Enlarge imageBy Steve Ginsburg
ARCADIA, California (Reuters) - Zenyatta scored the biggest victory of her illustrious career Saturday by coming from last to first to win the $5 million (3 million pound) Breeders' Cup Classic.
The unbeaten mare picked off her male rivals one by one in a dramatic stretch run to become the first female to win North America's richest race.
The five-year-old Kentucky-bred was sixth in the stretch but found another gear under the gentle urging of jockey Mike Smith to win the prestigious race by a length over Gio Ponti.
Zenyatta still had more gas in her tank at the end of the mile-and-a-quarter, 12-horse affair that featured Irish champion Rip Van Winkle, Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and other notables.
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"I still never got to the bottom of her," said Smith. "That's the amazing thing. She still had a run left. She's incredible. She's sent from heaven. She's God's horse."
The breathtaking performance by Zenyatta overshadowed a record run by European horses in the two-day, 14-race Breeders' Cup card.
Euro invaders lifted six of the races, including the $2 million Mile won by French-trained four-year-old filly Goldikova for the second successive year.
English raider Conduit, also reached the winner's circle for the second year in a row, the gallant chestnut colt taking the $3 million Turf in the final strides.
Pounced, another English-trained challenger, took the $1 million Juvenile Turf, while 30-1 longshot Vale of York, racing for Godolphin, took the $2 million Juvenile with a head victory over Bob Baffert-trained favourite Lookin At Lucky.
FIRST TIME
Most in the crowd of 58,845, however, came to Santa Anita on a sunny but cool day to watch Zenyatta take on the boys for the first time in her career.
Despite entering the race unbeaten in 13 career starts, the mare had been overshadowed by the filly Rachel Alexandra, whose owners decided to skip the Breeders' Cup because of their disdain for Santa Anita's synthetic surface.
Zenyatta initially balked at entering the gate and broke last in the 12-horse field. But she slowly weaved her way through and responded amid the roars of the Santa Anita crowd.
"There are tears coming to my eyes. I can't believe it," trainer John Shirreffs said. "She is a great, great filly. She is all heart."
In other races, big outsider Dancing in Silks won the $2 million Sprint after edging Crown of Thorns by a nose, while five-year-old grey gelding California Flag, partnered by 19-year-old Joe Talamo, cruised to victory with a 1 3/4-length triumph in the $1 million Turf Sprint.
(Editing by Dave Thompson)
