All Hail the Queen

Sunday will be a special day in the world of horse racing. A mare named Zenyatta will try to break the American record for consecutive wins as she goes for her 17th straight victory. This is an extraordinary feat. It's tough for most horses to win two or three in a row. 17 is incredible. Not only that, but Zenyatta has never lost! She's a perfect 16 for 16 in her career.

Zenyatta is owned by famous music producer Jerry Moss. Her name comes from the third album by The Police, Zenyatta Mondatta.

In the photo above, she's the black beauty wearing number 3. I took that picture at Hollywood Park a couple years back when Zenyatta had only won a few in a row. Look, I admit it. I have a crush on her. She's gorgeous!

As part of our recent wedding festivities, my wife and I rented a patio for the guests at Santa Anita race track and watched the races. It just so happened that on that day, Zenyatta was going for her 16th win in a row at another track. Zenyatta is so beloved in Southern California that the live racing at Santa Anita was postponed so everyone could watch Zenyatta on the big screen.

As the race started, our guests were asking me, which one is Zenyatta? I pointed to the horse lagging waaaaay behind the other horses. They said, how in the world is she going to win from way back there? I just laughed and told them to watch. Part of the thrill of seeing Zenyatta run is that she's almost always in last place for most of the race. I'm pretty sure she enjoys toying with the competition.

Then, in a flash, she makes her move and blows past the field like they're standing still. I get goose bumps every time. Her most incredible performance occurred in last year's Breeder's Cup Classic -- essentially the Super Bowl of racing. She was the only female in the race, and girls don't often beat the boys in racing. At the top of the stretch, it looked like she was done. Somehow, she weaved through the field and exploded to the finish line in front. It was stunning.

It's also fun to watch her before the race, the way she prances in the paddock. She knows how good she is.

If you don't believe me, check out Sunday's race. You can either watch it on the TVG horse racing network (look it up on your cable or satellite channels) or you can watch online at NTRA.com. Post time is about 4:30 pm PT/7:30 pm ET.

I hope you can share in the moment. Go Zenyatta!