Zenyatta News

Kelly Ann · Tue Jun 02, 2015 2:38 pm

I feel sorry for Coolmore at this point. I can only imagine the barrage of Zenyatta fanatics that were calling, emailing and stalking them.

It's no wonder so many farms are so very reluctant to provide much, if any, information. Can't say I blame them at all.

serenassong · Tue Jun 02, 2015 2:51 pm

Kelly Ann wrote:I feel sorry for Coolmore at this point. I can only imagine the barrage of Zenyatta fanatics that were calling, emailing and stalking them.

It's no wonder so many farms are so very reluctant to provide much, if any, information. Can't say I blame them at all.

I don't either. This may be the last news we get on a high profile mare, with the crazies coming out of the woodwork on this one. Some of these people have no respect for the idea of a working farm and how bad things can happen to the most loved, deeply cared for horses. I'm sure they did everything they could to save her and then some.

BaroqueAgain1 · Tue Jun 02, 2015 2:53 pm

There are now official articles on sites like Bloodhorse and Paulick.
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... x-has-died
http://www.paulickreport.com/news/blood ... atta-dies/

TBird · Tue Jun 02, 2015 3:27 pm

And Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... nt_count=1

Macaroni · Tue Jun 02, 2015 3:28 pm

While I know there are definitely a bunch of crazies out there, I can't say I feel that bad for Coolmore. Sure they're not obligated to make an announcement about this, but it would have been nice considering what a prominent broodmare she was. Even if they didn't announce it when it happened, for them to keep it hush-hush for almost 2 years is remarkable.

Regardless, though, a lot of the craziness surrounding this whole thing wasn't just because they weren't announcing it, it was because their manager, Dermot Ryan, was sending fans reply emails with INCORRECT INFORMATION. If Coolmore wants to keep things quiet, fine, but then they shouldn't be responding to these fans' inquiries, and they ESPECIALLY should check their facts before replying to fans' inquiries with false information. I do appreciate his responsiveness, but if you're a part of a business and you're trying to not start hubbub, you should be checking facts before sending emails like that. The whole "you've made your bed, now you have to lie in it" and all that. Just my two cents.

Life At Zen · Tue Jun 02, 2015 3:41 pm

Kelly Ann wrote:I feel sorry for Coolmore at this point. I can only imagine the barrage of Zenyatta fanatics that were calling, emailing and stalking them.

It's no wonder so many farms are so very reluctant to provide much, if any, information. Can't say I blame them at all.

There's always going to be crazies, you can't avoid them. I think the confusion and frustration could've been solved if they simply released this news piece when she died. Did they think people wouldn't find out eventually and be upset about it? For such a high profile mare they should've known better. I understand they have a right to privacy but times have changed and horse racing is now much more intimate now than it was in the past. We have Facebook and Twitter and we are kept constantly in the know. Strictly from a public relations point of view, it would have benefited them to release this news sooner.

I'm surprised we didn't hear this sooner, but I'm not raging at Coolmore for what they did. I just think they could've handled it better.

CoronadosQuest · Tue Jun 02, 2015 3:59 pm

There are probably a lot of dams of G1 winners that die and we don't hear a peep about them nor do people go crazy on the farm that owned them. However, they are also not the dams of Zenyatta so people probably care a lot less (aka they dont have Zenyatta fans)

Macaroni · Tue Jun 02, 2015 4:06 pm

CoronadosQuest wrote:There are probably a lot of dams of G1 winners that die and we don't hear a peep about them nor do people go crazy on the farm that owned them. However, they are also not the dams of Zenyatta so people probably care a lot less (aka they dont have Zenyatta fans)

At the same time, though, dams of G1 winners are usually barely mentioned. Vertingineux was very much brought into the spotlight with Zenyatta - Dottie/the Mosses posted about her several times on Z's website, among other things, so she was placed more prominently in front of fans than most dams are, which is part of the reason why this received more attention than it would if it was any other G1-producing mare.

mariasmon · Tue Jun 02, 2015 4:12 pm

Macaroni wrote:
CoronadosQuest wrote:There are probably a lot of dams of G1 winners that die and we don't hear a peep about them nor do people go crazy on the farm that owned them. However, they are also not the dams of Zenyatta so people probably care a lot less (aka they dont have Zenyatta fans)
At the same time, though, dams of G1 winners are usually barely mentioned. Vertingineux was very much brought into the spotlight with Zenyatta - Dottie/the Mosses posted about her several times on Z's website, among other things, so she was placed more prominently in front of fans than most dams are, which is part of the reason why this received more attention than it would if it was any other G1-producing mare.

Better Than Honour. Just saying.

Colonel John · Tue Jun 02, 2015 4:24 pm

Kelly Ann wrote:I feel sorry for Coolmore at this point. I can only imagine the barrage of Zenyatta fanatics that were calling, emailing and stalking them.

It's no wonder so many farms are so very reluctant to provide much, if any, information. Can't say I blame them at all.

Personally, I'm not feeling sorry for them at all. It shouldn't be that hard to put out a short blurb on the death of the dam of a VERY popular racehorse on their own website or through someone else's. That would've stopped all speculations and inquiries a long time ago.

Macaroni · Tue Jun 02, 2015 4:27 pm

mariasmon wrote:
Macaroni wrote:
CoronadosQuest wrote:There are probably a lot of dams of G1 winners that die and we don't hear a peep about them nor do people go crazy on the farm that owned them. However, they are also not the dams of Zenyatta so people probably care a lot less (aka they dont have Zenyatta fans)
At the same time, though, dams of G1 winners are usually barely mentioned. Vertingineux was very much brought into the spotlight with Zenyatta - Dottie/the Mosses posted about her several times on Z's website, among other things, so she was placed more prominently in front of fans than most dams are, which is part of the reason why this received more attention than it would if it was any other G1-producing mare.
Better Than Honour. Just saying.

Wait, what about Better Than Honour? I mean, I'd probably expect a death announcement for BTH when the time comes, but the way the fanbases for her progeny work seem to be very different from how the fanbases for Vertigineux's progeny work, but a lack of announcement for BTH would surprise me less than a lack of announcement for Vertigineux. Also, in response to the OP...you can't really compare past G1s and their dams to a G1 like Zenyatta and her dam, apples and oranges. It's not about "Zenyatta fans" and their supposed craziness so much as it's about the fact that Zenyatta was a much more widely celebrated G1 winner than most G1 winning horses.

CoronadosQuest · Tue Jun 02, 2015 4:28 pm

Do you think there will be an announcement when Rachel's dam dies?

Macaroni · Tue Jun 02, 2015 4:29 pm

CoronadosQuest wrote:Do you think there will be an announcement when Rachel's dam dies?

Don't know, but if she dies and 2 years later fans find out merely through rumors and no official announcement, I'd expect a similar sort of reaction

amfuller · Tue Jun 02, 2015 6:14 pm

I agree. She wasn't just a G1 winning producing mare, she was Zenyatta's dam. Coolmore could have saved themselves from the "crazies" by make a brief statement 2 years ago. Of course people are going to start wondering why there has been no report of V foaling her Tapit foal or being rebred in 2014 or 2015, so I don't blame them for trying to find out what was going on. I know it's just a business to Coolmore.

flytpthestars · Tue Jun 02, 2015 6:48 pm

Anor her update abt her, prior her sale to Coolmore, there is a clause that she is to be buried at Winter Quarter farm once her time comes... and that is not to be. I got a response ftom the farm that they didnt find out abt her until this spring about her passing. What a low point in not honoring her prior owner wishes.

amfuller · Tue Jun 02, 2015 9:06 pm

flytpthestars wrote:Anor her update abt her, prior her sale to Coolmore, there is a clause that she is to be buried at Winter Quarter farm once her time comes... and that is not to be. I got a response ftom the farm that they didnt find out abt her until this spring about her passing. What a low point in not honoring her prior owner wishes.

wow.

BaroqueAgain1 · Tue Jun 02, 2015 11:15 pm

Maybe Coolmore had her buried at Ashford? If she'd been in Ireland, there's a chance that her remains would have just been hauled off by the knackers.

sweettalk · Wed Jun 03, 2015 12:36 am

if she'd been bred to tapit i don't imagine they'd have shipped her to ireland, but they sort of do their own thing. what weird circumstances.

Life At Zen · Wed Jun 03, 2015 9:24 am

BaroqueAgain1 wrote:Maybe Coolmore had her buried at Ashford? If she'd been in Ireland, there's a chance that her remains would have just been hauled off by the knackers.

She was at Ashford.

CoronadosQuest · Wed Jun 03, 2015 9:39 am

Im going to assume she was euthanized at the equine hospital/clinic where she was taken to try and be saved? When a horse gets euthanized there, do they get the option to take the body somewhere else for it to be buried? I've never owned a horse so Im not sure how equine hospitals like that work when they lose a patient.