What: World championships of thoroughbred racing
Purse: $28 million
Friday's schedule: Four races (the first at 4:25 p.m.), including the $2 million Distaff at 6:35 p.m. Songbird, a 3-year-old filly who's won 11 of 11 races in her career, is the 6-5 favorite for the 1 ⅛-mile Distaff, but the competition will be strong in the eight-horse field. She will be ridden by 51-year-old Mike Smith and break from the No. 1 position. Five of Songbird's victories have come on her home track at Santa Anita.
Saturday's schedule: Nine races (the first at 2:05 p.m.), including the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic in prime time at 7:35. The favorite is California Chrome, a 5-year-old with a North American-record $13,432,650 in career earnings; he has won all six of his races in 2016. He drew No. 4 in a field of 10 for the 1¼-mile race and will be ridden by Victor Espinoza. The 2014 Kentucky Derby winner was installed as the even-money morning-line favorite.
TV: The Classic will be on Ch. 11; all other races will air on NBCSN.
Notes: With the temperature projected to be in the low 80s and "Chrome for President" buttons expected to be plentiful, the signs look promising for a memorable two days of racing. … Smith holds the Breeders' Cup records for wins (22) and purse earnings ($28.9 million). He is also racing in the Classic aboard Travers. … Nyquist, this year's Kentucky Derby winner, isn't entered after suffering from a "puffy ankle" this past week and he has been retired. … This is the ninth time Santa Anita has hosted this event.
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