Rise Up is the early favorite for the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot for 2-year-olds after dominating the Vinton, La., track’s prep for the race, the $200,000 Jean Lafitte, last Saturday. Trainer Tom Amoss said Rise Up, who shipped in from Churchill Downs, is now based at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The 1 1/16-mile Jackpot will be run Nov. 23.

Allen Aldrich thought he’d hit the horse racing heights when he saddled Steel Blue to win the Humboldt County Marathon in 2011. On Saturday, Aldrich will truly hit the big time as part-owner of She’s a Tiger, a contender in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita.

Aldrich, who maintains his trainer’s license, owns 25 percent of She’s a Tiger thanks to the insistence of old friend Jeff Bonde, who trains the filly.

The two went to high school together in Pleasanton, Calif., and their grandmothers were best friends.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Defending champion Mizdirection drew favorably in post 12 when starting gates were assigned Monday for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, to be run Saturday at Santa Anita.

Mizdirection is one of two females facing male rivals in a full field of 14 entered in the Turf Sprint, which is run downhill at 6 1/2 furlongs. The other, Reneesgotzip, was assigned post 4 as she also returns to the Turf Sprint after finishing third last year behind Mizdirection and Unbridled’s Note, the latter of whom got post 14 for Saturday’s race.

ARCADIA, Calif. – A two-turn, one-mile race on a seven-furlong turf course like Santa Anita’s should, in theory, put outside-drawn horses at a serious disadvantage. But the 13 such Breeders’ Cup races run here don’t supply a great deal of evidence supporting that notion.

Among the 52 horses who secured top-4 finishes in those races, 17 broke from post 8 or wider, and six horses who won or placed broke from post 9 or wider. Two horses won from post 12, three from post 10.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Top contenders Havana and Strong Mandate drew posts 13 and 14 for Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, further muddling an already-difficult handicapping puzzle.

Meanwhile, the inexperienced but very exciting debut winner Tap It Rich drew nicely in post 6 several hours after he put in his final workout for the Juvenile at Santa Anita.

The Juvenile is run at 1 1/16 miles, and at Santa Anita, there is a short run from the gate to the first turn.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Buff Bradley was elated with Groupie Doll being assigned post 11 when a field of 12 was entered Monday for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Saturday at Santa Anita.

“Perfect,” said Bradley, who will be saddling Groupie Doll for the last time before the 5-year-old mare is sold at auction Nov. 6 at Keeneland. “We’d much rather be outside than anywhere.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Little Mike and Point of Entry, the first two finishers in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf, drew post positions toward the middle of the gate Monday for Saturday’s $3 million BC Turf at Santa Anita.

Little Mike will break from post 4, while Point of Entry starts from post 8 in a field of 12. In 2012, Point of Entry broke from the rail, while Little Mike broke from post 7.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The Breeders’ Cup has altered the way in which horses not nominated as foals to the event can be permitted to participate. A payment that represents a percentage of the purse of the race to which a horse was being supplemented has been changed to a flat $100,000 fee (or $200,000 if the horse’s sire was not BC-nominated at the time of conception) that makes a horse eligible for any Breeders’ Cup race for the rest of his career.

ARCADIA, Calif. – There were simple reasons why Old Time Hockey was pre-entered for Friday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon over 1 3/4 miles on dirt at Santa Anita.

“He wants to run all day, and it is for $500,000,” trainer Tom Proctor said.

There was a practical reason, too.

“He’s a notch below the best marathon turf horses,” Proctor said.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Teaks North was claimed for $100,000 when he finished sixth in a turf race at Saratoga on Aug. 15. Just 11 weeks later, he will be a longshot in Saturday’s $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf.

It is worth a gamble, according to trainer Eric Guillot.

“If I run third, I’d be clear for the year,” Guillot said.