Oak Tree renames the Lady's Secret the Zenyatta

[RolloTomasi]

Ridiculous. They have 2 major stakes in CA named for Clement Hirsch, one of which Zenyatta won. Rename that race.

Of course they had no problem eliminating the John Henry, yet kept the Inglewood and American, at HP, so this is nothing shocking.

[DerbyCat]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

“At first, Jerry was reluctant to accept our offer of renaming the race, because he was a personal friend of Gene Klein,” said Chillingworth. “But after he and Ann thought about it for a couple of days, he called back and said they thought Zenyatta would be flattered by the comparison and to know that she was held in such high esteem.”

Really?

I love when people apply human emotions and feelings to animals... I can just hear it now:

Shirreffs: "Hey Zenyatta, guess what? They named that race you won, you know, the "Lady's Secret, well, yep, they named it after you. Isn't that wonderful?"

Zenyatta: "Really? Oh My God! I am just so flattered! Lady's Secret was, like, such an amazing horse! I was such a big fan of hers! That is, like, so totally cool and amazing! The Zenyatta! That will be, like, so totally a great race! Can I run in it next year?! I'd so stay a virgin to win a race named after me! OH MY GOD!"


Yep, I'm pretty sure that's the way that conversation would go.

[kgar311]

Originally Posted by DerbyCat

Really?

I love when people apply human emotions and feelings to animals... I can just hear it now:

Shirreffs: "Hey Zenyatta, guess what? They named that race you won, you know, the "Lady's Secret, well, yep, they named it after you. Isn't that wonderful?"

Zenyatta: "Really? Oh My God! I am just so flattered! Lady's Secret was, like, such an amazing horse! I was such a big fan of hers! That is, like, so totally cool and amazing! The Zenyatta! That will be, like, so totally a great race! Can I run in it next year?! I'd so stay a virgin to win a race named after me! OH MY GOD!"


Yep, I'm pretty sure that's the way that conversation would go.

Complete nonsense coming out of that camp and now we have to question their sanity

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by DerbyCat

Rtotally a great race! Can I run in it next year?! I'd so stay a virgin to win a race named after me! OH MY GOD!"[/i]

That actually almost happened in the early 1970s. A gelding named Petty Officer won three consecutive runnings of the Timeform Gold Trophy at Redcar (Britain), so they renamed it for him. And the next year he ran second in the race named for him.