Racing:Rip Van Winkle will break from stall 10 in his quest to provide Aidan O'Brien with a maiden success in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Saturday. O'Brien has twice gone close in the highlight with Gaint's Causeway in 2000 and Henrythenavigator losing to Raven's Pass 12 months ago.
Unbeaten American filly Zenyatta has been declared for the 10-furlong contest in preference to defending her crown in the Ladies’ Classic, and the 13-times winner will start from box four.
The local layers make John Shirreffs’ five-year-old their 5-2 favourite for the Classic with QEII and Sussex Stakes winner Rip Van Winkle offered at 7-2 on the morning line.
Coral eased Rip Van Winkle out to 7-4 from 6-4 and make Zenyatta 3-1 from 7-2 following Tuesday afternoon’s draw ceremony.
O’Brien has scratched Mastercraftsman from the Classic and the Irish 2000 Guineas winner has been drawn in stall one for the Dirt Mile.
The grey is offered as the 6-5 morning line favourite, while Freddie Head’s brilliant French filly Goldikova was eased in the betting for her defence of her Breeders’ Cup Mile crown when drawing the outside stall.
Last year’s runaway winner is 5-4 from even-money after she landed berth 11 of 11
Godolphin’s Delegator is just 3-1 on the morning line after being allocated gate four in the Mile, while Sir Michael Stoute’s QEII runner-up Zacinto will break from the eight hole.
Henry Cecil is chasing a first Breeders’ Cup success and his Champion Stakes winner Twice Over will start from stall five in the Classic, while his Midday is drawn six for the Filly & Mare Turf.
Cecil’s Father Time is in stall five for the Marathon, in which St Leger winner Mastery is the 9-5 morning line favourite after bagging the six stall.
The draw was far from to kind to Jeremy Noseda’s raiding party with Strike The Deal allocated stall 12 of 14 in the Turf Sprint, and his July Cup winner Fleeting Sprit on the wide outside in nine for the Sprint itself.
Bob Baffert is chasing his third straight Breeders’ Cup Sprint success and his Zensational is the 7-5 morning line favourite after bagging the plum draw on the rail in box one.