Pick 'em: Game On Dude, Awesome Feather in Classics

• Eight previous Breeders' Cup winners are back to defend or attempt to recapture their titles
• Awesome Feather is the pick in the Ladies Classic
• Game On Dude is undefeated in five races at Santa Anita

The Breeders' Cup returns to Santa Anita Park this weekend for the 29th renewal of Thoroughbred racing's World Championships, with eight previous Breeders' Cup winners back to defend or attempt to recapture their titles.

Royal Delta, victorious in the Ladies' Classic at Churchill Downs in 2011, will face a pair of undefeated Juvenile Fillies winners in this year's edition: My Miss Aurelia (2011) and Awesome Feather (2010). The Friday feature is the strongest and most competitive race of the two-day racing festival.

Musical Romance (F&M Sprint) and Amazombie (Sprint) also seek repeats, as does 2011 Turf winner St Nicholas Abbey, who faces five international horses and a strong group of American-trained turf horses.

Eldaafer makes his fourth start in a row in the Marathon and the 2010 winner has a chance to bounce back f from sub-par performance last year.

With the return to Santa Anita, the distance of the Turf Sprint has been extended from 5 to 6½ furlongs to accommodate the unique downhill course. California Flag led throughout in 2009 and sports a record of six wins from nine starts over course and distance.

All eight of the former Breeders' Cup winners will be hard pressed to repeat in 2012, with the Ladies Classic the most challenging and contentious race over the two days.

Royal Delta ships to Santa Anita off an impressive score in the Grade 1 Beldame at Belmont Park, a traditionally key prep race for the Ladies' Classic. The four-year-old daughter of Empire Maker grinds out her wins against generally inferior competition, but just cannot put two victories back to back.

Awesome Feather should keep her 10-race win streak alive and head a Ladies Classic trifecta of previous winners. Trained by Chad Brown, the hottest young conditioner in America, Awesome Feather stalks the pacesetters, takes the lead in upper stretch with a burst of speed and holds off the late closers. The Ladies Classic should set up perfectly for such a running style.

Play Awesome Feather on top of Royal Delta and My Miss Aurelia in exactas and trifectas. Questing also has a chance to be in the money should any of the top trio fail to fire.

The Classic, America's richest race with a purse of $5 million, closes the card on Saturday with 2011 runner-up Game On Dude favored to turn back a strong East Coast challenge led by a trio of Bill Mott-trained runners.

Game On Dude, trained by Bob Baffert, is one of the best bets of the 15 Breeders' Cup events, with a perfect 5-for-5 lifetime record over the Santa Anita surface. Mucho Macho Man and Ron The Greek can be used in exactas with 'Dude', who is expected to lead through the mile and one-quarter trip under Rafael Bejarano.

Breeders' Cup is offering a special daily double is on Friday combining the two Classic races over the two days. There should be some value for bettors to combine Awesome Feather with Game On Dude in this separate pool bet.

In other Friday races:

Juvenile Sprint: Newest addition to the Breeders' Cup menu, In the opening event, Sweet Shirley Mae is taken to beat the locally-trained pair of Super Ninety Nine and Merit Man.

Marathon: Fame and Glory ships in from Ireland for Aiden O'Brien. The winner of $2.3 million has beaten Europe's best long-distance horses but has never raced on dirt. Class should tell; Fame And Glory goes right to the lead and is never caught. Atigun is best of American horses and Peruvian shipper Almudena is a fascinating addition to the strangest event of the Breeders' Cup series.

Juvenile Fillies Turf: Europeans traditionally have an advantage in Breeders' Cup grass races. Sky Lantern ships in from England and can edge former Irish-trained Watsdachances, now in the care of Chad Brown and unbeaten since imported to America in August. Waterway Run, another British challenger, can round out the trifecta.

Juvenile Fillies: Again an East vs. West showdown, with Todd Pletcher's New York filly Kauai Katie taken to beat Baffert's Executive Privilege and Canadian shipper Spring in the Air.

Filly & Mare Turf: Usually dominated by Europeans, the longshot special of the entire Breeders' Cup weekend is Todd Pletcher's In Lingerie, a three-year-old filly that has yet to race on turf, but is unbeaten on artificial surfaces. Ridasiyna, Nahrain and I'm A Dreamer are best of the foreign raiders.

In other Saturday races:

Juvenile Turf: A wide-open race with several promising Europeans, but that man Chad Brown again has a winning chance with his pair of Balance the Books and Noble Tune. Dundonnell appears best of the overseas challengers; with I'm Boundtoscore posing an upset chance, despite a wide draw in 12.

Filly & Mare Sprint: Groupie Doll is everyone's best bet over the two days, but will be a prohibitively short price. Key the favorite over Dust And Diamonds and Turbulent Descent in exactas and hope for a fair return on your money.

Dirt Mile: Emcee and Shackleford head the betting in this contentious running, with the former taken to come out on top. Locally trained Rail Trip could pop at a price and should be used in exotics with the top two.

Turf Sprint: Toughest race of the day, where a good trip may decide the outcome over a difficult and tricky downhill course. Great Mills, Bridgetown, Camp Victory and Great Attack all have a winning chance. Good race to watch, bad race to bet.

Juvenile: Once again it's a Pletcher vs. Baffert rematch with top two-year-olds. New York-based Shanghai Bobby and Florida shipper Speak Logistics should dominate over what looks a weak California contingent, of which Baffert's Power Broker appeals the most.

Turf: Although Point Of Entry has dominated the long-distance American turf races this season, French filly Shareta can prove the best of the Europeans. Look for three-year-old Dullahan to run a big race after opting for the Turf instead of the Classic.

Sprint: Traditionally the most difficult race to handicap, the 2012 edition is no exception. In a wide-open affair, take a chance on some longshots and play Point of Entry and Gantry to win and show. Amazombie should be right there in a close finish as will Smiling Tiger and Poseidon's Warrior.

Mile: Wise Dan is the best turf miler on these shores since Lure and Da Hoss and is a serious candidate for Horse of the Year if he can beat European star Excelebration, who now has come into his own with the retirement of wonder horse Frankel.