Zenyatta topped the 2009 Breeders' Cup results, improving her record to 14-0 after a thrilling rally. Despite a rough start, the 5-year-old mare bested a field of 11 males and fought off Gio Ponti down the stretch to win by a length at Santa Anita.
With the victory, Zenyatta became the first female to win the Breeders' Cup Classic and the first horse to ever win two different Breeders' Cup races. In addition to the $5 million Classic in 2009, Zenyatta also won the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic in 2008.
Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Zenyatta paid $7.60, $5.60 and $3.80 as the 5-2 wagering favorite. Gio Ponti returned $9.20 and $6.60, while Twice Over paid $7 to show.
You can check out complete results for all the races below:
Classic ($5 million)1. Zenyatta (Mike Smith)
2. Gio Ponti (Ramon Dominguez)
3. Twice Over (Tom Queally)
Turf ($3 million)1. Conduit (Ryan Moore)
2. Presious Passion (Elvis Trujillo)
3. Dar Re Mi (Frankie Dettori)
Turf Mile ($2 million)1. Goldikova (Olivier Peslier)
2. Courageous Cat (Garrett Gomez)
3. Justenuffhumor (Alan Garcia)
Dirt Mile ($1 million)1. Furthest Land (Julien Leparoux)
2. Ready's Echo (Calvin Borel)
3. Midshipman (Garrett Gomez)
Juvenile Turf ($1 million)1. Pounced (Frankie Dettori)
2. Bridgetown (Rob Landry)
3. Interactif (Kent Desormeaux)
Turf Sprint ($1 million)1. California Flag (Joe Talamo)
2. Gotta Have Her (Tyler Baze)
3. Cannonball (Ramon Dominguez)
Sprint ($2 million) 1. Dancing in Silks (Joel Rosario)
2. Crown of Thorns (Rafael Bejarano)
3. Cost of Freedom (Tyler Baze)
Juvenile ($2 million)1. Vale of York (Ahmed Ajtebi)
2. Lookin at Lucky (Garrett Gomez)
3. Noble's Promise (Willie Martinez)
Ladies Classic ($2 million)1. Life Is Sweet (Garrett Gomez)
2. Mushka (Kent Desormeaux)
3. Music Note (Rajiv Maragh)
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Breeders' Cup Photos
Zenyatta, ridden by jockey Mike Smith, on heads to the finish line ahead of Gio Ponti, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, to win the Breeders' Cup Classic horse race at Santa Anita Park Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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ARCADIA, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Jockey Mike Smith celebrates winning the Breeders' Cup Classic race with Zenyatta in the winner's circle during the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park November 7, 2009 in Arcadia, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mike Smith
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ARCADIA, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Jockey Mike Smith celebrates winning the Breeders' Cup Classic race with Zenyatta in the winner's circle during the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park November 7, 2009 in Arcadia, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mike Smith
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ARCADIA, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Jockey Mike Smith celebrates winning the Breeders' Cup Classic race with Zenyatta in the winner's circle during the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park November 7, 2009 in Arcadia, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mike Smith
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ARCADIA, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Jockey Mike Smith celebrates winning the Breeders' Cup Classic race with Zenyatta during the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park November 7, 2009 in Arcadia, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mike Smith
Getty Images
ARCADIA, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Jockey Mike Smith celebrates winning the Breeders' Cup Classic race with Zenyatta during the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park November 7, 2009 in Arcadia, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mike Smith
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ARCADIA, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Fans hold signs of support for Zenyatta the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park November 7, 2009 in Arcadia, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images)
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ARCADIA, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Jockey Mike Smith celebrates winning the Breeders' Cup Classic race with Zenyatta during the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park November 7, 2009 in Arcadia, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mike Smith
Getty Images
ARCADIA, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Jockey Mike Smith celebrates winning the Breeders' Cup Classic race with Zenyatta during the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park November 7, 2009 in Arcadia, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mike Smith
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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Rachael Harris (L) and John Cho (R) attend the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Santa Anita Park on November 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rachael Harris;John Cho
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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Rachael Harris attends the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Santa Anita Park on November 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rachael Harris
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