By Andrew Dalton - Nov 4, 2009 - Arcadia, CA (AP)

She's a mare set to race against a dozen of the world's
most daunting male horses for the first time in her career,
but Zenyatta seems to be the one inspiring fear.
The 13-0 Zenyatta was entered in Saturday's $5 million
Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Tuesday instead
of the Ladies' Classic she won last year, giving a boost
to the big race's profile and throwing a bit of a scare
into some of the boys.  "We have to be next to Zenyatta
in the gate, so hopefully she don't intimidate us too much,
as big as she is," joked Tim Ice, trainer of Belmont and
Travers stakes winner Summer Bird, who drew the No. 3 post
just inside the 5-2 morning line favorite.

Trainer Bob Baffert's Pacific Classic winner Richard's Kid
will be a few stalls outside of the mighty mare, but the
white-haired Hall-of-Famer has got the same feeling.
"I hate to run against her, I didn't want to see her in
there," Baffert said.  But Baffert insisted he wasn't
entirely unhappy to see Zenyatta among Classic starters.
"If we're gonna get beat, I don't mind getting beat by
Zenyatta," said Baffert, who will saddle favorites in the
Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Sprint. "She's a great mare,
we're big fans of hers. And if I do beat her I hope she
runs second. For racing, that'll make for a great
championship day."

The 5-year-old Zenyatta will break from the No. 4 post
with Mike Smith in the saddle in the 1 1/4-mile Classic.
Owners Jerry & Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs kept
everyone guessing until the last minute by also pre-
entering Zenyatta in Friday's Ladies' Classic.  "We think
she deserved a shot," Jerry Moss said. "She's done every-
thing right, and she deserves to be here."

Only three other females have tried the Classic. Triptych
was sixth in 1986, Jolypha finished third in 1992 & Azeri
was fourth in 2004.

Zenyatta's considerable competition includes Irish import
Rip Van Winkle, the 7-2 second choice, and 9-2 third choice
Summer Bird. Richard's Kid & Kentucky Derby winner Mine
That Bird are among six horses at 12-1.  Both Summer Bird
and Mine that Bird have already finished a disappointing
second to a female this year when each was trumped by the
filly Rachel Alexandra — Summer Bird in the Haskell
Invitational and Mine That Bird in the Preakness Stakes.
Despite a stellar year that some say surpasses Zenyatta's,
Rachel Alexandra didn't make the trip to the Breeders' Cup.
Her owner Jess Jackson doesn't like Santa Anita's synthetic
surface.

Zenyatta is very much at home on the surface, where she's
earned 11 of her 13 wins, including three on Santa Anita's
Pro-Ride.  Her two highest rated challengers — Rip Van Winkle
and Summer Bird — will be racing on the surface for the first
time.  Ice dismissed questions about Summer Bird handling
the surface. Trainer John Sadler told the Daily Racing Form
Summer Bird didn't handle it well when she was an unraced
2-year-old in his barn.  "He's had no issues at all," Ice
said of Summer Bird. "He adapts well wherever I take him."
Ice said the colt leaving Sadler's barn "had nothing to do
with the surface."

Mine That Bird, upset winner of the Kentucky Derby, finished
sixth in the Oct. 10 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita, but
trainer Chip Woolley insists "he's a lot more on his game,"
after training for several weeks at the track.  "He's beat
the best around at least once or twice," Woolley said.

Fourteen races worth 25.5 million will be run Friday and
Saturday at Santa Anita. A total of 149 horses were entered.
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