HALLANDALE, Fla. – The Breeders’ Cup always is a headache to handicap, but tomorrow’s battle royale at Gulfstream Park requires an aspirin overdose.

Eight races, 102 horses, no locks, few tosses, over a main track most horses have never raced over before and a turf course that’s been waterlogged for weeks.

Our approach? Go against the conventional wisdom, hoping to hit a couple of overlays along the way. Every one of our picks has a knock against them, which means the masses will look elsewhere. We zig where they zag.

First, the big one – the $4 million Classic.

CONTENDERS: Behrens, the best older horse in the United States still standing, won the 11/4-mile Gulfstream Park Handicap earlier this year and could clinch Horse of Year with a victory. He didn’t like the Belmont slop last out and still ran second. General Challenge loves the distance, is working like a champ, but is better racing on home court in California. Lemon Drop Kid has been training very well. River Keen is on a roll but has bad feet.

LIVE LONGSHOTS: Almutawakel is from Godolphin stable, an outfit which almost won the Classic last year with Swain and did win the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup, in March. Ecton Park won the Super Derby, often a key Classic prep. Vision and Verse was a close second to Lemon Drop Kid in the Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes.

ANALYSIS: Old Trieste insures a fast pace, with several others pressing him early, including General Challenge, who often acts up too much before the race. Behrens and Lemon Drop Kid have good stalking styles.

THE BET: Lemon Drop Kid likes this track, has been training better than any horse all week and is a true stayer. Play him to post an upset win and box him in the exacta with Behrens.