Breeders’ Cup Mile pre-entrant Flotilla is “very doubtful” to ship as planned from France to California on Saturday, trainer Mikel Delzangles said. Flotilla has a bruised foot that is unlikely to improve sufficiently for the 3-year-old filly to be properly prepared for the Mile.

“It’s a problem that could be solved in a week’s time, but the timing is bad,” Delzangles said.

Flotilla won the Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall on the Breeders’ Cup program but has run poorly in her two most recent starts, both in France.

Mshawish stays in Europe

ARCADIA, Calif. – The Breeders’ Cup is always rich with good story lines, but few would top Caracortado if the 6-year-old gelding wins the Turf Sprint next Saturday at Santa Anita.

Produced by a giveaway mare following a free mating, Caracortado has overcome his latest hurdle, a serious injury to his right front hoof, to emerge as a contender for the $1 million Turf Sprint.

LAS VEGAS – The Breeders’ Cup is next Friday and Saturday, but the festivities start earlier than that here.

The annual kickoff to Breeders’ Cup Week every year is the Pick the Ponies horse handicapping tournament at the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel & Casino (formerly the Hilton) – on the Wednesday through Friday of the week, just like the spring rendition which is held the three days prior to the Kentucky Derby.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Thursday proved to be the calm before the storm for Breeders’ Cup hopefuls training at Santa Anita, with the majority of activity confined to routine jogs and gallops. Only one Breeders’ Cup contender, the multiple Grade  1 winner Jeranimo (Mile), turned in a recorded workout, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.40 over the main track following the final renovation break shortly after 9:30 a.m.

ARCADIA, Calif. – When there is a loose horse on the track at Santa Anita, a siren goes off, and lights flash, to warn other riders. No such warning exists when trainer Eric Guillot arrives for work each morning, but, like a loose horse, he usually makes his presence known in short order.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Of the many people saddened by the death of multiple Grade 1 winner Dullahan, perhaps no one took it harder than Bailey Romans. The 20-year-old daughter of Dale Romans and Tammy Fox absolutely reveled in the exploits of an exceptional chestnut colt who died Oct. 20 from a ruptured colon.

The fairy tale could have come true last year, and everyone would have written and raved about how the first Thoroughbred whom Ted and Judy Nichols ever sent to the races jumped up to win a Breeders’ Cup event. Clouds of flowers would have descended upon their horsey hideaway in the hills east of Oceanside, Calif. Their grouchy American bulldog, Boomer, would have let strangers approach to pay tribute. The avocado orchards would have brought forth unmatched bounty and vintage guacamole.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Initially headed north of the border for this weekend’s $1 million Canadian International at Woodbine, Twilight Eclipse instead is now heading west for the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.

Twilight Eclipse prefers firm ground over soft turf and with wet weather forecast over the weekend in Canada, his connections felt it was pointless to run at Woodbine.

“We know he doesn’t handle the soft turf,” said Tom Albertrani, who trains Twilight Eclipse for West Point Thoroughbreds. “We decided to go to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Headed by eight Grade 1 and Group 1 winners, an oversubscribed group of 15 horses – three more than the maximum number of allowed starters – were pre-entered for the seventh running of the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, to be run Friday, Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

[BREEDERS’ CUP 2013: See DRF’s top contenders]

It just wouldn’t be the Breeders’ Cup Marathon if the field had a clear-cut favorite, and this year’s renewal upholds that tradition.

The field for the $500,000 Marathon, to be run Nov. 1 at a distance of 1 3/4 miles over Santa Anita’s main track, is a melting pot of nationalities, résumés, and backgrounds that makes just about every horse in the field a legitimate threat to win.

Leading the North American platoon is Indian Jones, the runner-up by a nose at Parx Racing in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup Stakes, North America’s marquee prep for the Marathon.