Zenyatta towered over her Classic rivals in both stature and talent (Tara Gregg/Horsephotos.com)

Owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs have received flak all year long for keeping their star runner ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) competing against the girls. On Saturday, all naysayers and critics were silenced in emphatic fashion as the massive dark bay mare ran down the boys in the $4,545,000 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita to keep her record perfect.

The victory, which came in her now familiar come-from-behind fashion, moved Zenyatta's career line to a perfect 14-for-14, surpassing the great Hall of Famer Personal Ensign. She's now earned $5,474,580 to become the richest North American-based distaffer in Thoroughbred racing history, easily overtaking 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri who accumulated $4,079,820 during four seasons of racing.

"There are tears coming to my eyes," an emotional Shirreffs said. "I can't believe it. She is a great, great filly. She is all heart. The way the crowd took to her was just amazing. They cheered for her, they clapped for her; they love her. What a wonderful relationship."

"Every race she ran has been an experience. Every time," Jerry Moss said. "Going to see her at the barn, she's such a great character, you know. Just to have her this long and since she was a yearling and have these guys work on her the way they have. For Annie and I to share this together has just been the greatest time."

The Moss' showed their support for their star (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

Quality Road (Elusive Quality) balked at loading into the gate, and no shoving, pushing or whip cracking could get the irate sophomore to enter his drawn post of stall 12. The starters blindfolded the bay colt and, after leading him in a circle, finally managed to load the runner. As soon as he realized what had happened, though, Quality Road began bucking and kicking, leaving his handlers no choice but to back him out of the stall.

The rest of the Classic field was unloaded as the veterinarian checked Quality Road and eventually scratched him, resulted in the first gate scratch in the history Breeders' Cup Classic.

"He received a couple of lacerations to his limbs," Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith explained. "So there was no choice but to scratch him. They're just superficial lacerations. They're minor. It's not going to be a problem. But you can't race when you have a bleeding laceration."

"The horse is OK," trainer Todd Pletcher said of Quality Road. "He's got some scrapes and scratches. We're very disappointed but it's just one of those things. We'll have to regroup and try again. It was bad timing. We got the worse luck at the worst time on the biggest day."

Zenyatta rallied down the center of the track before a crowd of supporters (Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com)

Zenyatta began making her move nearing the turn, and Smith allowed her to angle off the inside as they entered the lane. The mare appeared ready to scoot between Summer Bird (Birdstone) to her inside and Twice Over (GB) (Observatory) to the outside in midstretch, but the hole disappeared and Smith sent her to the center of the track. For the first time in her career, Zenyatta had to dig in but still ran down the lane with ears pricked, eager to strut her stuff. She easily caught Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) late in the lane, and drew off to be one length clear on the wire while stopping the clock in 2:00 3/5 for 1 1/4 Pro-Ride miles.

"When we loaded the second time, she sure stood there when the gates opened," Smith explained. "I needed to help her out of there, but once I got out of there, she settled into stride really well. She started to get to them in the stretch, and the crowd started screaming. Then she started looking at the crowd, so I had to get after her a little bit, but she still won within herself."

"I still never got to the bottom of her," Smith added. "That's the amazing thing. She still had run left. She's incredible. She's sent from heaven."

Zenyatta has now staked her claim on Horse of the Year honors (Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com)

"The horse ran a great race but he couldn't beat the winner. She's a freak. What can I say? She's a freak," reacted Gio Ponti's trainer, Christophe Clement. "I'm thrilled with his race. This proved it was the right decision to run in the Classic and not the Turf (G1). This is a very good horse. I will talk with the owner to see what he wants to do in the future, but I hope to have the horse back in the barn and hope to try again next year."

Twice Over rated in midpack before coming four wide into the stretch. He rallied to take down third by three parts of a length and gave back $7 at 9-1. The $1 exotics totaled $43.70 (exacta), $596.20 (trifecta) and $3,417 (4-7-5-3 superfecta).

Belmont S. (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) hero Summer Bird finished the best of the three-year-olds in fourth. He was followed under the wire by Colonel John, Richard's Kid (Lemon Drop Kid), Awesome Gem (Awesome Again), Regal Ransom, Mine That Bird (Birdstone), Rip Van Winkle, Einstein and Girolamo (A.P. Indy).

Zenyatta began her Hall of Fame career on November 22, 2007, at Hollywood Park, winning by three lengths with David Flores in the saddle. Flores would guide the then sophomore lass through her first allowance condition, which she won by 3 1/2 lengths, and in her stakes and four-year-old bow, the El Encino S. (G2).

Zenyatta will undoubtedly join Personal Ensign in the Hall of Fame (Tara Gregg/Horsephotos.com)

That event concluded her four-year-old season, and the dark bay was honored with an Eclipse Award as champion older mare. Originally scheduled to make her 2009 bow in the Louisville Distaff S. (G2) on Kentucky Oaks Day, Shirreffs opted to scratch his charge because of the off track. Zenyatta was then rerouted to a title defense in the May 23 Milady, and continued on the same path as 2008 with repeat scores in the Vanity, where she toted 129 pounds, the upgraded Clement L. Hirsch (G1) and the Lady's Secret.

By choosing to give their champion a shot at the big boys instead of going for yet another title defense in the Ladies' Classic gave Shirreffs an unprecedented shot at becoming the first trainer to send out winners in both the Ladies Classic and Classic. The conditioner accomplished the feat, as Life is Sweet (Storm Cat) captured Friday's main event by 2 1/2 lengths after knocking heads with her stablemate in three of her prior four races.

Bred by Maverick Production Limited in Kentucky, Zenyatta is out of Broodmare of the Year Vertigineux (Kris S.), making her a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 queen Balance (Thunder Gulch), an unraced juvenile colt named Souper Spectacular (Giant's Causeway) and a Bernardini weanling filly named Eblouissante. Zenyatta, who is from the same family as 2001 Canadian champion turf mare Sweetest Thing (Candy Stripes), was a bargain at only $60,000 for her owners at the 2005 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.