Lindsey Ames Sanquenetti is a fan of Rachel Alexandra’s as well as a talented photographer who brings an artist’s eye to her subjects. Recently, Lindsey was one of 100 lucky people invited for a second “See Rachel” day at Stonestreet Farm. She has very kindly consented to share her wonderful photos of Rachel with all of us here at THE VAULT. VAULT readers can visit Lindsey on http://www.flickr.com under the name sweet_lindsey 12. If you would like to show your appreciation by leaving a comment below, they will be posted ASAP so that Lindsey can read them.
On July 12, Stonestreet Farms hosted 100 fans of the great Rachel Alexandra for the second time at a “See Rachel” Day. The event, Lindsey explained, is publicized both on the Stonestreet Facebook page and on a “See Rachel” page on the Stonestreet website. The first 100 people to send in their names are selected. Here’s the Stonestreet page: http://www.stonestreetfarms.com/info/?page_id=139
Visits with Rachel are split into 4 different groups of 25 people on a “See Rachel” day. When they first arrive, guests are shown into a special “Rachel Room” where they can see all kinds of memorabilia from her brilliant racing career. Then, when their appointment time arrives, each group is escorted to an area where they can spend time with one of North America’s most beloved thoroughbreds.
This was how Lindsey described her experience:
“…Obviously, it was an amazing experience to visit her. She was actually very sweet in person…very patient and kind. Everyone was petting her all over, giving her kisses, and trying to get her to turn her head this way or that way for pictures. She never once acted irritated and was very tolerant of everyone’s affection. It was a VERY hot day, too. She had every right to get grumpy, standing out in the heat while we all smooched her! I think retirement is agreeing with her. She seemed very content and happy. She is stunningly beautiful in person. You could tell how much it meant to each and every person to be standing there, in the presence of true greatness…”
As her photos show, Rachel looks beautiful, content and happy in her new life. Her “baby bump” is showing, but she is otherwise the same sweet girl who mesmerized so many of us a few short seasons ago. Alert and interested, Rachel proved a charming hostess.
To keep the connection alive between thoroughbred fans, owners-breeders and thoroughbred champions is a rather delicate balancing act. While it seems clear that without passionate fans both the industry and the sport can only suffer, when a champion like Rachel Alexandra retires to begin a new life as a broodmare she begins a complex transition, from a world that is strictly scheduled and controlled to a life of relative freedom, and from the public world of fans and racing to the privacy of paddocks and equine companions. A recently retired thoroughbred needs to “come down” from the hype of the sport and that involves accepting a much calmer, quieter lifestyle. Heartbreakingly (at least from a human perspective) whether filly or colt, a thoroughbred must also transfer its attachment from those it was closest to on the track, to relative strangers. When you think about it, that’s quite a lot of change in a relatively short period of time. And, just as every human individual is different, so are equine individuals. Some adjust with ease, others will take more time and some adjust with difficulty, because there is no other choice.
Man O’ War, for example, was supremely suited to life on the farm. He had resisted the imposition of human will throughout his racing career. With his best friend, Will Harbut, he found a true home at Faraway Farm. His son, War Admiral, was the kind of thoroughbred that wanted to please no matter what was asked of him, so making the transition from racing to the farm was relatively easy for him. Secretariat, one speculates, needed his friend Clay at Claiborne to adjust to a life he was asked to enter at the tender age of 4. He was a very intelligent horse and he loved to race. Keeping him happy as a stallion must have required a lot of Clay’s tender loving care.
Too, although the “great ones” in our own canon of thoroughbreds are individuals that touched our lives deeply and forever, they do not belong to us. And while a thoroughbred owner and a thoroughbred farm are undoubtedly very aware of this fact, it’s easy for a passionate fan to dismiss it when a horse that they love is standing right there, beside them. So you can see how delicate it is to find a way to honour the fan, while respecting the horse.
Stonestreet has come up with a formula that works well for both Rachel and her devoted following. In taking steps to allow that precious connection between fan and horse to flourish, the good folks at Stonestreet have shown leadership tempered with generosity. They are not the first to acknowledge the love that people feel for their champion and they won’t be the last. But one appreciates their commitment to a tradition that, in the end, can only be positive for the sport and the industry, as well as their capacity to embrace the legend that is Rachel Alexandra.
Footage taken by a fan on March 25, the first See Rachel Day at Stonestreet.
There are many other photos of Rachel taken on July 12 on her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Alexandra/112319645455986?sk=wall
The pictures and the post were just amazing. Thank you very much.
I love to get updates from your website.
Happy days ahead Ms. Rachel. Stay safe and healthy.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures! It was a great day!
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Great pictures Lindsey!
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Thanks! Also, thanks for posting the link to your page. 🙂
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I thoroughly enjoyed the photos and narrative! Gorgeous pictures- I am especially fond of the one of her “kind eye.” She looks like she is really thriving at the farm. Thank you so much!
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Thank you! She really was very kind and sweet. I was very happy to see how well she seemed to be doing. Can’t wait to see that baby!
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Oh, my!! These are such wonderful photos and the commentary is beautiful as well. Thank you so very much for sharing Lindsey’s visit with Rachel with the rest of us. It makes my heart so happy to see how well she is doing in her new life. Beautiful. Thank you.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures! It was truly a wonderful day.
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Abigail & Lindsey: Thank you for this ~ the chance to see RA relaxed and loved is a relief, as her racing months showed an uneven mare, though her brilliance always was evident. We hear various opinions about the possibilities of visitors to Zenyatta, and how that would work, or if it is something to be avoided, to protect her in gestation. Obviously the thinking behind choices the two farms have made for their stars varies; some have said this is because of the size and management stances of the two. I rather agree that visitors are an especially delicate political choice, and wonder how owners, broodmare managers and breeders step onto one path or another. K.
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Kathryn: Glad you enjoyed it! I feel just the same as you: I needed to see Rachel happy, healthy & relaxed. As for decisions regarding Zenyatta, I also agree. As I was writing the prose for Rachel, I was thinking about how Zenyatta performed for her public and wondered if the feeling is that she is still susceptible to getting “wound up” again, to her detriment. Too, I imagine that there’s stuff we don’t know, zenyatta.com & Dottie aside. Not so much about her pregnancy but about how much she has really “come down” from the track. As much as Ann loves her, one also wonders about over-protectiveness. And it must be said that the “public” is always a wild card. I think of walking Jericho, who has a brace on one foreleg and the absolutely ridiculous things people do around him, making me VERY protective of him when we go out.
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Just a quick ‘ditto’ to the ‘wild card’ status of the public & Jericho`s walks — I`m kind of a grinch on these matters & glad for the barriers; she`s paid her dues, and so has your sweet J. Khc.
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Kathryn: I must be a grinch too because that’s how I see it!
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The pictures are beautiful. I live near Saratoga and was lucky enough to see Rachel race there twice. I also have two beautiful pictures of her after her last race she ever raced. One in the stretch and the other walking back to the barn. I treasure them. I hope to be able to meet her in person some day and pet and love her. I came sooo close in Saratoga.
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Sandra: Wow! You are so privileged to have actually seen Rachel. I never saw her during her racing career, except online. Like you, I also dream of getting to pet and love her. What a great, great filly!
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She is the most beautiful horse. Her markings are so different but yest so pretty. Every time is saw her race she brought tears to my eyes and still does when I look at her pictures. I will see her one day and pet and love her because I’ve made that a personal goal.
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A huge thankyou for posting the pix and sharing your experience. Seems we all agree as to how special Rachel is and watching the progress of her and Curlin’s colt will be a special adventure!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed the pictures. It was an amazing experience, and she’s an easy subject to photograph! Curlin is probably my favorite modern day racehorse, with Rachel and Zenyatta right behind. I must also give a shout out to Paddy O’Prado. I’m extremely excited about this baby, for obvious reasons!
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Fantastic photos and a brilliant article that is incredibly well written and informative. For a British fan like me these links with Rachel are greatly appreciated and I am so happy to know that she is so content and settled in her new life. Rachel looks absolutely wonderful – a picture of health and the video clearly displays what a wonderful temperament she has. Rachel is a true legend and one of my heroines! I loved seeing these photos and reading about her great life at Stonestreet.
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Abbie: Thanks so very much for taking the time to comment. Much appreciated! I was also really pleased to see Rachel looking so happy and so fit. She’s one of my loves as well!!!! I’ve been watching the news and thinking about my several British friends. Happily, none live in London. I do hope that you are also out of harm’s way. Cheers for now, Abigail
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Thanks for the great photos of La Rachel! I always think she has the most unique facial markings I’ve ever seen on a TB. Very handy for I.D.’ing her at races. It sounds like you guys agree that unfortunately, there aren’t going to be any “Meet Zenyatta” days over at LE? That is extremely disappointing!! I really thought when she went there that something would be worked out, but I guess that’s going to be her Diary. Believe me, that’s better than nothing, but I am crushed to think nobody is going to be able to see her in person…. :’-( Maybe the policy will change someday, once she’s gotten one successful pregnancy under her belt.
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Rachel is beautiful and it is lovely that the farm has allowed visitors. I am a fan of Zenyatta as well but sadly have moved on from visiting her website. It operates under the guise of being Z’s website but has transformed into something else, which is fine, but I find it disingenous of of Z’s people continuing to express their decisions to keep fans away from her for safety reasons. There are many family and friends of the farm that visit her all the time. I know they are not tested for diseases or scrubbed down before visiting her. They need to call it as it is, that owners/farm do not want visitors. Period. Whatever their reasons. Period. But to continue to lead people on made me stop visiting her website. As least Rachel’s owner and farm has been more open and honest with their intentions. I thank you for that. My apologies for venting on Rachel’s article. Wishing her a beautiful life. She looks like she will be a wonderful mother.
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Hi Sue. No need to apologize. I understand your feelings about Z’s people & have been thinking about this myself, in contrast to the position taken by Rachel’s people. Although I certainly feel that Zenny’s team owes the public nothing now that she’s retired: they were just amazing in terms of sharing her with us during her career. And someone else did say that they didn’t feel that LE was either set up for fans or would want tons of them around. But I do share your view that it is disingenuous to keep up the charade. I’m glad you enjoyed sweet Rachel’s article and the wonderful photos taken by one of her greatest fans! I hope you will visit The Vault again and thank you so very much for taking the time to leave your comments!
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Hi Abbie,
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
I just discovered The Vault tonight and have tremendously enjoyed how you came to follow your new vocation. It was a joy reading the article about Terlingua and this update on Rachel Alexandra. I’m soooo happy that she is well and enjoying life now. I was concerned about her and what happened to her following the Woodward and her return to racing at four and its abrupt end. I guess it will remain a mystery even though Jess Jackson has passed away. Lindsay’s pictures were wonderful.
I’m very excited about finding The Vault and your wonderful articles about God’s most beautiful beings. I was so pleased to read, view the photos and videos of Terlingua, so little has been written about her and her career. I know quite a bit about Lady’s Secret, so it was wonderful to have more information about Terlingua and her life.
Nancy
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Nancy: WELCOME! And thank you so much for the lovely commentary. It just means so much to me to hear from VAULT readers. Otherwise, writing can be a kind of lonely pursuit. Terlingua, as you learned, will always be my “special girl.” Even though we never met, she is so much part of the inspiration for THE VAULT, as are Rachel, Zenyatta, Secretariat and many others of “God’s most beautiful beings.” But Terlingua was, like her daddy, a thoroughbred who powerfully moved me — and finally, I’ve decided to write. Abigail
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Dear Abigail
I am catching up on your blog and this is a wonderful piece on Rachel. She is a gorgeous
Mare so different from Zenny but every bit a
Champion and special TB. She looks rested healthy with a cute “baby bump”.
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