Elmont, NY (My Sportsbook) - Five weeks before the running of the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park seven horses have been entered for Saturday's 1 1/4 mile Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. The $750,000 test has been a major stop prior to the richest race on North America.

Two years ago, Curlin won the Gold Cup on his way to capturing the Classic and being named 2007 Horse of the Year.

A pair of the best three-year-olds in training, Summer Bird and Quality Road, will take on older thoroughbreds for the first time. These two colts are expected to receive major consideration Saturday from the betting public.

Summer Bird, winner of the Belmont Stakes and Travers, will start from post three with Kent Desormeaux back to ride. Trained by Tim Ice, the three-year- old is owned by Drs. Kalarikkal and Vilasini Jayaraman.

His last three starts have moved Summer Bird into contention for the Eclipse Award as champion three-year-old of 2009. Since his sixth place finish in the Kentucky Derby to half-brother Mine That Bird, he won the final jewel of the Triple Crown, was second to Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell Invitational and won the Mid-Summer Derby.

"He appears to be a happy horse, and a happy horse is a fast horse," said Desormeaux.

Summer Bird, who did not race as a two-year-old, has won three of seven starts for nearly $1.6 million. Ice believes his horse is ready to take on older runners.

"I think he's up to it," said Ice. "He's had seven races, and now is as good a time as any to face them."

Quality Road, third to Summer Bird in the Travers, has drawn the outside post in the seven horse field and will have regular rider John Velazquez in the saddle.

Owned by Edward Evans, Quality Road put himself into the Kentucky Derby picture early this year by winning the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby. An injury kept the colt out of the Triple Crown series, but returned with a record setting win at Saratoga in the Amsterdam Stakes.

He was the 3-2 favorite for the 1 1/4 mile Travers where he finished five- lengths behind Summer Bird. Quality Road, trained by Todd Pletcher, has earned $822,830 with four wins in six career starts.

"You would think with having a mile and a quarter race under his belt that it would be beneficial to the next one," said Pletcher. "He was ready for the Travers. Given different circumstances and a different surface, we might have done better, but it wasn't meant to be.

"He's always been kind of a push-button horse, but we're really pleased with the way he's training. He's traveling well and doing everything you'd like to see a horse do leading up to a big race. He's run well everywhere he's raced Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park, and Saratoga, so I don't think it's going to make a difference one way or another. We're hoping for fast conditions, and we're ready to go."

Stephen Foster Handicap winner Macho Again will try to stop a two race streak of runner-up finishes. The four-year-old will break from post two with Robby Albarado back to ride.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Macho Again was second to Bullsbay in the Whitney at Saratoga in July and then lost by a head to Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward at the upstate New York track.

"He's a top horse, championship caliber," said trainer Dallas Stewart. "We're looking forward to running."

Macho Again has won six of 20 lifetime starts for more than $1.7 million. This year along with the Stephen Foster the gray colt won the New Orleans Handicap in March at the Fair Grounds.

Here is the complete field for the Jockey Club Gold Cup in post position order: Sette E Mezzo, Ramon Dominguez; Macho Again, Robby Albarado; Summer Bird, Kent Desormeaux; Tizway, Rajiv Maragh; Asiatic Boy, Alan Garcia; Dry Martini, Edgar Prado and Quality Road, John Velazquez.

The Gold Cup has a scheduled post-time of 5:43 P.M. (et).