The Gallop Out

Watching a replay of Zenyatta's historic 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic win is a great aphrodisiac, no matter what time it is or what mood I'm in. I've literally watched the Cal Racing replay hundreds of times. Sometimes, though, I'm in the mood for something more...raw. Raw footage. Raw emotion. Youtube to the rescue!

Below are some of my favorite fan videos that show Zenyatta's exhilarating win from the vantage of fans like myself. I watched from the very top of the stretch, where I got a perfect view of the start and final turn. Zenyatta looked hopelessly beaten at that point. Once the horses passed, I immediately ran in the general direction of the finish line like a madwoman, hoping to at least catch a sideways view of the infield jumbo-tron to see if Zenyatta pulled it off. Thank goodness the Breeders' Cup decided to switch to traditional colored saddlecloths, because I could only see colored squares, and the yellow #4 was in front. That, accompanied by the deafening crowd reaction, told me that the best possible result (for me) had occured. I screamed louder than I've ever screamed before, waving my "Go Zenyatta" sign in the air and hugging friends, and the rest is history.

Hold onto your chair lest you get nauseous from all the camera shaking, and let's embark on an un-be-lievable journey...

This one from the clubhouse apron is filmed from right behind a man that may or may not be Zenyatta's exercise rider, Steve Willard:

The person who filmed this must have waited hours to get their spot smack dab on the general admission rail near the finish line:

"Push it! Push it!":

I hope this lady didn't pass out at the end:

Hang in there, speakers. Just a few seconds longer!:

For this one, you may want to turn your volume down. The Classic in its entirety:

These videos are just during the race. There are also many good videos of her before and after her win. Did I miss one of your favorites? If so, leave a link in the comments and I'd love to see it. One can never get too much of Zenyatta.