While I no longer update this blog, you can post news, read news, talk about races and schedules and just talk to each other over at our Facebook page, which is still going strong thanks to all of John Shirreffs' racing fans.
This, sadly, is a farewell post.
The circumstances of my life are such that I can no longer continue to keep this blog going.
You have probably noticed that posts have been extremely slow since the holidays. I haven't had time.
It has absolutely nothing to do with my relationship with John Shirreffs and this ending is not at his request. It's just life. As I said in the previous post, John Shirreffs does want to maintain a lower profile than he experienced while training Zenyatta. Because of his success with the Queen, I would expect he probably wants some time out of the spotlight, to just train his horses without feeling like he's under a magnifying glass. He is not shutting out the fans in any way because you are so vital to the sport. I am just withdrawing my contribution here.
For me to do everything I need to do in my personal and professional life, it does not leave room for me to hang out and follow horses/a trainer at the track, edit photos and write about it, as much as I would love to. Because I am not paid to do this, it also costs me money out of my own pocket that I cannot afford.
Thank you so much for reading and sharing your excitement! Racehorses are extraordinary creatures; horse racing an extraordinary sport. There is plenty of information on the web to keep you fully informed.
Many pages exist on Facebook. Please take a look at the "Favorite Pages" on our Facebook page.
"Liking" them will add a ton of daily information to your Facebook news feed!
There are also links to horse racing news on the Links page right here.
I will keep this site up for a while, but I will not add any new information. The Facebook page will stay up for a while, too.
And remember, although Zenyatta came out of this barn and she captured our hearts, there are so many other talented horses, racing under the guidance of other trainers!
Personally, I'm pretty excited about Uncle Mo for the Kentucky Derby.
Thanks again and I'll see you at the races!
-M
Zenyatta and her connections were honored Saturday, Feb. 5, 2010, at Santa Anita Park and presented with the first Vox Populi award created by Penny Chenery, owner of the great Triple Crown winner, Secretariat.
From left: Announcer, Jerry Moss, Ann Moss, Penny Chenery, Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, John Shirreffs, Kate Tweedy.
The award's name means "voice of the people" in Latin. Zenyatta was definitely the people's horse! Video of her races and of her at Lane's End were shown.
Fans lined up to have their posters and other things signed by Zenyatta's trainer, John Shirreffs, his wife and racing manager Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, Mike Smith, Jerry and Ann Moss and Kate Tweedy (Penny Chenery's daughter). Penny Chenery was not available to meet while I was there, she was off giving interviews.
Before the award presentation, another Moss-owned filly named Zazu won the Las Virgenes Stakes. Zazu is not in Shirreffs' barn, trained instead by John Sadler. As racing manager for the Mosses, Dottie expressed that they wanted to be good to other trainers (besides her husband) as well.
Zazu breaks from the gate on the outside (post position #7).
She drops to the back of the pack early, letting others set the pace
And she moves up to lead Turbulent Descent coming down the home stretch.
Zazu gallops away with the win.
Hollywood Park is quiet now that racing has moved to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, CA. Shirreffs splits his time between the tracks and while he has moved many in his string up to Santa Anita, he still has a barn full of horses back at his home base in Inglewood.
If you haven't been to Santa Anita Park, it's a beautiful track with the San Gabriel mountains providing a senic backdrop. When a storm blows through, the peaks can be covered in snow while the horses race on the track below where it's dry.
When I visited Santa Anita, Shirreffs was instead spending the day at his home track in Inglewood so I spent my time getting a feel for the barn and the people, the grounds and chatting (in French sometimes) with Isabelle - one of Shirreffs' exercise riders who is originally from France.
Exercise saddles left over from the morning's workouts, waiting to be cleaned and put away.
Without Shirreffs' presence that day, I didn't hear his plans for the horses he brought to the meet but I did see that Mr. Commons is back home at Hollywood Park after breaking his maiden, but Harmonious is stabled at Santa Anita right now.
One thing I saw when I first walked in is that the backside here is much busier than Hollywood Park! The barns are placed fairly close together and horses, riders, grooms and hotwalkers are not at a loss for things to do.
As a rider, Isabelle said she likes the new track surface so maybe that was a big draw for trainers this year? I'll have to find out.
And, before I forget, the image that was on Zenyatta's saddle during her Appreciation Day at Hollywood Park in December was a sepia-toned black and white print of Zenyatta walking in front of the grandstand at Del Mar, after she won the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes this past August, 2010. John Shirreffs chose it because you could see all of Zenyatta's fans filling the grandstand behind her. About his decision to place it on her saddle that day he said, "Because her fans meant so much to her, well, let her carry as many fans as she can!"
*** After the media circus that surrounded this barn during Zenyatta's reign, everyone wants to have some breathing room and be a lot more low-key. I defintely want to respect that. I'll still have information and news for you but the barn will be less of an open book than it's been. I hope you understand. ***
We are so happy Zenyatta's accomplishments were acknowledged with this 2010 Horse of the Year award, and our biggest congratualtions to all of her connections for her Older Female and their Special Eclipse award, too!
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