(October 27, 2004)- Defending champion Pleasantly Perfect, 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri and Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes hero Birdstone are prominent in an outstanding field of 13 3-year-olds and up drawn for the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge Saturday at Lone Star Park.

The Classic will climax the 21st Breeders' Cup with 92 horses contesting the eight races worth a total of $14,650,000 at Lone Star in Grand Prairie, Texas, a Dallas suburb. The entire card will be televised live on NBC Sports (1-6 p.m. ET).

Horse of the Year honors will likely be decided in the 1 1/4 mile Classic. Pleasantly Perfect is a 6-year-old son of Pleasant Colony trained by Richard Mandella and his stunning victory in the Classic last year marked a record fourth score in a Breeders' Cup for his trainer on a memorable afternoon at Santa Anita.

Pleasantly Perfect will be ridden by Jerry Bailey, replacing injured regular rider Alex Solis. The Kentucky-bred bay won the Dubai World Cup in late March and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar last out on Aug. 22.

Allen Paulson Living Trust's marvelous 6-year-old mare Azeri, Horse of the Year in 2002 after winning the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Arlington Park, is the all-time North American money-winning filly or mare in history. Michael Paulson and trainer D. Wayne Lukas elected to try her in the Classic rather than the Distaff as she nears the end of a Hall of Fame career.

Marylou Whitney's 3-year-old Birdstone has had a remarkable campaign this year for trainer Nick Zito as the diminutive homebred colt by Grindstone has won the Belmont and Travers in his only two starts since a disappointing eighth-place effort in the Kentucky Derby. Edgar Prado retains the mount.

Other top contenders in the Classic include Sackatoga Stable's 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness hero Funny Cide, winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup in his last start; Ken and Sarah Ramsey's 4-year-old Roses in May, winner of all of his five starts this year, including the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga; and Stronach Stable's 4-year-old Ghostzapper, 3-for-3 this year, including the Woodward Stakes.

With Azeri going in the Classic, the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff - Presented by Nextel appears more wide-open with Starlight Stable's Ashado and Marje and Irving Cowan's Society Selection, a couple of 3-year-old fillies among the favorites in the well-balanced field of 10 fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles.

Ashado leads trainer Todd Pletcher's solid Breeders' Cup team with regular rider John Velazquez aboard. The daughter of Saint Ballado, runner-up to Halfbridled in the Juvenile Fillies last year, has made a strong case for Eclipse honors in her division with victories in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs and Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park.

Society Selection has made her own case for trainer Allen Jerkens as the homebred daughter of Coronado's Quest swept the Test Stakes and Alabama at Saratoga. Second last out in the Beldame Stakes at Belmont against older fillies and mares, she will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez.

A compelling story line in the Distaff is the career farewell appearance of Ogden Mills Phipps' 4-year-old homebred filly Storm Flag Flying, winner of the 2002 Juvenile Fillies at Arlington Park. The daughter of Storm Cat is trained by Shug McGaughey, who won Breeders' Cup races with Storm Flag Flying's dam My Flag and her dam, the legendary Personal Ensign.

A field of eight 3-year-olds and up will go to the post in the $2 million John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf with Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred 3-year-old Kitten's Joy the shortest-priced morning line favorite on the card at even-money in the 1 1/2 miles grass course test with jockey John Velazquez.

The Turf has been the nearly exclusive domain of European-trained raiders in recent years with six straight winners (the Mandella-trained Johar dead-heated with High Chaparral (IRE) last year), but Kitten's Joy has emerged as a star with six stakes victories this year, the last over older horses in the Joe Hirsch Classic at Belmont over the Turf distance.

Kitten's Joy's most formidable rival appears to be Mrs. John Magnier's 4-year-old Powerscourt (GB) with Coolmore stable jockey Jamie Spencer in the saddle. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, the son of Sadler's Wells made a previous foray to the U.S. this year from Ireland only to be disqualified by the stewards after finishing first in the Arlington Million in mid-August.

The $1,680,000 NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile may be the most wide-open race of the afternoon with a full field of 14 3-year-olds and up going one mile on turf with strong contenders from the American and European teams.

Leading the European delegation is the Niarchos Family's 4-year-old filly Six Perfections (FR) bidding for a repeat of her 2003 victory in the Mile at Santa Anita under jockey Jerry Bailey. Trained in France by Pascal Bary, Six Perfections marked the fifth victory for Niarchos Family, beginning with Miesque's Mile double in 1987-88.

The most fancied of the American-trained Mile contenders is likely Ken and Sarah Ramsey's 4-year-old Nothing to Lose, trained by Bobby Frankel and to be ridden by John Velazquez as the 7-to-2 morning line favorite. The homebred son of Sky Classic has improved with each start this year and was very impressive last out winning the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.

Fog City Stable's Roman Ruler was installed the 8-to-5 morning line favorite in the $1.5 million Bessemer Trust Juvenile with regular rider Corey Nakatani aboard for trainer Bob Baffert in the 1 1/16 miles test. A $500,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, the son of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus has won three of four starts, odds-on in all of his races, and won the Norfolk last out by 4 1/2 lengths.

Roman Ruler faces a formidable challenge from the East Coast from Padua Stable's undefeated Proud Accolade with John Velazquez aboard and Cash Is King LLC's Afleet Alex, one-two last out in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. Proud Accolade is another top contender from the Todd Pletcher barn, while Hopeful Stakes winner Afleet Alex invades from trainer Tim Ritchey's Delaware Park headquarters.

The purse for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf swelled to $1,410,000 with six of the 12 entered in the 1 3/8 miles grass course test supplementary nominees, led by Lord Derby's 3-year-old filly Ouija Board (GB), the 8-to-5 favorite with Kieren Fallon to ride.

Trained by Ed Dunlop, Ouija Board dominated her rivals winning the English Oaks and Irish Oaks in June and July and further enhanced her European champion resume last out finishing third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Oct. 3, beaten only 1 1/2 lengths by Bago.

Mrs. John Magnier and Mrs. Richard Henry's 4-year-old filly Yesterday (IRE) is also in with a big chance in just her third start this year, but likely career finale for trainer Aidan O'Brien. The daughter of Sadler's Wells finished a good third in the Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita last fall behind Islington.

Eugene and Laura Melnyk's 6-year-old Speightstown is the lukewarm favorite in the $1,060,000 Breeders' Cup Sprint with a full field of 14 going to the post, including Padua Stable and John and Joseph Iracane's Cajun Beat, winner of the race at Santa Anita as a 3-year-old at 23-to-1.

Speightstown raced unbeaten through his first four starts this year for trainer Todd Pletcher before finishing third as the 4-to-5 choice in the Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park last out. The son of Gone West had won stakes at Gulfstream Park, Churchill Downs, Belmont and Saratoga before the Vosburgh, run over a track Pletcher felt he didn't handle very well. John Velazquez has the mount.

Cajun Beat is a Grand Slam gelding and won the Sprint last year for trainer Steve Margolis. After finishing fourth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen Stakes in late March he was given a lengthy layoff, returning to training with Bobby Frankel, who also sends out Edmund Gann's Midas Eyes in the Sprint with a big chance on his own account.

The $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 miles is another wide-open contest with a field of 13 led by Martin and Pam Wygod's Sweet Catomine, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Sense of Style and Darley Stable's Balletto (UAE).

Sweet Catomine emerged as the leader of her age group in California after victories in the Del Mar Debutante and Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita for trainer Julio Canani. Sense of Style won the Spinaway at Saratoga and Matron at Belmont before finishing fifth last out in the Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland with a rough trip. Balletto earned her chance with a victory in the Frizette Stakes at Belmont for trainer Tom Albatrani.