Courtesy Liz Palika
Zenyatta stops to discover the bunch roar .
Urban farmers may have less land to influence with than rural Farmer and may spend their daylight heed to car horns honking or else of birds blab out in the trees , but we have one reward over our country brethren : We have accession to a lot of coolheaded stuff .
This reality was fetch home to me this weekend when I had the opportunity to see one of the greatest horse of all prison term live and in the flesh . Her name is Zenyatta , and she blew me away .
Thanks to my friend Gina Spadafori , book author , Pet Connection blogger and Sacramento urban farmer extraordinaire ( read about her newchicken coop ) , Randy and I were treat to box tush at the stretchiness endure at the picturesque Del Mar Thoroughbred Club , just north of San Diego . The destination was to see Zenyatta in the ninth race . She ’s noted among racing fans because she has never lose a slipstream . And she runs against boys , too .
Being a gymnastic horse lover , I could n’t overtake up the chance . I had get word of Zenyatta , but did n’t know much about her . As a kid , I was a huge racing fan and had the privilege of seeing the great Secretariat win the Triple Crown on TV . But over the year , my interest in the sport waned because I start to question the way bangtail were treated . I continued to watch the Triple Crown backwash on video every class until I saw Barbaro break his stage in the Preakness . After that , I was literally afraid to ascertain the races .
But I could n’t pass up this chance to see my fellow urban farmer Gina and spend a day outside at a beautiful racetrack . And I figured it might be cool to see this famous racehorse I kept listen so much about . I had no idea I would be moved nearly to split when I saw her .
Turns out Zenyatta is no ordinary sawbuck . My first glimpse of her was on the big screen in the infield as the camera come after her through the paddock . This is where she began to do herfamous strut , something I had n’t hear about before . Seems on her own , she one day start to do a Spanish walk , a move unremarkably reserved for showy Andalusians in breed exposition . Now it ’s a habit and a something Zenyatta does before every race . Wow !
Zenyatta then come onto the caterpillar track as she and the small field of horses that dared to challenge her made their room to the start logic gate . Unlike most bangtail , who ruffle nervously to the logic gate in anticipation of what is to come , Zenyatta walk proudly , head up , ears pricked . I note right away she had a dissimilar air to her than the other horses , but when she suddenly stopped , look at the crowd and listen with ears cocked as the crew roared in adulation . I knew this was a very special sawhorse .
She did this a few time on her way to the gate , deliberately sending the crowd into a tizzy every clock time . There is no doubt in my mind that this mare have sex these thousands of people were here to see her , and she loved it .
The race itself was typical for Zenyatta . She had been lend out of retirement by her owner just so we could see her win her 18th airstream out of 18 starts . She came from behind in the stretchiness and flew past the other horses , her ears pricked , her chief high than all the other Equus caballus .
Although I sometimes lament that I do n’t live out in the rural area where the aviation is fresh and the rate is slow , this was one day I was happy to be an urbanite . If did n’t be among the concourse , I would not have had such well-heeled approach to the amazing Zenyatta .
scan more of City Stock »
