Mastercraftsman could very well be switched to the Breeders´ Cup Dirt Mile in order to avoid racing against stable mate Rip Van Winkle in the Classic, his trainer Aidan O´Brien has revealed this Monday.

The Irish 2,000 Guineas winner was labeled as a 5-2 favorite, once the announcement filtered through to a small number of bookmakers, usurping the previous bookmaker leader Capt. Candyman Can.

Seven runners are mapped out for the trip to Santa Anita by O´Brien and has confirmed that “we´ve put Mastercraftsman in two races”.

“We had to indicate a preference for one race and we nominated the Dirt Mile for him although we still have the option to change our preference if we want to”. “Both he and Rip Van Winkle are in good form”.

In outlining his other plans for the two day Breeders´ Cup race, O´Brien said that “Lillie Langtry will run in the Juvenile Fillies Turf in November 6 and on that same day, Man of Iron, who has won a couple of races over one mile and three furlongs at Dundalk, will run in the Marathon”.

Also contesting the Juvenile Turf, will be Beethoven, the shock winner of Group1 Jumeirah Dewhurts Stakes, and Alfred Nobel, the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner as well as Viscount Nelson.

Rip Van Winkle is a short 11-8 favorite for the $5 million Classic over 1m2f, and in which Mastercraftsman is a best priced 12-1 chance better than Henrythenavigator and Giant´s Causeway. Both of these horses finished second in the Classic.