While the road to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile ends at Belmont Park on Oct. 27, several horses will be making detours to avoid a confrontation with Officer before then.

Trainer Bob Baffert may have his colleagues scrambling to make other arrangements after telling Daily Racing Form on Wednesday that he intends to keep Officer in California for the Norfolk Stakes on Sept. 29 rather than ship to Belmont for the Grade 1 Champagne on Oct. 6 as originally planned. Baffert cited the convenience of staying in California as one of the reasons for the decision.

For first time since its inception in 1999, the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf will be decided at the distance it was originally intended, one and one quarter miles, next month at Belmont Park.

Last year in the Breeders' Cup Mile, War Chant posted a hard-fought victory as the lukewarm 7-2 favorite, outlasting three other rivals in an incredibly contentious running.

This year, the $1 million Mile could have every bit of Park. Familiar faces such as North East Bound, Affirmed Success and Hap are back in consideration for the Mile, joined by such new shooters as Irish Prize, Noverre, Numerous Times, Banks Hill and maybe even Balto Star.

Obviously, much is to be decided in the coming weeks.

Two races in the East on Saturday likely will produce several candidates for the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Oct. 27 at Belmont Park.

Entries were to be drawn Thursday at Belmont Park for the $300,000 Vosburgh, a Grade 1 for 3-year-olds and older horses. Among those expected to enter the seven-furlong Vosburgh, which has produced four Sprint winners since 1984, were King's Bishop winner Squirtle Squirt, Grade 1 winner Peeping Tom, multiple stakes winner Say Florida Sandy, and possibly Forego runner-up Left Bank.

In 14 of 17 years, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies has been crowned divisional champion.

This year, Barry Irwin would like to make the race moot.

Irwin is head of the Team Valor syndicate that owns Cashier's Dream, the winner of the Grade 1 Spinaway and arguably the top Eastern-based juvenile filly. She is not nominated to the Breeders' Cup and would have to be supplemented at a cost of $90,000. While Irwin has not totally ruled out supplementing, he has already been there and done that with an unpleasant taste.

The last two winners of the Breeders' Cup Distaff are expected to run in this year's event, but both have had subpar years during a season in which the leading 3-year-old filly is considered superior to any of her elders.

Both Beautiful Pleasure and Spain, the last two winners of the Breeders' Cup Distaff, were entered to run in last weekend's Ruffian Handicap at Belmont Park. That race, however, was cancelled because of the terrorist attacks, forcing their plans to be altered as they prepare for the $2 million Distaff on Oct. 27 at Belmont Park.

BC TURF | 3YO & UP, 1 1/2 MILES (TURF). PURSE: $2 MILLION.

BC MILE | 3YO & UP, 1 MILE (TURF). PURSE: $1 MILLION.

The countdown has begun to the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on Oct. 27 at Belmont Park, but with a muted tone and altered schedule as a result of last week's terrorist attacks.

BC JUVENILE | 2YO COLTS & GELDINGS, 1 1/16 MILES. PURSE: $1 MILLION.