Philadelphia, PA -- (Sports Network) - The year 2009 will not go down as a great time for older male handicap horses. Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin concluded his racing career after the 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic and no older male thoroughbred has filled the void.

Einstein, owned by Stronach Stable, has a chance to step forward with a victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday, November 7 at Santa Anita Park.

Trained by Helen Pitts, Einstein is the winner of 11 of his 28 career starts and $2,903,324. The seven-year-old is that rare thoroughbred who is as comfortable on the turf as he is on the main track.

This year alone Einstein won the Santa Anita Handicap on the oval's synthetic surface and captured his second straight Woodford Reserve Turf on the grass at Churchill Downs.

"He loves the game, he loves to run," jockey Julien Leparoux said about his Classic mount. "He'll always give 110-percent, that's one of the great things about riding him."

Leparoux was in the saddle for a workout of five-furlongs this past Sunday at Churchill Downs. Einstein covered the five-furlongs in :59 4/5 on a fast track. He was timed for six-furlongs in 1:12 4/5.

"He is strong and he's going to be ready for the Breeders' Cup," Leparoux noted.

Einstein will face leading three-year-old colt Summer Bird in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Also slated to run in the 1 1/4 mile race are Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, 2008 Santa Anita Derby champ Colonel John and winner of this year's Florida Derby Quality Road.

"I'm excited about it," said Pitts. "Why not take a shot at it? He likes that track out there and who knows? Every Grade One in this country is tough, let alone the Breeders' Cup, but if anybody deserves a shot, he does. I think he's tough right now. He's matured a lot and I think he's doing great now."

Right now the wildcard factor for the Classic is five-year-old mare Zenyatta. Her trainer John Shirreffs said the Eclipse Award winner will be pre-entered in both the Classic and Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. One would imagine she will be the favorite in which ever race she starts.