Delightful Kiss (Tr: Pete Anderson) - Hobeau Farm's 4yo gray gelding Delightful Kiss arrived at Santa Anita after an eventful van ride from Golden Gate Fields on Tuesday.

"There was a big accident on the Grapevine (stretch of Golden State Freeway) that caused a two-hour delay," trainer Pete Anderson said. While the horse van was not involved in the incident, Anderson said, "He hit his head on the van. It's superficial and looks worse than it is. He ate up last night and went to the track Wednesday morning and is doing real well."

Anderson's son-in-law, Victor Ordonez, galloped Delightful Kiss 1 1/2m at Santa Anita Wednesday.

"He went around perfect and took a trip through the paddock," Anderson said.

Delightful Kiss was on the Triple Crown trail in 2007, but was waiting to get into the Kentucky Derby field as he was at the bottom of the earnings list. He ended up running ninth in the American Turf on Oaks Day at Churchill Downs instead.

He went on to win the Ohio Derby and Iowa Derby in subsequent starts. After a fifth-place finish in the West Virginia Derby, Anderson gave his star several months off from competition.

Delightful Kiss has found a new niche in going long on synthetic surfaces. He is unbeaten in his last two races on Polytrack and Tapeta. He earned a spot in the Breeders' Cup Marathon via a Breeders' Cup Challenge victory in the Turfway Fall Championship at Turfway Park on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Delightful Kiss is Anderson's only horse.

Muhannak (Tr: Ralph Beckett) - Two victories over synthetic surfaces convinced trainer Ralph Beckett to send the 4yo gelding Muhannak from England to try the 12f over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride track.

"We bought the horse around July and he sort of surprised us the first time out at Kempton over a mile and three eighths on the Polytrack," Beckett said. "Then this race (Diamond Stakes) was coming up for him. We sent him to Dundalk, which is quite a long way from us. We're right down in the south of England; that's on the Northern Ireland border.

"He loved the traveling and won. This was the next obvious step."

Muhannak will be ridden by Pat Smullen, who was aboard for the race at Dundalk.

Sixties Icon (Tr: Jeremy Noseda) - Trainer Jeremy Noseda figures Sixties Icon is a great fit for the Marathon.

"It's a Breeders' Cup race, and a special day," Noseda said. "Ever since I saw that this race was added to the card, I felt it would suit him ideally."

Sixties Icon, to be ridden by Frankie Dettorri, has made all 16 of his career starts on grass, but he's familiar with the feel of synthetic surfaces.

"He's done the majority of his training on Polytrack and always handled it very, very well and has gone smoothly on it," Noseda said. "He canters every day on the Polytrack, so I'm hopeful that he'll handle the surface (Pro-Ride).

"I think that at this moment, he will handle the surface no problem at all. Looking at the race, he appears to be the class horse in the event."

Zappa (Tr: John W. Sadler; ex. rider: Ricardo Peniche) - Gary and Cecil Barber's Zappa galloped 1 1/4m on Wednesday morning at Santa Anita under exercise rider Ricardo Peniche for trainer John Sadler.

Garrett Gomez has the mount on Zappa, whom he rode to victory in the Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar that earned Zappa a spot in the starting gate for the Marathon. Zappa will break from post six.

Since winning the Cougar II, Zappa has tackled Grade 1 competition in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, in which he finished fourth, and the Goodwood, in which he finished seventh, beaten less than five lengths.

"He liked Del Mar, and in the Pacific Classic he had some trouble and probably should have been third. The race was better than it looked," Sadler said. "He has done better here, and the idea at the time was that maybe Big Brown and Curlin may not run in the Classic, so let's take a shot in the Goodwood.

"After that, it was an easy decision for the Marathon."