One for the Ages

Let me start out by saying if you were not fortunate enough to watch the whole spectacle, then you were cheated of one of the finest examples of Americana left today. The other professional sports can take a back seat to America's Queen...Nothing , and i mean NOTHING like this has ever happened in this sport or any sport. Never has there been this kind of outpouring of love for a retiring champion on the cusp of their last match, game, fight etc etc.........i implore you to get to you tube and try to catch the the walk from barn 41 to the paddock....ESPN deserves a medal for having the foresight to televise a part of horse racing that has never been talked about or shown on TV, even folks at the track are not usually locked in to this exhibition, namely because it is an insignificant non-event...the horses are lead from the barn onto the track counterclockwise past the finish line , through the tunnel and into the paddock wearing their aprons, no numbers or silks, some of them unrecognizable......until yesterday.

There were 3 police officers there to escort her and the handler , Queen Z was already dancing , playing with her two front legs , scratching at the dirt and showboating like Cassius Clay , words don't do it justice , it was a sight to behold.The crowd swell started early , up along the clubhouse turn, usually the quietest part of the track, they were buzzing , shouts and cat calls of "ZENYATTA".
As they made their way towards the grandstand the cheering started , now she was hopping around, bouncing if you will , the tunnel was lined with Breeders officials, Press, and those lucky enough to sneak a peak at the champ as she passed. When she emerged into the Paddock it was New Years Eve and the stroke of midnight, an absolute joyful roar , flags, banners, posters, flashbulbs, cheers and applause....all for one girl, THE QUEEN of AMERICA this day. Don't take my word for it, Bob Baffert and Nick Zito both interviewed in the paddock said they had never seen anything like this BEFORE a race....NOTHING.

This field was deep, certainly the toughest she had ever faced, all battle tested males from the triple crown and stakes races across the land, no slouches here, if she falls far behind like she always does, she's toast today.

I really love this horse, she amazes me, and have the utmost respect for her will to win and ability to find a way. I have had the pleasure watching her the past two years on TVG and i never bet her , i like to too much, she should not have to bear the jinx of my wager on her huge shoulders.

And there off ! she slides to the rail behind the pack as always , but still right there, as they round the clubhouse turn she is fading , Mike Smith asks her to step it up early, perhaps realizing she can't play around today , but little response. the field is in 3 packs....the lead 4 , a big gap to the next 7 , and an even bigger gap to Zenyatta.......i forget about my dopey horse Lookin at Lucky and I am fixated on Zenyatta.....she doesn't have it today, a pit in my stomach, so sad, she is not even going to make a real run.....around the far turn and onto the stretch i am focusin on Lucky.....he is 4 wide with nobody in front, just explode down the stretch and we got it ......but Blame is pulling away and all I can hope for is 2nd....and the track announcer shouts "Zenyatta is making here move" no way.....she is zigzagging through a minefield of horses and now is on outside still about 6 lenghts with 200 yards to go....with every stride she is closing the gap , and BLAME aint quitting, with Ga Go, Garret Gomez uptop he has the best jockey in the land, but Mike Smith and Queen Z are barreling down the stretch...3 lengths , 2 lengths 1 length, 1/2 length and she is just about to pass......FLASH ! they hit the wire.

The sight of this girl standing on the track, covered in mud , and somewhat confused that they were not going to the winners circle was too much. Mike Smith leaned forward and kissed her neck before the dismount, it was unfamiliar waters for both of them, for the 1st time is her life, the first time in an unbelieveable 20 races, she was not getting the flower blanket, it was almost too much to bear.

Mike Smith stated before the race that he would give back all his accomplishments over the years for this race, he wanted it for her , more than any other race in his life, he is a deeply religious man and a true gentlemen , a figure we don't often encounter in professional sports, you won't see him on a Nike commercial, he doesn't have that street edge that thugs, coke dealers and the sneaker buying populace seem
to love . And when it was over he wept , he didn't refuse to speak to the media, instead he went to the dais, broke down and blamed himself for the ride , he didn't use any of the excuses that were at his disposal, the stiff competition, the unfamiliar dirt surface, the cold weather for a Cali girl, the first time racing under the lights, the excitement of 75K fans...nope, none of it , it was his fault and he just hopes she still goes down in history as one of the all time greats.

I misspoke on this blog a while back, although i was always in Zenyatta's camp, i mistakenly said that the excitement that followed Rachel was unmatched, the truth is because I saw Rachel in person on 3 occasions I had a chance to see first hand what the buzz was, Saturday I saw on TV the infectious following of Americas Queen...she is not only the greatest Female Horse of All time, and one of the Greatest Race Horses of all time , she is the biggest Equine Rock Star of them all. The outpouring for Barbaro was unprecedented, but it took a tragedy to unfold, in some ways Barbaro may deserve credit for this new American public that has taken to the races, I wonder how many of the gals at Churchill first started following racing after the Barbaro saga.

And I close , if you didn't see it live on Saturday, i feel bad for you , because I doubt we will ever see anything like it again........Thank you Zenyatta for saving our sport.