updated 8:28 p.m. ET Oct. 24, 2008

ARCADIA, Calif. - Your turn, Curlin.

The unstoppable filly Zenyatta made a strong case for Horse of the Year honors with a spectacular victory in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic on Friday at Santa Anita.

The 4-year-old improved her record to 9-0 by roaring from last place to pull away for a 1½-length win over Cocoa Beach. It was the kind of command performance that could be hard for Curlin, the reigning Horse of the Year, to top in Saturday’s $5 million BC Classic.

“Zenyatta’s the ultimate stopper,” trainer John Shirreffs said. “Whatever’s going on, you can always look to her and something fantastic is going to happen.”

On Friday, that something happened around the turn at the sun-splashed track.

Zenyatta, ridden by Mike Smith, trailed by 10 lengths on the backstretch. No biggie. When Smith asked her, she responded with her trademark push.

“She’s sent from God, I tell you,” Smith said after picking up his second win on Ladies’ Day. “She was there any time I wanted her. I knew she was going to make her move today.”

The heavy favorite paid $3 while covering 1 1-8 miles over the track’s new synthetic surface in 1:46.85.

“We’re so blessed to have her in our barn,” Shirreffs said. “From the very beginning when she started racing, she showed another dimension that you would never expect.”

The win was the first Breeders’ Cup victory for Shirreffs and owners Jerry and Ann Moss. The trio previously won the 2005 Kentucky Derby with Giacomo, ridden by Smith.

Shirreffs joked Giacomo was so unknown three years ago that he needed tickets to get inside Churchill Downs on Derby Day. All eyes were on Shirreffs and his leading lady entering the race, and Zenyatta ran like a star over the Pro-Ride surface to make a compelling argument to become the first female to win Horse of the Year since Azeri in 2002. Smith also rode Azeri.

Moss, however, isn’t worried about how his champion stacks up with Curlin, North America’s all-time earnings leader.

“I think it’s not in our hands, to tell you the truth,” he said. “That’s not our job.”

Moss would rather simply enjoy the show while it lasts and hinted that he’s considering bringing her back as a 5-year-old next year to run against the guys.

“She’s just too good not to run again,” he said.

Zenyatta’s sparkling performance comes 20 years after Personal Ensign capped her brilliant career with a heart-stopping win over Kentucky Derby champion Winning Colors in the 1988 BC Distaff, renamed this year as the Ladies’ Classic.

Zenyatta still has four races to go to match Personal Ensign’s 13-for-13 record. If she runs like she did around the far turn at Santa Anita — eating up ground with each massive stride as she roared past the rest of the eight-horse field — matching Personal Ensign’s impeccable record could be within reach.

Not that Shirreffs is keeping track.

“I don’t think records are really the big thing about horse racing,” he said. “Horse racing is about performance and we saw a great performance today.”

Zenyatta wasn’t the only star on Ladies’ Day, and may have found a kindred spirit in Stardom Bound.

The 2-year-old gray filly, also ridden by Smith, came through with an electrifying victory in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies.

Trainer Christopher Paasch dubbed his star “Baby Z” in honor of Zenyatta, and Stardom Bound ran like it in a 1½-length win over Dream Empress. Like Zenyatta, Stardom Bound spotted the field early, falling all the way to 12th as Smith waited to push the button.

All it took was a little urging at the turn, and Stardom Bound exploded to the front. She got away so quickly Paasch saw her start looking around for someone to race. Smith managed to keep her attention through the stretch and she cruised across the finish line well clear of Dream Empress.

“It was just an incredible performance,” Smith said. “I’m at a loss for words.”

Smith’s two wins moved him into a second-place tie with Pat Day for most Breeders’ Cup victories. Smith and Day both have 12 wins at horse racing’s Super Bowl. All-time leader Jerry Bailey has 15.

Stardom Bound isn’t undefeated like Zenyatta. But after gamely finishing off her third straight Grade 1 win, she is unquestionably this season’s champion 2-year-old. Stardom Bound paid $5.20 as the seventh straight favorite to win the Juvenile Fillies.

Also on the five-race card devoted exclusively to fillies and mares, Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel pulled off an upset in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint and former assistant Chad Brown quickly followed in his mentor’s footsteps with a win in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Forever Together prevailed by three-quarters of a length in a wide-open stretch scramble to win the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf.

“She fights all day, and she was the best today,” jockey Julien Leparoux said.

It took Frankel 17 years to break through at horse racing’s richest weekend. It took Brown, who worked for Frankel before going out on his own following last year’s Breeders’ Cup, one race.

Frankel’s Ventura started the day by surging past heavy favorite Indian Blessing midway through the stretch to take the Filly & Mare Sprint, and Brown’s Maram backed it up a half hour later.

Brown still credits Frankel as an inspiration

“If I run into a problem and I’m really not sure what I’m supposed to be doing, I just think back to what Bobby would do,” he said.

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