Undefeated Zenyatta ready to race the boys

ARCADIA, Calif. — Bring on the boys.

A day after the top female horses took center stage at the Breeders’ Cup, leading lady Zenyatta will face her male rivals in Saturday’s $5 million Classic. Zenyatta’s 13-0 career record is at stake as she also seeks to become the first female horse to win the 1¼-mile race.

Life is Sweet didn’t mind her stablemate’s absence, especially considering the 4-year-old filly had lost three of her previous four races to Zenyatta. Life Is Sweet ended up winning the $2 million Ladies’ Classic at 8-1 odds and gave John Shirreffs, who trains both horses for different owners, the tantalizing prospect of taking the weekend’s two premier races.

When asked if life is sweet, Shirreffs beamed, “It is, isn’t it?”

Shirreffs won last year’s Ladies’ Classic with Zenyatta, but he said it was time for her to face the boys.

“You know, Zenyatta was at the point in her career where she would have an opportunity to run in the Classic if she trained well up to it, and she trained well up to it,” he said.

More than 37,000 people were in attendance for the second consecutive Breeders’ Cup to be run on Santa Anita’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface. The decision to run on the Southern California track kept stellar filly Rachel Alexandra, who was 8 for 8 this year, away. Her owner Jess Jackson doesn’t like synthetics, so he shut down the Horse of the Year favorite.

Life Is Sweet improved to 4 for 5 this year in races Zenyatta wasn’t running, with her only loss to males in the Hollywood Gold Cup. She ran 1 1-8 miles in 1:48.58 and paid $18.20, $8 and $5.

Mushka returned $12.80 and $6.40, while Music Note was another length back in third for the second straight year and paid $3.20.

In other races, She Be Wild charged along the rail to win the $2 million Juvenile Fillies by three-quarters of a length.

For co-owners Nancy and Mike Mazzoni the win was particularly special. They raised the 2-year-filly on their 25-acre farm in Kentucky and when the horse didn’t sell for $19,000 because of her small stature, they decided to race her. Fortunately, the lack of interest paid off for them.

“There’s a connection that we have,” Mike Mazzoni said of the bond to their horses. “And it’s tough for us to sell a horse, and there was a lot of emotion in the decision.”

Tapitsfly held off Rose Catherine by a half-length to win the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf, while Informed Decision won the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint by 1¼ lengths over defending champion Ventura.

Midday scored in the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf that broke an 0 for 6 streak in the Breeders’ Cup by veteran European trainer Henry Cecil.

“To win it, certainly lived up to my expectations, the excitement and thrill,” Cecil said. “Once you’ve won a race here you feel you can probably do it again.”

Man of Iron won the $500,000 Marathon, the day’s only race featuring males.

While Zenyatta has received much of the attention, the other Breeders’ Cup races provide their own intrigue.

Trainer Bob Baffert has a trio of strong contenders, led by Zensational, winner of his last four in the $2 million Sprint, and undefeated Lookin At Lucky in the $2 million Juvenile. He also saddles live longshot Richard’s Kid in the Classic.

Both Goldikova and Conduit seek to become repeat champions in the $1 million Mile and the $3 million Turf, respectively.

Jockey Julien Leparoux also will try to add to his win tally with six mounts on Saturday, including Einstein in the Classic. Leparoux won twice on Friday, putting him ahead of his counterparts in The Head2Head Jockey Bet that pays for the rider who wins the most Breeders’ Cup races.