crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
      Hugs
      Keta

    • / Reply

      Hello Judy:

      We need to light a candle for I’ll Have Another, his jockey and his connections.
      I pray he will be safe and prove to the world what a great horse he is.

      Hugs, Marilu

  26. / Reply

    Peek-a-boo!!! Love this photo of adorable 12z; thankyou Team Z!!! I have many questions, I will have to narrow things down to a couple I suppose. Planning to take the time to answer these questions is so much appreciated. I can’t wait for a picture of our Z picking them out, getting them slightly goobered or with teeth marks!!! love it!!! Love Z!! love her prince charming!!! This is exciting!!
    Sending love & kisses for Zenyatta and 12z on their soft noses
    Auntie Sally

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