Breeders’ Cup notes: He won the Preakness last year. Now, he’s all in for final race.

Trainer Mark Casse laughed when reminded that four of his six entrants for this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland drew outside post positions and another drew a middle spot.

However, he was elated that War of Will drew the No. 4 post for Saturday’s Dirt Mile.

“War of Will’s post position was probably the most important of all, especially going a mile at Keeneland where I think the outside post is so tough,” Casse said. “So I would say he drew perfect.”

The winner of last year’s Preakness, War of Will won the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland in July. He is scheduled to begin his stallion career in 2021 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., where his sire, War Front, also is at stud. War of Will was given morning-line odds of 10-1 for the Dirt Mile.

“He’s trained great, he looks great,” Casse said of War of Will ahead of what’s probably the final race of his career. “He’s trained so well on the dirt we just felt like we had to give him another shot ... Hopefully he breaks well and he’ll be pretty close to the pace. I think the 1 mile here will set up nice for him.”

Another Casse trainee, Got Stormy, drew the No. 12 post in a field of 14 for the Turf Sprint and was made the 7-2 morning-line favorite.

“An outside post is good,” Casse said. “Going five and a half on the turf, I would not want to be on the inside unless I had a tremendous amount of speed ... I wish we had drawn a little closer in, but it’s not the end of the world.”

Casse said 2020 has been an especially challenging year for trainers as the fluctuating schedule has delivered multiple curve balls.

“This has been a crazy year. I say all along, training horses is like putting a puzzle together. And, this year it’s putting a puzzle together with no pictures or no corners or edges.”

Sprint favorite scratched

Vekoma, the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint was scratched from the race Wednesday morning after developing a fever Tuesday night.

The 4-year-old colt won all three of his races this year, including a pair of Grade 1 contests at Belmont Park. Trainer George Weaver said Vekoma’s racing days are probably over. He’ll stand at stud at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington after a career in which he won six of eight starts and earned more than $1.2 million.

International squad arrives

Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien’s 2020 Breeders’ Cup team arrived from Europe in the quarantine barn at midnight on Tuesday. All 10 of O’Brien’s horses reportedly settled in well and his team was scheduled to remain in quarantine through Wednesday evening. They’re expected to hit the training track Thursday morning.

On Tuesday, the first of the European challengers onto the training track were the John Gosden trio of Lord North (Turf), Terebullum (Filly and Mare Turf) and Mehdaayih (Turf).

Work rider Benario Goncalves De Paive reported Lord North “had a good look around but felt great.” Next came Kameko (Mile), ridden by regular work rider Maddy O’Meara, who reported the 3-year-old colt to be in “brilliant form.”

Other international horses who hit the track for practice ahead of this weekend’s races include Jessica Harrington trainees Cayenne Pepper (Filly and Mare Turf) and Ooodnadatta (Juvenile Fillies Turf), who trotted one circuit together.

Cadillac (Juvenile Turf), Tarnawa (Turf), Safe Voyage (Mile) and Siskin (Mile) came onto the training track together. Jockey Jason Hart rode Safe Voyage on Tuesday and said, “It is great to be here to have my first Breeders’ Cup ride.”

“To be given the opportunity from my trainer and owner I’m very grateful and I’m really looking forward to it. I think he is coming into the race with a real live chance. He felt in good order this morning so it’s all systems go for Saturday.”

Trainer Michael Bell will also send out his first Breeders’ Cup runner, Ireland-bred The Lir Jet, in the Juvenile Turf. Bell was at Keeneland on Tuesday with his son, Nick. Bell said, The Lir Jet “looks in great shape. He traveled over well so we’re all happy at this stage.”

Filly disqualified after test

Princess Secret, a 2-year-old filly owned and trained by Daniel Pita, was disqualified for consideration in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies after an Oct. 26 blood test.

The test was administered by the Breeders’ Cup Out-of-Competition Program and revealed the presence of Stanozolol — an anabolic steroid that is specifically prohibited by the Breeders’ Cup.

Confirmation analysis was done following the positive result. Any horse testing positive for anabolic steroids or other prohibited substances in a Breeders’ Cup out-of-competition test sample during the six months prior to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships is ineligible to participate.

“Breeders’ Cup out-of-competition testing is done to the highest world standards and is vital to ensuring the integrity of the World Championships. All horses pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup are subject to our stringent medication and testing protocols and must meet these requirements in order to compete,” Breeders’ Cup President & CEO Drew Fleming said in a release. “Breeders’ Cup will continue its work to ensure the safety and the integrity of our sport, including our strong support of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act and other progressive reforms for Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. through our involvement in the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 4:09 PM.