Life is Sweet pips Zenyatta, finally

Arcadia:  Life is Sweet emerged from the shadow of undefeated stablemate Zenyatta by roaring to a two-and-a-half-length triumph in the $2 million (Dh7.34 million) Breeders Cup Ladies' Classic at Santa Anita Park on Friday.

The four-year-old, trained by John Shirreffs, blew past her rivals in the stretch after sitting in last place for much of the eight-horse race.

Life is Sweet lost her last two races against Zenyatta, who won the Ladies Classic a year ago and who tried yesterday to become the first female to win the $5 million Classic.

"I was a little disappointed the way she left the gate," said Life is Sweet's jockey Garrett Gomez. "She halfway hopped when she left the gate and she got pinched a little bit.

"I started making a little run and all of the sudden, [at] about the quarter-pole she started finding her stride."

Filly and Mare Turf

In other races, English raider Midday won the $2 million Filly and Mare Turf, giving trainer Henry Cecil his first Breeders' triumph after six previous attempts, dating back to 1988.

With Julien Leparoux in the saddle, She Be Wild took the $2 million Juvenile Fillies, while Robby Albarado rode Tapitsfly to an upset victory in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Leparoux captured his second race of the day when he took the Filly and Mare Sprint aboard Informed Decision, winning the $1 million race by one-and-a-quarter lengths over favourite Ventura.

In the first of six Breeders' Cup races on Friday Irish-based Man of Iron wore down nine-year-old gelding Cloudy's Knight in the stretch to win the $500,000 Marathon by a nose.

Both Life is Sweet and Zenyatta are trained by Shirreffs though they have different owners.

"I'm just so happy for Life is Sweet," said Shirreffs. "She's such a nice filly. She ran so great early in the year. I was glad she was able to get it done today.

"She really deserves this. She had been coming into this race really great."

Top positions

Mushka, with Kent Desormeaux in the saddle, finished second to Life is Sweet with Music Note taking the show spot.

Favourite Careless Jewell blazed the way before tiring badly at the top of the stretch and finishing last.

"At the quarter-pole, she felt like a winner," said Desormeaux. "She cornered like she couldn't lose, but the winner came and got me."

Zenyatta was to take on Irish invader Rip Van Winkle, Kentucky Derby champion Mine That Bird and others in yesterday's Classic, the first time she will face male horses.