DEL MAR, Calif. – A pair of 3-year-olds who will try to upset a strong group of older horses in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic worked on opposite ends of the country on Friday morning in their final drills for the sternest test of their careers eight days hence. Here at Del Mar, Pavel got a feel for the surface over which the Classic will be run on Nov. 4 when he went once around the track in company with the filly Mopotism, who goes in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 3. After starting off at the finish line on the one-mile oval, they were officially timed for the final half-mile after going off at a gallop for the first half-mile. Pavel, with exercise rider Gabby Blanchard up, was caught by Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch in 50.06 seconds. In Florida at Gulfstream Park West, Gunnevera went five furlongs in 1:02 with his Breeders’ Cup jockey, Edgard Zayas, aboard. :: BREEDERS’ CUP 2017: Pre-entries, odds, comments, and more Pavel most recently finished third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, his first start against older horses and only the fourth start of his career. He has made considerable progress since debuting on July 1. “Looks good. I got the last eighth in 11 and change,” Doug O’Neill, who trains Pavel, said shortly after watching the work, which mirrored the way O’Neill trained Nyquist prior to his victory in the 2016 Kentucky Derby. “It’s cool when you’ve got a horse you can do that with,” O’Neill said. Gunnevera will be making his first start against older horses in the Classic. He has been one of the top 3-year-olds in the country all year. He won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in March, and last time out finished second in the Travers to West Coast, another 3-year-old headed to the Classic. Gunnevera has trained at his home base of Gulfstream Park West since the Travers. “I’m very happy,” trainer Antonio Sano said from Florida. “I had his last two furlongs in 23 and 1. Finished very well, galloped out good.” Sano said that Gunnevera was scheduled to travel to California on Saturday. He was on a flight that was to leave Fort Lauderdale in the morning and stop in Tennessee before heading to Los Angeles. From there, Gunnevera was to travel by van to Del Mar. Gun Runner, the early favorite for the Classic on the line of Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, arrived at Del Mar on Friday after a van ride from Santa Anita. :: Breeders' Cup PP packages: Get PPs, betting strategies, DRF+ Pro access, and more