Shanghai Bobby drew post position four in a field of nine for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile, where the colt will try to remain undefeated and position himself as the winter favorite for the Kentucky Derby.
Shanghai Bobby will be ridden by Rosie Napravnik, who has been aboard for each of the 2-year-old colt's four victories this year. She could join Julie Krone as the only women to win a Breeders' Cup race in the event's 28-year history.
Shanghai Bobby will face eight rivals in the 1 1/16-mile race at Santa Anita. Among the field is Power Broker and Title Contender, both trained by Bob Baffert; and He's Had Enough, trained by Doug O'Neill, who oversaw Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another.
Title Contender and jockey Martin Garcia will start from post No. 1 in the Juvenile, while He's Had Enough and rider Mario Gutierrez drew post No. 3. Power Broker and Rafael Bejarano will be on the far outside in post nine. Gutierrez rose to fame this year aboard I'll Have Another, but his business had slowed since the colt was scratched with an injury the day before the Belmont Stakes, dashing hopes for racing's first Triple Crown winner in 34 years.
Gutierrez has five Breeders' Cup mounts, including Handsome Mike in the Classic.
Royal Delta, the defending Ladies' Classic champion trained by Bill Mott, has an abrasion on her right hind end, having apparently backed into something on her flight from upstate New York. She was given a tetanus shot and antibiotic cream as a precaution against infection. She was entered in the Ladies' Classic on Friday instead of running against the boys in the Classic the next day.
Royal Delta was among 17 horses that arrived Monday after their flight was moved ahead eight hours to a 1 a.m. EDT departure to beat Hurricane Sandy. The flight was moved from an airport on Long Island to upstate Newburgh, N.Y., to avoid strong winds ahead of the storm.
Game On Dude, trained by Baffert and co-owned by retired Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, heads a field of 12 for the Classic. With Bejarano having replaced Chantal Sutherland in the saddle, the 5-year-old gelding will try to win the race a year after leading most of the way only to be overhauled by Drosselmeyer in the closing yards.
Trainer Dale Romans said Pacific Classic winner Dullahan will run in the $3 million Turf rather than the Classic, where he had been pre-entered. Arlington Million winner Little Mike, also trained by Romans, will go in the Turf after being considered for the $2 million Mile.
The two-day, $25 million world championships open Friday with six races. Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino owns South Floyd, who drew post four in the seven-horse $500,000 Juvenile Sprint.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees co-owns Worth Repeating in the $500,000 Marathon, which drew a full field of 14.
Saturday's nine races include the $1 million Turf Sprint, with Mizdirection among the 16-horse field. He's co-owned by sports talk radio host Jim Rome.
