A Fan's Favorites

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Wendy B — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:44:26 GMT

Magnificent pictures of a magnificent horse!

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Joyce C. — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 01:22:39 GMT

Mike - You are an artist with the camera and master of the written word!!! Thank you for putting into words and pictures what

we all feel for Zenyatta.

You are an insightful and bright voice for horse racing!

I appreciate your good work.

Joyce

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Linda S — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:39:00 GMT

Mike is so articulate as well as a consistently great horse photographer. His work is easily professional calibre and we are lucky he shares it so freely with us!

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Tracy W. — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 02:46:22 GMT

What a beautiful article. I've had the pleasure of meeting Mike and seeing his wonderful pictures and I'm in absolute awe. He always captures the essence of the horse and the love of the people working with them. I haven't met a single person without something nice to say about him or his photos.

The pictures of Zenyatta, especially, are incredible. The soft, confident look in her eyes is so sharp here. I really enjoy these photos.

Definitely looking forward to more from him!

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Staci from Reno — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:59:28 GMT

Who is this Mike Sekulic? What a great photographer he is! He really has captured Zenyatta's essence! Great job! Keep those great pics coming!!!

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LouAnn Cingel of Union, Missouri — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:33:53 GMT

Mike-

Just had to come back again to look at your exceptionally fantastic photos of Zenyatta. After all that has been said and done, I find that the photos you have taken of Zenyatta are about the best out there yet. You have captured her true essence-her true life force etched and preserved forever!

Thankyou!!

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Chris from California — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:10:07 GMT

I know Mike personally and he is a very passionate person. He has followed Zenyatta as many of us have and has been touched deeply by her amazing charisma. I am so glad that he was there to take so many beautiful photos of her and share his experience with his friends and some of her fans.

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PANDA GUY IN SAN DIEGO — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 00:09:24 GMT

I feel privileged to have lived during the career of the horse who will become horse of the decade if not the century. It will surprise me if there is ever an equal to the great Zenyatta. It is not only her great racing style and many wins, but a personality and intelligence that exceeds anything I have ever seen.

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Zenyatta You're the Best — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:15:28 GMT

I don't say this because Mike has been my friend for a long time, but because he deserves it. He's a sensitive and caring person, and those qualities shine through in his writing and photos. The photos he took of Zenyatta - and I have seen several hundred - are nothing short of masterful. His photos of her are the best I have seen.

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Anne — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:31:28 GMT

Great pictures, Mike, of a gal that also stole my heart from day one. You explained the essence of Zenyatta beautifully. She is totally the whole package who ran 3 years straight without skipping a beat and in the process, danced into our lives. As you said, how many owners or trainer ever made their star so accessible? My dream was to have my picture taken with her but...not to be. Therefore, your photos and comments had more meaning about a precious subject known to all of us who love her as "The Queen".

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maryann727 — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:17:32 GMT

Mike ~ Thank you very much. So well expressed and beautifully photographed. I wholeheartedly agree with you that we will not witness another as complete and unique as Zenyatta. She won my heart like no other racehorse ever; I truly love her. And for the rest of my life I will be grateful for the Zen experience. Thank you again for honoring this greatest mare with your words and images.

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racingheart — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:27:04 GMT

That you for sharing the gorgeous photos and you heartfelt thoughts.

You are right. There is and always will be only ONE Zenyatta. Never has there been such a complete package in a racehorse - talent, looks, grace and intelligence and always willing to happily share it with everyone. What an incredible spirit this mare has! I hope that with the coupling of her and the intelligent and gifted Bernardini we will see a horse apart - blessings the the Zen Master and her new journey!

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Carson — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 06:19:19 GMT

Thank You Mike for the wonderful article, and the beautiful photos of Zenyatta!

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Mike Sekulic — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 06:14:11 GMT

Wow! It doesn't get better than Julie June Stewart! What fine compliments! Thank you very much!

I was hoping for a lot more feedback on this site, but I am very happy and grateful for all the feedback I did get. It's humbling reading it, actually.

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Julie June Stewart — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 04:27:51 GMT

I first met Mike S several years ago as we were waiting to take our pictures of Z. You had to stake your territory early in the paddock area (meaning you often missed a race or two). Mike is such a gentleman and being tall, he is perfect to share the "airspace" with. Later, he gave me one of his pictures of Zenyatta & I was stunned. It was incredible. He captured every nuance of her beauty and majesty. In repeated visits, I always knew I would see Mike taking pictures of the Queen. I am thrilled to see this photo essay by Mike! Our racing photographers capture our history for generations to come... Mike has certainly contributed to the Zenyatta library.... It's wonderful..... Thanks again!

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nmh — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:24:39 GMT

no one has mentioned that

bernardini also dances... so now

zenyatta has a dance pardner...

now how great is that..

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Aluminaut — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:53:42 GMT

You're so right Mike. It's hard to take a bad photo of Zenyatta. She is photogenic.

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sue — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 03:07:54 GMT

Awesome photos and a great article. Zenyatta IS a horse of a lifetime. I'm just glad she came during mine. I am amazed at the generosity of her connections...it's part of the reason she is so darn special.

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Anne from Paramount CA — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:27:47 GMT

Thanks, Mike---enjoyed the up close and personal comments, as well as the great photos. You are absolutely right---just discussing with a track friend yesterday--who else would have permitted such open access to the public,(and staying healthy ALL this time),under a watchful trainer eye of course, but who else but Team Z would have done this? The Queen's personality helped of course-nothing seemed to phase her-- but this is why there will be only one Zenyatta. Of course other wonderful horses will come along, but the phenomenon that was our Big Girl is something unlikely to happen again for a long time. Let's all apprececiate what we were a part of. Great horses will surface if they are allowed- and can- stay around long enough --I sure hope so for our sport--but she was ZENYATTA, the magical mare.

Anne from Paramount, CA

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Cheryl Ann Quigley — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 06:15:35 GMT

Great photos, Mike. The profiles are lovely and the shots of Zen and Mike are really moving.

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Soldier Course — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:30:39 GMT

Lisa G. Fly:

Still loving your song, "Zenyatta". I play it while watching The Queen's races, muted on YouTube. Nice to hear from you.

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Mary Forney — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 16:54:19 GMT

Beautiful photos, as usual, Mike! I never get tired of looking at photos of the queen!

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Tiz A Cal Bred — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 07:13:06 GMT

This story shows how one horse brought joy to the racing community. While she was on the track, she brought strangers together and friendships were established. Betting became the 2nd focus, as win tickets souvenirs.

Thanks for sharing Mike.

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Teresa McWilliams — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 06:58:20 GMT

Your photos are terrific and so is your article on Zenyatta. It made me cry! I had the good fortune to stand by her and have my photograph taken with her. She was truly a star and could stand still for cameras for hours. Your photos are the best I have seen. You show her with that incredibly intelligent head and her amazing heighth. Thanks Mike, you are a great horse photographer.

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JB — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 03:23:40 GMT

Great pics of a great horse! It is amazing how a horse can captivate you.. I was captivated by Cigar, Sea of Secrets, Barbaro and now Zenyatta.. I love them all, but some just connect with humans and are able to communicate that.

You are so right.. Zenyatta is the whole package and then some.. she is going to bring some great babies in the future. ! Congrats to "Z" on her Voice of the People award!