Total Eclipse of Field for Inside Information : Distaff: Her 13 1/2-length victory is the most one-sided in Breeders’ Cup history.

Seconds after Inside Information scored the most decisive victory in Breeders’ Cup history, the sun appeared for the first time Saturday.

Apparently, even the heavens were impressed with the 4-year-old filly’s 13 1/2-length destruction of her nine rivals in the Distaff.

Called by some in the days leading up to the Breeders’ Cup the most competitive of the seven events, the Distaff instead turned into a showcase for Inside Information, trainer Shug McGaughey and owner Dinny Phipps.

In addition to watching the daughter of Private Account shatter Princess Rooney’s record (seven lengths) for easiest Breeders’ Cup victory, McGaughey and Phipps saw her entrymate, Heavenly Prize, rally from far back to get second, more than two lengths in front of Lakeway.

Proven already over off tracks, Inside Information moved to a new level Saturday in what was her final start, and in so doing, wrapped up the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top older filly or mare. The entry paid $3.60 as the 4-5 choice.

Her final time over a surface labeled good was 1:46, the fastest for the Distaff since the distance was shortened from 1 1/4 miles to 1 1/8 miles in 1988. The victory was her seventh in eight starts this year and 14th in 17 lifetime.

“If that wasn’t an Eclipse Award performance, I don’t know what is,” jockey Mike Smith said after the first of his two Breeders’ Cup victories Saturday.

After bobbling a bit at the start, Inside Information, who had struggled in winning the Spinster at Keeneland three weeks ago, moved up to fourth after a quarter of a mile, about a length off the pacesetting Lakeway.

With plenty of room along the inside, Smith allowed Inside Information to pull him to the lead a short time later and she kept improving her position from there.

“She loves this track [she has five victories in six starts at Belmont], and she loves the mud,” McGaughey said. “I told Mike not to let the race get away from him, but I didn’t want him to get into unrealistic fractions, either. I thought he rode a great race. He was able to put her where he wanted her to be.”

Given the presence of several speed types in the Distaff field, many observers felt Heavenly Prize was the more likely winner of the two fillies Saturday, but she was never in contention. Heavenly Prize now has two seconds and a third in three Breeders’ Cup appearances.

“The thing Inside Information has that Heavenly Prize doesn’t is speed,” McGaughey said. “Heavenly Prize got way out of it and came flying at the end. I don’t think she’s as good in the mud as the other one.

“They’re both very, very good fillies and I’m awfully lucky to have them.”

Serena’s Song, the soon-to-be 3-year-old champion filly and 5-2 second choice Saturday, was the biggest disappointment on what was a forgettable day for trainer Wayne Lukas.

He blanked with seven starters, including two favorites, and Serena’s Song, seemingly uncomfortable on the track, checked in fifth, almost 19 lengths behind Inside Information. It was the first time since she finished 16th in the Kentucky Derby that she had been worse than second.

“When they don’t like it, they don’t like it,” Lukas said of mud. “Do you think Inside Information is [that much] better than this field?”

Jockey Gary Stevens, who failed to add to his three previous Breeders’ Cup victories, didn’t make any excuses and praised the runaway winner.

“She left there running and she was going pretty easy down the backside, but [Inside Information] was going just as easy,” he said. “The winner relishes this kind of track, and my filly was just getting over it.

“I started squeezing [Serena’s Song] about the three-eighths pole and she gave me everything she had, but the winner just galloped away from me. She was incredible today.”