Today, Zenyatta received a royal reception as her plane landed at Louisville International Airport from her home base in California.
Zenyatta gently stepped from the plane and was carefully loaded into a private van as a group of spectators stood to catch a glimpse of the mare. The van headed straight to Churchill Downs, accompanied by a two-car sheriff escort during her five-minute ride to the track.
It appears no one is willing to mess with perfection.
And, Zenyatta is just that.
Perfection.
The Breeder’s Cup Classic 2.0 Version of Zenyatta has received some upgrades since her last venture toward the richest race in North America. She still dances throughout the paddock, slams a Guinness like a champ and remains undefeated in all of her career starts.However, Zenyatta 2.0 has upgraded from the 13-0 record that she held when she entered the Breeder’s Cup Classic in 2009. The 2.0 version of Zenyatta holds a perfect 19-0 record. She is the highest earning female horse in history. And, she has won more consecutive Grade I races than any horse.
Zenyatta 2.0 has pulled three “three-peats” through her series of consecutive victories in the Clement Hirsch, Vanity, and Lady’s Secret. And, she’s pointing toward a “three-peat” in the Breeder’ Cup.
As of now, no horse has ever won three consecutive Breeder’s Cup races. Yet, Zenyatta 2.0 doesn’t believe much in “never happens” and “impossibles.” She hoof-kicked those ideas straight out of her stall long ago.
Yes, there is a “Triple Crown” in play this year. And, it’s between Zenyatta and Goldikova at the Breeder’s Cup.
Let the wild rumpus begin.
Similar to last year, Zenyatta faces a tough field and a handful of critics.
Yet, Zenyatta 2.0 is also managing social calendar that makes Paris Hilton look like a shut-in. She is in the society section of W fashion magazine. And, she’s listed as one of the most powerful women in Oprah’s kingdom. Zenyatta 2.0 has a country song, an L.A. Dodgers Billboard, and was recently featured in a segment on 60 Minutes, questioning whether she is possibly the best racehorse ever.
Zenyatta has become a “Zen-sation” across the nation in her journey toward her second Breeder’s Cup Classic. As Bob Anderson, the producer for Zenyatta’s 60 Minutes segment explained, “Little by little, she sort of seduces you.”
Remember the first version of Zenyatta at the Breeder’s Cup Classic? There wasn’t a police escort to guide her to the track. Oprah and 60 Minutes were nowhere to be found. Zenyatta stood there as the lone female in the gates, rubbing shoulders with the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes champions.
It was the first time she ever raced the boys. And, as luck would have it, she happened to be doing it in front of an international audience during the richest race in North America. If Zenyatta could talk, I would have paid serious money to hear her thoughts as she stood waiting for the gates to snap open during those golden seconds. I imagine she had a few priceless sentiments swirling around in her head.
Yet, despite the odds, Zenyatta delivered a breathtaking performance as she became the first female horse in history to beat the boys in the Breeder’s Cup Classic. She appeared to have accomplished all she had to give the racing world and was widely-believed to be retired after the race. Case closed.
Or was it? Zenyatta is in the business of perfection. And, in her mind, she had some unfinished business before she made her final curtain call.
In January of 2010, Zenyatta stepped out of retirement and pointed toward the track again. It appeared she was tired of hearing “never has,” “impossible,” and “couldn’t do.”
Enter Zenyatta 2.0.
The previous version beat the boys.
Zenyatta 2.0 can win by daylight on dirt, roll like a Rockefeller in earnings and hold a modern day revival for horse racing on a national stage. And, she can do it while building a perfect 19-0 record.
And still, the critics aren’t impressed.
Well, if perfection doesn’t please a person, nothing will.
They said she couldn’t beat the boys. And then, she did it.
They said she couldn’t win on dirt. And then, she did it.
They said she couldn’t win outside of California. And then, she did it.
They said she was beating up on “nobodies.” And then she beat the Kentucky Derby and Belmont winners in the same race.
And, now the critics have fused all complaints into one tall order: Can she beat the boys on dirt in a top-notch field outside of California in the richest race in North America as the oldest horse in the gates?
I sure hope she can do it.
Yet, Zenyatta has already done all of these things at different points in her career. And, if she does it all at once this Saturday, the critics will inevitably dream up new reasons to undercut her achievements.
Some people can’t be pleased, even by perfection.
And, Zenyatta is perfection.
On Saturday afternoon, a lone six-year-old female will enter the gates at Churchill Downs with a perfect record. She’ll be brushing shoulders with the Preakness winner and some of the most talented male horses in the racing world on an international stage. She’ll be standing on the same dirt where every Triple Crown winner in history started their journey in the Kentucky Derby. And, she’ll be running for the “Triple Crown” of the Breeder’s Cup.
Zenyatta deserves an ovation from the crowd whether she wins or loses in her quest. She has accepted every challenge throughout her career and delivered a victory in every outing. And, Zenyatta has traveled where most champions fear to tread – the place that holds the real potential for defeat. This is the mark of true legend.
Legends take risks that outweigh rewards.
Legends take challenges that seem insurmountable.
Legends survey the existing world and carve their own path.
This is the mark of true greatness in any field.
This is the mark of Zenyatta.
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