Melt City

In December 2010, jockey Mike Smith said farewell to the great mare Zenyatta.

Her final public appearance for Zenyatta Appreciation Day at Hollywood Park, December 2010.

Despite all the many outstanding horses he'd ridden over a career that has lasted decades, he called Zenyatta "my everything". When asked who he thought her first date she should be upon retirement, he said no stallion was good enough for her.

As for me, while melting into a puddle of goo because I hadn't seen this photo before, I'm trying to adapt to the fact that in 2019 Zenyatta is fifteen years old. Huh???? How did THAT happen?