ANDERSON, IN -- And this is what we love about Zenyatta.

She delivers.

Time and time again, horse racing has lifted its equine athletes to a pedestal, only to have them dashed to the ground. Barbaro. Eight Belles. Smarty Jones. Point Given. Big Brown. Even Rachel Alexandra.

Again and again we think, this is the one. We hope for these runners to pull the sport back to its position of glory, its status as the "sport of kings." And here she is, a last-to-first contender, thrilling in her confidence, her poised method of attack. A horse, at last, we can depend on.

Say what you will of a mainly West Coast-based campaign and of the quality of competition she has run against. In her final California performance, she came through and the crowd thrilled to her victory. It was exactly what we hoped for.

The big mare's Lady's Secret score Saturday, extending her flawless record to 19-for-19, sets her up perfectly for Breeders' Cup Classic contention on Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs. Blame's runner-up finish in Belmont's Jockey Club Gold Cup on the day was nothing to sneeze at, a solid effort behind lone pacesetter Haynesfield. And hundreds of miles away, the gutsy Indiana Derby win of top 3-year-old Lookin at Lucky promised to make the upcoming season finale one heck of a horse race.

Still, in horse racing, there are no guarantees. We all know better than to presume, so best wishes go out to owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Sherriffs as they prep their incredible runner for the final run of her career. Just one thing is for sure. If she enters the Classic starting gate at Churchill, all eyes will be upon Zenyatta -- from her pre-race paddock dance under jockey Mike Smith to her elegance in the post parade, from her perfectly-timed late stretch run to her presence, almost guaranteed, in the winner's circle.

And regardless of what happens then, we know what has happened up to now. Horse racing has been given a gift. And every single member of the racing industry, every participant in this game, should be grateful for her.

For more comprehensive information on horse racing, visit Helloracefans.com and Horseracingnation.com. You can follow Claire Novak on Facebook and Twitter at @ClaireNovak.