HORSE RACING

• Post positions drawn for 25th Breeders' Cup

  
  

  Arcadia, CA (Sports Network) - Post positions and morning-line odds have been set for the 25th running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held this Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita Park.

  Defending Breeders' Cup Classic winner Curlin has been made the 7-5 favorite for the race with regular rider Robby Albarado getting the mount. The pair will break from post nine in the 12-horse field. Last year the colt won the $5 million Classic by 4 1/2 lengths over another three-year-old, Hard Spun.

  Friday will feature the five races restricted to females, highlighted by the $2 million Ladies' Classic, previously known as the Breeders' Cup Distaff. First post on Friday will be 3:35 p.m. (et) and 1:10 p.m. (et) on Saturday.

  The Ladies Day on Friday kicks-off with the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint followed by the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Filly and Mare Turf and the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic.

  Championship Saturday features nine open Breeders' Cup races on an 11-race card, starting with the Breeders' Cup Marathon followed by the Turf Sprint, Dirt Mile, Breeders' Cup Mile, Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Juvenile Turf, Breeders' Cup Sprint, Breeders' Cup Turf and the Classic.

  The featured race is the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles.

  California Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger has announced he will attend the Breeders' Cup World Championships on Saturday and will become the first California governor to ever present the winner's trophy for the Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run Saturday at approximately 6:45 p.m. (et).

  Curlin,ownedby Stonestreet Stables,can join Tiznow as the only thoroughbreds to capture consecutive runnings of the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

  Trained by Steve Asmussen, Curlin is a victory short of ensuring another Horse of the Year title.

  Trained by Steve Asmussen, the four-year-old colt surpassed Cigar's earnings record of $9.9 million and currently has the mark at $10,246,800.

  As a three-year-old in 2007 Curlin won the Arkansas Derby, Preakness Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup, along with the Classic and was voted Horse of the Year and champion male three-year-old.

  This year Curlin won the DubaiWorld Cup, Stephen Foster and Woodward Handicaps and a second Jockey Club Gold Cup.

  The $2 million Ladies' Classic, formerly the Distaff, is led by 3-5 favorite Zenyatta, an undefeated four-year-old. The filly will start from the inside post in the field of eight with Mike Smith getting the mount.

  Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss, Zenyatta is perfect in eight career starts, including six in 2008. Seh has earned just over $1 million and is coming off a win at Santa Anita in the Lady's Secret Stakes.

  Defending winner Ginger Punch is 9-2 in the morning-line and will break from post six with Rafael Bejarano riding. A winner of 12 of 21 lifetime starts, Ginger Punch has won better than $3 million for Stronach Stables and trainer Bobby Frankel.

  A total of 160 entries have been taken for the 14 race, two-day event.

  10/21 16:52:26 ET