America's Queen Z

By Amy Wilson
awilson1@herald-leader.com
LOUISVILLE — Children wept. And so did grown-ups, the ones who had come from Nebraska and Minnesota and California and Maryland to see their girl, Zenyatta, run one more, only to lose by one stride.

This was not what they had planned when they came to Kentucky's Churchill Downs on Saturday morning in triumphant glee.

"She's still a powerhouse," said Beth Shakan of Annapolis, Md. "This changes nothing."

As she said that, Erica Harris of Omaha, Neb., stood next to her in the dark and cried.

The day had started with all the promise of the tall beauty retiring from racing having never lost a single race. Cheryl Williams tried early Saturday to entice Breeders' Cup patrons who wanted to park their cars with a sign that read only: "See Zenyatta."

Just across from Williams' front yard — now a dozen parking spaces selling for $20 apiece — you had a perfect view of Barn 41's little paddock and, in it, the then-19-0, 17-hands tall beauty noshing some grass hours before what could have been her greatest triumph.

"Half of the drivers don't believe me," Williams said, "because it's too good to be true." Williams was positively giddy, cashing in as she was on the zeal that belonged exclusively to this horse and to this moment and to what many believed was the chance to see the final run of the horse who could very well turn out to be the greatest this century would know.

Next door, with lesser views of Barn 41, the going rate was $15.

Inside the Downs, the Breeders' Cup, renowned for its lack of Kentucky Derby millinery, saw the rules relaxed for Zenyatta's followers.

Dressed in boa-trimmed hats, replete with silver crowns and horse ears, wrapped in pink scarves and wearing what amounted to Zenyatta jerseys, six friends from five states who met on an Internet fantasy horse racing club came together yet again to see their favorite horse.

"We love her," they said almost in unison, explaining that they'd met her in person, given her a four-pack of Guinness beer, let her eat their flashy hats and were even allowed in the winner's circle at Hollywood Park where Diana Carreon of Venice Beach, Calif., got to raise a sign that read: "Zenyatta for Governor."

Inside the Churchill Downs shop Saturday afternoon, people were upset that Zenyatta merchandise sold out early in the morning. That made Leslie Sworsky and Carol Hanson, two Minnesota high school teachers, look prescient by designing their own T-shirts to wear Saturday. "Hail to the Queen" read the front of the shirt; "You'll tell your grandkids you saw her run" read the back.

The teachers took a day off work Friday, driving all day, crying when they saw the Twin Spires Saturday morning. Both women have loved horses for a long time, but only really began to follow Zenyatta when they heard a story about her on NPR a year ago. They said they just fell in love instantly.

"We both were in high school for Secretariat," said Sworsky. "That feeling hasn't come around for us since then. We were destroyed by what happened to Ruffian, Eight Belles and Barbaro. This horse is just joyful. This business needs this."

Because this was the Breeders' Cup, there was talk about business even when there was talk about joy, and it was coming from those with pink feathers and plastic horses in a field of teal grass on their heads.

"This is what horse racing should be about," said Nebraska's Harris before the race. "She was given time to grow into her body and be the racehorse she was supposed to be."

Harris was the most visible of fans, her hat marking each of the largest races with tiny banners and signs. She became engaged to Jeremiah Johnson just before Zenyatta's win at Del Mar. Her engagement ring is two intertwined, diamond-studded horse shoes.

Shakan, her friend from Maryland, met Erica and Jeremiah that day at Del Mar. They have become great friends, attending all the races Zenyatta's run since.

"We have met so many people," said Shakan. "I don't want to see it end."

Standing nearby was friend Jamie Harris of Louisville who added, almost as an afterthought: "But Kentucky needs Zenyatta to win, so we can get over the loss of Secretariat. It's time."

It was not time this time.

As a horse with the impossibly ironic name of Blame won, the Churchill Downs crowd at first hardly knew how to behave. There was a stunned silence.

"No one clapped for her," said Shakan, dismayed that she did not again hear the roar of Churchill Downs crowd call Zenyatta's name and see it rise to its feet for her as she crossed the wire.

"Why not?" she asked, then answered it herself: "To be all that, that's a lot of pressure for one horse."