ARCADIA, Calif. -- In a spectacular performance that had fans alternately cheering and then crying tears of joy, the great, unbeaten racemare Zenyatta ran into the record books on Saturday by beating males for the first time, scoring her 14th straight victory and putting herself squarely in the debate for Horse of the Year with a breathtaking, last-to-first rush in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.
Zenyatta and jockey Mike Smith in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Zenyatta ($7.60), the favorite, broke slowly, and was in front of only one horse, Mine That Bird, going down the backstretch. But she kicked in swiftly midway on the far turn, split horses at the quarter pole, and collared Gio Ponti with a sixteenth of a mile to go before drawing away to win by one length.
Gio Ponti finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of third-place Twice Over, with Summer Bird fourth.
Richard's Kid was fifth and was followed, in order, by Awesome Gem, Regal Ransom, Mine That Bird, Rip Van Winkle, Einstein, and Girolamo.
Quality Road was scratched after scraping a hind leg while acting up in the starting gate before the race.
Zenyatta completed 1 1/4 miles on Pro-Ride in 2:00.62.
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