ARCADIA, Calif. -  About the only thing certain about the Marathon has been its uncertainty since it was added to the Breeders’ Cup program in 2008. No favorite has ever won the race and only one has even hit the board in the four-year history of the event, which has been won by horses ranging in price from 6-1 to the 41-1 Afleet Again a year ago at Churchill Downs.

ARCADIA, Ca. - Since 2008, when the Breeders’ Cup program expanded to include a pair of turf races for 2-year-olds, European-based horses have won 11 of 24 Breeders’ Cup races contested on grass. That’s a robust rate, but one race United States-based horses have ruled is the Juvenile Fillies Turf, in which Americans have gone 4 for 4. 

ARCADIA, Calif. – It might have been a bumpy ride, but Royal Delta escaped Hurricane Sandy and shipped Monday from the East Coast to Santa Anita, where on Friday she will lead an outstanding field of eight fillies and mares to post in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic.

The $2 million, 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares was previously known as the Distaff. By any name, the 2012 edition is considered the strongest in the 29-year history of the race.

ARCADIA, Calif. - In the race where post position may matter the least, a field of 14 long-winded specialists was drawn Monday for the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon. A 1 3/4-mile race, the Marathon will be decided as the second race on Friday’s Breeders’ Cup program at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Of the 12 fillies and mares in Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita only one can boast a win over the course and distance this year.

Marketing Mix won the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes over 1 1/4 miles on turf on Sept. 29, a victory that vaulted her to the fore of the American contenders for Friday’s race.

Her familiarity with the course will be needed.

ARCADIA, Calif. - European-based runners have won three of the first five runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile turf.
Based on Monday’s post position draw, there’s a good chance it could be four of six by late morning Saturday.

European-based runners made up six of the 15 horses entered for the one-mile Juvenile Turf. The race will be limited to 14 runners and the European-based Rising Legend would need one scratch to get into the field. One European-based runner not entered was Snow King.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Assistant trainer Richard Hannon Jr. said Monday that he hoped for a draw between posts 1 and 6 for possible favorite Sky Lantern in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Hannon and his father, Richard Sr., haven’t had good luck in past Breeders’ Cup experiences, but in this instance good fortune smiled, with Sky Lantern landing post 3 in an overfilled edition of the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf.

[BREEDERS' CUP PPs: Visit DRF's official BC Handicapping Center]

ARCADIA, Calif. - Shanghai Bobby has a spot in the starting gate for Saturday’ $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Now he just needs to get here from New York.

Shanghai Bobby drew post 4 in a nine-horse field set to run 1 1/16 miles in Saturday’s Juvenile. Shanghai Bobby was scheduled to ship out Tuesday from New York, but Hurricane Sandy postponed that flight by a day, and it is now scheduled to leave Newburgh, N.Y., at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Jack Wolf, part of the Starlight Stable partnership that owns Shanghai Bobby, did not seem too worried about his horse making it here.

ARCADIA, Calif. - As expected, Saturday’s $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint attracted a full field of 14 speedsters, including defending champion Amazombie, when entries were drawn Monday at Santa Anita. It just was not the exact same 14 many figured to be in the starting lineup when pre-entries had been taken for the race one week earlier.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Groupie Doll is beginning to look like one of the most reliable favorites of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup.

The favorite for the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint shipped from Kentucky without incident, galloped comfortably over the Santa Anita main track Sunday, and drew a favorable post (9 of 10) for the seven-furlong BC race that will be run Saturday.