ARCADIA, Calif. -- Mike Smith checked in with the boys on the ESPN desk, pulling the unbeaten Zenyatta up from a 13th straight triumph. "She's good enough for anything in the world," he told Jerry Bailey. "I'm not going to predict a victory, but I'd love to run against them. I'm not scared of anyone." Smith, of course, was referring to a potential run for the 5-year-old mare against males in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Off her win in the Grade 1, $300,000 Lady's Secret Stakes today, (which tied Personal Ensign's streak of 13-for-13 accomplished 20 years ago), Zenyatta could run in that race against males -- or she could run one day earlier, on Ladies' Day, in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. The decision will be a tough one for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Sheriffs, because the tougher spot for their runner would be the company she's never faced -- but Horse of the Year honors will only be garnered if they try. Were the Horse of the Year Eclipse to be awarded this evening, with Mine That Bird's sixth-place finish in the Goodwood Stakes, 3-year-old super filly Rachel Alexandra would doubtless take it home on the merit of her three victories over males (Preakness, Haskell, Woodward), and her overwhelming romp in the Kentucky Oaks. But if Zenyatta could pull off a conquest over a tough Classic field to remain unbeaten, it would cement her place in the history books while putting Rachel Alexandra at a distinct disadvantage because majority owner Jess Jackson has already announced his runner will skip the Breeders' Cup and is finished racing until 2010. Expect the next few days to yield much buzz and commentary in the racing world, arguments for both options, and no immediate decision. My opinion? Keep the good of the horse in mind, but if she's fit and ready, run her in the Classic. She's already proven her consistency and ability. Now give her the chance to prove her greatness. You never know unless you try.