ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer John Shirreffs didn’t lose anything by bypassing yesterday’s $2 million Ladies’ Classic with Zenyatta in favor of a start against males in today’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

Shirreffs saddled Life Is Sweet ($18.20) for a stunning victory in the stakes for fillies and mares, completing 1 miles is 1:48.58. Life Is Sweet, who has been chasing Zenyatta all year, took advantage of her undefeated stablemate’s absence to score a last-to-first victory by 2 lengths.

Longshot Mushka closed from well back to finish second, a length ahead of Music Note. Careless Jewel, the 9-5 favorite, opened up several lengths on the field while setting a solid pace and faded badly to finish last.

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

Life Is Sweet, ridden by Garrett Gomez, relished the synthetic Pro-Ride surface, capturing her fourth win this year at Santa Anita.

A winning ‘Decision’

Informed Decision ($8.80) stalked the early pace of the $2 million Filly and Mare Sprint before driving to the lead at the top of the stretch and holding off heavily favored defending champion Ventura by 1 lengths. Free Flying Soul checked in third, three lengths back.

Informed Decision ran the seven furlongs in 1:21.66 under jockey Julien Leparoux, while earning $1,080,000 for the Augustin Stable.

Midday news

Midday ($6.60) saved ground before unleashing a strong stretch drive to prevail in the $2 million Filly and Mare Turf by a length. Pure Clan finished with a rush to edge defending champion and slightly favored Forever Together for second money by just a little more than a length. . . .

She Be Wild ($16.80), trapped inside in deep stretch under Leparoux, found a room along the rail late and surged to a victory in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies. . . .

Tapitsfly ($21.60) stalked Rose Catherine from the start of the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf before kicking away to a half-length victory under Robby Albarado. . . .

Man of Iron, a half-brother to Belmont Stakes winners Rags to Riches and Jazil, closed strongly on the rail to nose out 9-year-old gelding Cloudy’s Knight in the $500,000 Marathon.