Truman Capote once said, “More tears are cried over answered prayers than unanswered ones.”
I would like imagine Capote was a horse racing fan when he conjured up those words.
When a legendary horse shows up, it is an answered prayer. They aren’t beholden to the result of a single race. Instead, the great ones take fans on a journey. They aren’t defined in minutes, but rather, through moments. And, as a result, it seems as if the clocks simply stop ticking. A timeless horse doesn’t answer to seconds on a stopwatch. They answer to their own legacy.
When a great horse concludes their racing journey, they leave a deep void among their fans. It can make you wonder if you’ve already seen everything that is possible in racing. And, when the clocks start ticking again, it can seem as if there is no reason to keep watching. It is moment where your prayer was answered, but you are left without the rapture of a dream.
Zenyatta was the horse that took me on a journey that traveled in moments, rather than minutes on a race track. And, when she retired, I wondered if I would ever see a horse that could follow in her dizzying footsteps. I had just seen my once-in-a-lifetime racehorse. The possibility of her coming around twice didn’t seem plausible.
And, in all reality, there won’t be another 19-1 dancing race horse that can charm the birds from the trees with her friendly disposition while parading across the national media circuit. I know better than that. Zenyatta is one-of-a-kind, which is the true mark of legend.
Yet, I’m not done with horse racing because Zenyatta has entered retirement. In fact, I’m watching even more closely now.
You see, the great ones simply appear from time to time, without notice of their impending arrival. And, if you’re not watching, you’ll miss it.
I wouldn’t have missed Zenyatta’s career for the world. Yet, the world couldn’t have convinced me that a dancing mare was going to show up and rocket through a nineteen-race winning streak. I had to see her with my own eyes to believe it. And thankfully, I was watching when my once-in-a-lifetime horse showed up.
Zenyatta will not be the last “great one” in this sport. Racing has had plenty of legends. And, although we love to compare them, you will never take the same journey twice in the racing world.
When Man ‘O War retired, turf writer Joe Palmer wrote that he “was as near a living flame as horses get… he smashed his opposition, sometimes by a hundred lengths, …he set world records… You felt that there had never been, nor could ever be again, a horse like this.”
He was right. There will never be another Man ‘O War.
But, there is always the impending arrival of the next “great one.”
When Secretariat ended his career, turf writer Charles Hatton stated, “He’s the greatest horse that anyone has ever seen. Don’t let anyone kid you. He could do anything, and he could do it better than any horse I ever saw. No question about it in my mind.”
He was right. There will never be another Secretariat.
But, there is always the impending arrival of the next “great one.”
When Seattle Slew left racing, his groom, John Polston, walked away from the sport. He explained, “After a horse like Slew, there was nothing. I didn’t want to be around horses anymore, because I knew it wouldn’t be the same.”
He was right. There will never be another Seattle Slew.
But, while Seattle Slew was capturing the Triple Crown, the next “great one” was already grazing in the fields. One year later, that horse would come to be known as “Affirmed.” And, since Affirmed, we haven’t seen a Triple Crown winner again.
But, there is always the impending arrival of the next “great one.”
Within a few years, John Henry reminded the sport that anything is possible when he won the Arlington Million in a seemingly-impossible, come-from-behind victory in 1981. And, he reminded us again when he won the Million a second time as a nine-year-old.
When John Henry was gone, Chris McCarron reflected, “…He did so much for racing, even after he retired. He will be impossible to replace.”
He was right. There will never be another John Henry.
But, there is always the impending arrival of the next “great one.”
And, in recent years, we’ve seen greatness in ways that weren’t imaginable until it simply showed up.
You saw it in Rachel Alexandra.
When she retired, Jess Jackson marveled, “…She set standards and records that no filly before her had ever achieved. And I suspect that it will be quite a while before a three-year-old filly ever equals or surpasses her achievements.”
He was right. There will not be another Rachel Alexandra.
She was one-of-a-kind.
But, there is always another “great one.”
You saw it in Zenyatta.
After her final race, Peter Ellis remarked, “I don’t think people are going to realize just how special she is until she is gone because there will never be another one like her.”
He was right. There won’t be another Zenyatta.
But, there is always the impending arrival of the next “great one.” And, like Affirmed, “the one” could be grazing in the fields at the moment. Or maybe, “the one” is already racing right now.
I’m watching closely.
Because, if history teaches us anything, it is that the “great one” arrives unexpectedly.
In a flash, they show you something unimaginable.
And, the journey begins again.
