Horse Racing | Unbeaten mare Zenyatta is favored against males in Breeders' Cup Classic

ARCADIA, Calif. — Zenyatta was made the early 5-2 favorite in a field of 13 for Saturday's $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, where the 5-year-old mare will make her first start against males.

Zenyatta, unbeaten in 13 career starts, will break from post 4 in the 1 ¼-mile race at Santa Anita. She had also been pre-entered in Friday's $2 million Ladies' Classic, which she won last year.

But owners Jerry and Ann Moss, along with trainer John Shirreffs, had a bigger goal in mind for Zenyatta, who has won four times this year.

"There's an opportunity to make history in the Classic, that's why we chose the Classic," Shirreffs said, referring to the fact no filly or mare has won in the race's 25-year history.

Zenyatta will be the fourth female to compete in the Classic. Jolypha had the best result, finishing third in 1992, when A.P. Indy won and Pleasant Tap was second at Gulfstream in Florida.

"I believe she deserves this chance," said Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who rides Zenyatta. "If she gets her opportunity to run her race and she runs it like I know she can, we might see something pretty incredible."

The Classic field includes 10 Grade I or Group I winners, including Irish-bred Rip Van Winkle, the 7-2 early second choice, and 9-2 early third choice Summer Bird, who won the Belmont, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup at New York tracks.

The Classic will be the first race on a synthetic surface for Rip Van Winkle and Summer Bird.

Awesome Gem, runner-up to Assessment in the Aug. 16 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs in Auburn, drew the outside post and is listed at 30-1.

The Classic is the last of 14 Breeders' Cup races, including six Friday, that are worth a total of $25.5 million. There were 155 horses entered in the Cup races.

Notes

• Lookin At Lucky, co-owned by former Mount Vernon resident Mike Pegram, is the 8-5 early choice in Saturday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

• Last year's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita was the first where races were on a synthetic surface.