ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — The Breeders’ Cup is a family affair for the O’Briens from Ireland.

Horse racing’s international festival, the Breeders’ Cup features 13 season-ending championships worth a combined US$28.5 million over today and tomorrow at Santa Anita.

Once again, many of the best runners in the world will assemble for the prize money and the prestige of taking home a trophy.

Not surprisingly, the foreign contingent is led by Aidan O’Brien who brought 12 horses from his Ballydoyle training centre in Ireland.

O’Brien is the leading international trainer in the Breeder’s Cup with 10 wins, ranking third overall. O’Brien’s horses have earned a collective US$17.2 million in the series.

O’Brien also brought along son Joseph, a former Breeder’s Cup winning jockey, now following in his father’s footsteps as a trainer.

Joseph O’Brien rode St Nicholas Abbey to victory in the 2011 Turf for his father. Now O’Brien, 23, could make history as the youngest trainer of a Breeders’ Cup winner if Intricately takes the US$1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Joseph O’Brien retired from the saddle this summer after a losing battle to maintain riding weight.

“The last few months I was riding became quite hard weight-wise. I don’t really miss it (the riding) and I love training now,” O’Brien said.

Joseph O’Brien will have brother Donnacha aboard Intricately, a 6-1 shot who most recently captured the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland.

Joseph’s biggest obstacle could be his father. Aiden O’Brien saddles two runners in the race: Roly Poly, the 4-1 choice and Hydrangea at 6-1.

The star of Aidan O’Brien’s Breeders’ Cup crew is Found, the brilliant four-year-old filly who returns to defend her title against the boys in the US$4 million Turf.

She rallied from far back to win last year over a rain-softened course at Keeneland. Conditions should be firm this weekend in sunny southern California.

As if Found wasn’t enough firepower, O’Brien will also send out Highland Reel, the Arc runner-up.