180 horses entered for Breeders' Cup

ARCADIA, Calif., Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A record 180 horses, including some international superstars, were pre-entered Thursday for the Oct. 24-25 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita.

The event includes 14 races worth a total of $25.5 million in purse money. The individual races usually decide annual championships in racing's various divisions.

The $5 million Classic will feature Curlin, who won the event last year, then went on to handily defeat top international foes in the Dubai World Cup this spring. He again will face a talented international field including Casino Drive from Japan, Duke of Marmalade and Henrythenavigator from Ireland and Raven's Pass from England.

Duke of Marmalade won five straight Group 1 races this year in Europe. Henrythenavigator captured four races in England and Ireland but lost to Raven's Pass in his most recent start. Casino Drive is undefeated in three starts.

The $2 million Ladies' Classic (formerly the Distaff), also promises a competitive field headed by Zenyatta, undefeated in eight career starts. Her challengers include defending champion Ginger Punch and Chilean-bred Cocoa Beach, who has won races on three continents.

The two days of racing will be televised live on ABC and ESPN, with the signal available to viewers in more than 130 countries.