They all-star cast includes Kentucky Derby and Preakness hero California Chrome, undefeated Pacific Classic winner Shared Belief, Belmont Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup victor Tonalist, Haskell and Pennsylvania Derby winner Bayern and defending European champions Magician and Dank.

he 31st Breeders’ Cup World Championships consists of 13 G1 races with purses and awards totaling $26 million.

To be held at Santa Anita for the third consecutive year on Friday and Saturday, the program consists of four Breeders’ Cup races on Friday and nine on Saturda, culminating with the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Goldencents (Dirt Mile), Ria Antonia (Juvenile Fillies), Magician (Turf), Secret Circle (Sprint) and Dank (Filly & Mare Turf) are the five 2013 winners returning to defend their Breeders’ Cup titles.

The $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic is the defining race for Horse of the Year honopurs. Since its inception in 1984, 11 winners of the Classic have been voted Horse of the Year, and with California Chrome and Shared Belief leading the way, this year’s race could produce number 12.

An overflow field of 15, including one also eligible, was entered marking the biggest field since 2005.

California Chrome took the sports world by storm this year with rousing victories in Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes for trainer Art Sherman.

He ran fourth in his bid to become racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner in the Belmont Stakes and returned in the Pennsylvania Derby on September 20 where he was a disappointing sixth behind Bayern. California Chrome, a son of Lucky Pulpit, has won 8 times in 14 lifetime starts.

Shared Belief has been the big horse during the second half of the season. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Shared Belief was an easy choice for 2-year-old champion as he went undefeated and untested in three starts, which culminated in a 5¾-length win in the Futurity at Hollywood Park in December.

The son of Candy Ride missed the Triple Crown season with lingering foot issues but quickly rose to the forefront of his division after scores over older horses in Del Mar’s Pacific Classic in August and Santa Anita’s Awesome Again last time out on September 27.

Shared Belief, with the Breeders’ Cup’s all-time winningest rider Mike Smith aboard, will put his perfect 7-for-7 record on the line in the Classic and will be odds-on to win Horse of the Year as well as the 3YO title with a win.

Shared Belief drew post 6 and was installed the 9-5 favorite while California Chrome breaks from post 13 with his regular partner Victor Espinoza in the saddle at odds of 4-1.

Tonalist, trained by Christophe Clement, has built an impressive resume of his own and wil also stake a claim for both titles with a Classic win.

The son of Tapit didn’t break his maiden until January at Gulfstream Park but gained national attention when he upset California Chrome in the Belmont STakes, then secured an automatic berth into the Classic when he beat older horses in Belmont’s Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 27.

Tonalist will break from post 11 and is third choice on the morning line at 5-1.

Kaleem Shah’s front-running Bayern has been a tough competitor all year. He captured Belmont’s Woody Stephens in June and had dominant wins in Monmouth Park’s Haskell Invitational in July and in the Pennsylvania Derby for trainer Bob Baffert.

The son of Offlee Wild finished off the board in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August after showing early speed on a track he did not appear to care for.

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens has entered Travers Stakes winner V.E. Day, and the son of 2007 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner English Channel should relish the 1¼-mile distance.

The remaining group of 3-year-olds entered for the Classic includes Candy Boy, third in the Pennsylvania Derby for John Sadler; and Toast of New York, a synthetic specialist who was second to Shared Belief in the Pacific Classic and a winner of the UAE Derby in Dubai or English trainer Jamie Osborne.

The Classic has been won by older horses in 10 of the past 12 runnings, with Curlin in 2007 and Raven’s Pass in 2008 being the only 3-year-olds to win during that stretch.

This year’s older group is led by the 4YO Moreno, a son of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Ghostzapper who won Saratoga’s Whitney in August for trainer Eric Guillot, and Gallant Stable’s Majestic Harbor, who rolled to victory in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita in June for trainer Sean McCarthy.

Imperative, who won the Charles Town Classic in April for George Papaprodromou; Godolphin Stable’s Footbridge, who was third to Shared Belief in the Awesome Again for Eoin Harty; Cigar Street, winner of the Homecoming Stakes at Churchill Downs for trainer Bill Mott; Thomas Coleman’s homebred Zivo, who won Belmont’s Suburban and was second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup for Chad Brown, and Big Cazanova, a GI winner in South America last year, round out the entries for the Classic.