Mare beats the boys in rich Breeder's Cup

ARCADIA, Calif. — What a gal!

Zenyatta beat the boys in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday, running her record to 14-0 in the most impressive effort of her career.

The 5-year-old mare rallied from last in the early going and fought off Gio Ponti in the stretch to win by a length at Santa Anita, beating a loaded field of 11 males.

Quality Road was scratched at the starting gate after he acted up and scraped his hind leg, delaying the start by several minutes. That may have explained Zenyatta's poor start as she broke from the gate on the wrong foot and trailed the field for much of the early going.

Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Zenyatta still ran 1¼ miles in 2:00.62 and paid $7.60, $5.60 and $3.80 as the 5-2 wagering favorite of the 58,845 fans.

Gio Ponti returned $9.20 and $6.60, while Britain-bred Twice Over paid $7 to show.

Pitchers Putz, Pavano file for free agency

NEW YORK — Mets reliever J.J. Putz and Twins pitcher Carl Pavano filed for free agency Saturday.

Putz became a free agent one day after New York declined his $9.1 million option and chose to pay a $1 million buyout. A total of 120 players have filed for free agency since the World Series, and about 60 more are potentially eligible to file by the Nov. 10 deadline.

Minnesota exercised a $10.5 million option for 2011 on outfielder Michael Cuddyer, who hit a career-high 32 homers last season and had 94 RBIs. The option is part of a contract Cuddyer signed in 2008 that will pay him $33.5 million over four years. If the Twins had declined the option, they would have owed a $1 million buyout.

The NL champion Phillies said Saturday three players will have operations in the next week.

Close Brad Lidge will have surgery Wednesday to remove a loose body from his right elbow, and team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti will evaluate his right flexor pronator tendon.