NEW YORK (AP) — Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Preakness winner Curlin headline a small but select field of nine horses pre-entered Wednesday for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at New Jersey's Monmouth Park on Oct. 27.

A total of 141 horses were pre-entered for the $23 million, 11-race Breeders' Cup World Championships, held over two days for the first time.

Todd Pletcher, as usual, led all trainers with 15 pre-entries, including two for the Classic in Whitney and Woodward winner Lawyer Ron and Haskell Invitational winner Any Given Saturday, as well as four fillies for the $2 million Distaff — Indian Vale, Octave, Panty Raid and Unbridled Belle. Last year, Pletcher sent out a record 17 horses but came away without a victory.

Final entries and the post-position draw is Tuesday.

The nine-horse field would be the smallest for the 1¼-mile Classic since 1997, when Skip Away defeated eight rivals at Hollywood Park. However, the field may be the most talented since '98, when Awesome Again beat the likes of Silver Charm, Skip Away, Victory Gallop and Touch Gold.

The Classic most likely will decide Horse of the Year.

Three new races will be contested, all Oct. 26, highlighted by the Dirt Mile featuring Discreet Cat, who won his first six races before finishing last in the $6 million Dubai World Cup and third in the Vosburgh in his last start.

Also, 24 horses earned automatic bids with victories in Breeders' Cup Challenge races. Of those winners, just 14 were pre-entered in Breeders' Cup races, including Goodwood Handicap winner Tiago (Classic).

Also headed to the Classic are Derby runner-up and Kentucky Cup winner Hard Spun, Goodwood runner-up Awesome Gem, Meadowlands Cup winner Diamond Stripes and 4-year-old George Washington, brought out of retirement this year and recently third in the Eclipse Stakes in England in July.