OCEANPORT, N.J. - For a summertime track like Monmouth Park to open for an unprecedented four-day fall meeting beginning Wednesday, it must be something special. And it is. The Breeders' Cup is coming to town, encompassing two days of BC racing for the first time, headed by a $5 million Classic that should decide Horse of the Year.

They are coming from all points for the Classic. Any Given Saturday and Lawyer Ron completed their training at Belmont Park over the weekend, Curlin prepped at Keeneland, Diamond Stripes has been at Aqueduct, George Washington (the horse) is heading here from Ireland, and Hard Spun, like George Washington (the first President), is crossing the Delaware.

From California, Tiago already has arrived, and Awesome Gem is scheduled to be on the grounds Wednesday. And they all will have to get past the most accomplished horse in the field, Street Sense, who in the past 12 months has won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Kentucky Derby, and Travers Stakes, and last week was the first Classic runner to take up residence at Monmouth.

"I think it's going to be a great Classic," said Carl Nafzger, the trainer of Street Sense. "I'm glad to be a part of it."

This is the 24th Breeders' Cup World Championships, but it is the first time it will be held at Monmouth, and it will be expanding to 11 races over two days. Monmouth traditionally races in the summer, but will have racing on Wednesday and Thursday before the BC cards Friday and Saturday.

Friday will feature the three new Breeders' Cup races - the Filly and Mare Sprint, Dirt Mile, and Juvenile Turf. On Saturday, the Elite Eight will be run - the Juvenile Fillies, Juvenile, Filly and Mare Turf, Sprint, Mile, Distaff, Turf, and Classic.

Entries were taken and posts drawn on Tuesday for all 11 races.

Interactive Learn how to pick horse races, then our computer tells you Classic winner AP

Temperatures in the area have been well above normal for the past week, and are to remain so through this week, with highs Friday and Saturday in the mid- to upper 60's, according to the National Weather Service. There was, however, a 60 percent chance of showers on Tuesday, and there is a 40 percent chance of showers on Saturday.

The possibility of an off track kept the Classic field at nine, which is the number of horses who were pre-entered last week. Diamond Stripes also was cross-entered in the Dirt Mile, but trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. on Monday said an off track emboldened him to put Diamond Stripes in the Classic.

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Diamond Stripes is facing a deep, talented field. Any Given Saturday, Curlin, Hard Spun, Lawyer Ron, and Street Sense all have accomplished enough during the year to secure Horse of the Year with a victory. Tiago has displayed significant progress in the past few months, Awesome Gem just missed against Tiago in their last start in the Goodwood Stakes, and George Washington is one of the world's best horses, though his form on turf is far superior to his form on dirt.

Diamond Stripes, who most recently won the Meadowlands Cup, was one of several Classic horses who turned in their final works on Monday. He was timed in 59.27 seconds for five furlongs at Aqueduct.

At Keeneland, Curlin - whose biggest wins this year are the Preakness Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup - went a half-mile in 50.20 seconds with his regular exercise rider, Carmen Rosas. Robby Albarado has the mount on Saturday.

"He went smooth as glass," his trainer, Steve Asmussen, said from Keeneland.

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