I have a word in my arsenal that can start conversations about horse racing with people who have never bet a nickel on the nose of a horse.
It’s a great word.
“Zenyatta.”
For those of you who struggle to define the allure of horse racing to non-enthusiasts, Zenyatta is a fun character to parade around in discussions at cocktail parties.
Why? Zenyatta appeals to pop culture and makes horse racing relatable to non-enthusiasts.
In a perfect world, I would live in a place where all my friends followed horse racing.
My social calendar would be full of trackside parties in which guests wore their handicapping picks as an icebreaker on their nametag.
However, I am young and live in Chicago.
And, until Zenyatta, any mention of horse racing to people in my age group led to blank stares and a quick change in topic.
Then, Zenyatta showed up and did something brand new for the modern era of racing.
Instead of trying to lure non-enthusiasts to the race track, Zenyatta stomped out into mainstream culture and joined the party.
I have to admit - she’s a sharp girl at marketing.
Zenyatta joined Facebook and made some new friends.
This was no small adventure.
According to Facebook, the average user has 130 friends.
In contrast, Zenyatta has amassed roughly 15,500 friends on her fan page.
As for her friends, Zenyatta started hanging out with people in the younger crowd. The highest age demographic on Facebook currently falls between ages 18 through 44.
Regarding her connections, they embraced Zenyatta’s new friends and lifestyle.
Her trainer, John Shirreffs, started a YouTube channel so that her fans could watch Zenyatta’s activities from their home computer.
On YouTube, Zenyatta’s friends can experience a workout between Zenyatta and her stable mate, Green Cat.
Since the video was posted by Shirreffs, over 83,000 fans have taken a virtual ride on the back of Zenyatta.
In another YouTube video, Shirreffs gives Zenyatta a Guinness beer while she is relaxing after a workout.
The clip of Zenyatta drinking a Guinness, initially posted by Shirreffs, generated nearly 4,700 views.
Apparently, many of Zenyatta’s friends enjoy meeting up with her for a drink.
However, Zenyatta is perhaps best-known for her dancing – which is catalogued in many videos across YouTube.
In the pre-race television broadcast of the 2009 Breeder’s Cup, an entire segment was devoted to Zenyatta’s dance moves. The network coverage of her dancing has since been viewed on YouTube by nearly 50,000 fans.
However, dancing appears to come easily to Zenyatta with the musical background provided by her ownership – Jerry Moss, co-founder of A & M Records.
Her name itself speaks volumes in this regard.
Zenyatta is named after the album, “Zenyatta Mondatta,” in recognition of Moss signing the band The Police to A & M Records.
But, Zenyatta doesn’t stop on the dance floor.
She has learned to paint pictures for auction to help fund Thoroughbred rescue efforts.
And, Zenyatta recently started marketing for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.
Near her home base of Hollywood Park, a billboard stands at the corner of 106th and Hawthorne Avenue.
The billboard features Zenyatta’s familiar mug shot, with the caption, “This Is My Town,” as a marketi
ng promotion for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Take a minute and think about the victory embodied in that billboard.
A race horse is doing the marketing for baseball - one of the most popular sports in the United States.
Yet, Zenyatta’s crossover endeavors have not detracted from her racing talent.
As Zenyatta approaches the Vanity Handicap, she sets out to become the only race horse to remain undefeated in seventeen unrestricted top-level races in North America.
If she wins, she’ll make racing history for the third time in her career – having already captured two Breeder’s Cup records.
However, win or lose, Zenyatta has set a model for the industry to attract newcomers to the sport.
It’s simple: Zenyatta didn’t ask non-enthusiasts of racing to come to the track for a visit.
Instead, she waltzed in the world of pop culture and drew public attention to her sport.
Zenyatta embraced the Facebook trend, danced across the television screen, painted pictures for charity and offered a virtual “racehorse ride” on YouTube.
When she finished marketing her profession, she went back to her stable, drank a Guinness Beer and waited for her next start in the Apple Blossom.
And, in the end, people came to visit Zenyatta at the race track.
The hotels in Hot Springs, Arkansas were booked solid.
Fans stood outside the airport as she exited the plane.
They showed up in droves.
Official attendance for the 2010 Apple Blossom was recorded at 44,973 people – more than double the 21,782 guests that attended the race in 2009.
And, among the fan fare, Zenyatta continues her racing campaign.
As she prepares for her next start at Hollywood Park, people are again heading to the track to see if one single horse can maintain her undefeated record.
It’s all because of one word.
It’s a great word.
“Zenyatta.”
Great article (blog?)!! You certainly have captured what Zenyatta is all about.
This is what horse racing needs to figure out - it should be all about THE HORSE.
Jennifer,
This is so cool and spot on! The horses bring the fans.
Love the work you’re doing.
Frank
[...] her most recent commentary at The Saturday Post, Jennifer Wirth notes some of the central effects that champion Zenyatta is [...]
So true. Horseracing fans should be pleased with the “Zenyatta Effect”
Shirreffs did a wonderful job showcasing her in YouTube, etc. I, personally cannot get enough.
Thanks for all of the great comments!!! (I hope you enjoyed watching the videos as much as I did when I found them. LOL.) She’s such an amazing horse.
Great work Jennifer. I was at the BC to see her for the first time, and even as a diehard RA fan, I was sold on her the minute I saw her in the paddock.
Thanks, Geno. It must have been amazing to see her at the Breeder’s Cup. That was such an amazing victory.
Thank you. It is all about the horse!! I am an advocate of the program for saving ex-racehorses and so appreciate her contribution to the cause. She is a treasure and a gift to everyone, please keep her safe. I love her almost as much as I love my mare. I only pray that one day all of the bad side of this sport will be eliminated. Thank you again for being the greatest horse since Secretariat. Some day I would love to meet you.
Yes, she is a treasure! We love her. We love her connections. Thank you Queen Z!!
Stay healthy and happy, you’ve earned it!!
Jennifer,
Appreciate your enthusiasm for a truly legendary horse.
And, like you, I’d love to see a resurgence of racing’s popularity.
But… I disagree with your take.
What percentage of 20somethings in this country have heard of the 2008 BC Classic winner, Raven’s Pass? I think we’d agree it’s less than 1%. And what percentage of 20somethings have heard of Zenyatta? 5%? 10%? It’s a huge increase, but it’s ultimately very light awareness. It’s not the sort of awareness that ultimately will lead to a deeper engagement with the sport or game, IMO… Perhaps they’ll watch a race on TV, if it is in fact on TV. But really, seriously, how much more engaged will Zenyatta make them? Over the remaining 3 starts in her career, if we’re lucky. And then, of course, that mare is indeed coming off the big stage, just like they all do.
The most exceptional horse of the last decade is just that-a massive exception. Not a model for success. Let’s put it this way-If the best way to get racing become a topic of cocktail party talk is for a horse to win 16 in a row, well, we’re in even bigger trouble than I thought.
For racing to grow, its prospective customers need to fall in love with the game as a whole. As a once a week or month activity that is thrilling, gorgeous, unique, a blast.
In fact, it could be that it matters only a little how many casual fans racing has. The longterm health of the sport depends on it being a thriving business. And what makes the business thrive is really one thing:
People betting on races.
So there are many ways we can make new fans-super-horses, Triple Crown races, fan education programs, $20 bottomless cups of beer, etc. But if those fans aren’t converted to customers, it ultimately adds up to very little. 18,000 more people showed up for the Preakness this year vs. last, and the health of the Preakness arguably still further declined-because people bet less.
I’ve only been a racing fan for 18 years. I’ve heard time and again that big stars staying in training was such a key to the sport’s possible resurgence. But plenty of stars DID stay in training over the years, and it meant so little.
A Triple Crown winner? I don’t think it would mean much.
We need to teach people how to play the game-they need to become customers of this business. That’s the goal, and it’s too rarely discussed.
15,000 Zenyatta Facebook friends. Let’s pretend they’re all brand-new-to-racing 20-somethings. Can we get them all to start betting $2500 a year on the game? It sounds like a lot, but if they just played the game 15 times a year, it’s little more than $150 every time they play. Still sounds like a lot? Ok, maybe, but it’s the kind of money that so many of our customers indeed currently bet, because they’ve learned to play the game, and because they’re good enough at it to have a pleasant little hobby. Sure, on occasion they’ll tap out, but some days they’ll walk out way ahead, too. What does it add up to? $2500 is perhaps reduced to $2000 by the end of the year, for many. -$500. But it’s an amazing $500-a-year hobby. It includes the beauty of the most exciting athletes on the planet, and the chance for big, big wins.
The kind of wins that can allow a 20-something spring for all the booze at the next cocktail party.
So great Jennifer, I love it!
Zenyatta really does embody everything the sport is and should be, you brought out everything that’s the best about her.
I would bust my butt to see Zenyatta, even if I knew she was going to lose. It’s not about records, now. It is about her awesome personality and presence. It’s about how accessible, kind, and humble her connections are. It’s about how all of them are raising awareness of TB rescue and are giving back to the sport and the community. If all the connections were like that, if all horses were as loved and cared for as Zenyatta, then folks would be mesmerized by them and maybe, just maybe want to see them (and bet on them)in person.