The largest prize purse in the sports world will be awarded at Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia when the Breeders’ Cup World Championships comes to town in October.

The total purse for the 14 races is $25.5 million. Owners from around the world enter horses into the Breeders’ Cup races. Top breeders, including the Sheik of Dubai, will enter horses into the competition.

The event rotates locations around international tracks and will be at Santa Anita this year and next. While the Breeders’ Cup is in Southern California, organizers are hoping to draw in the Hollywood crowd by raising at least $250,000 each for two charitable organizations. The charities chosen are Susan G. Komen for the Cure and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“We wanted to set a new bar for a philanthropic and community relations effort,” said Peter Land, chief marketing officer for Breeders’ Cup. “Those organizations will help us reach some areas that we would not be able to reach on our own.”

The charities were chosen because their networks have experience working in Hollywood and nationwide.

This year’s race will mark the first time that the Breeders’ Cup has supported broad-based global charitable organizations. Traditionally, the event has focused on equestrian and jockey charities. The Breeders’ Cup will still raise funds for equine-related charities in Southern California that it has supported since its inception at Hollywood Park 24 years ago.

In addition to raising $500,000 for the charities during the Oct. 24-25 races, organizers will invite representatives to a celebrity gala and the Friday night chairman’s dinner. During nine hours of live coverage of the races on ABC and ESPN, public service announcements will run promoting the charities. Activities in Santa Anita will allow fans to participate in fundraising efforts.

“This is an event that rarely comes to

Los Angeles, and working with these

charities will help us reach a more casual fan,” Land said.

Dwight’s Pot

The Davis Cup of tennis was commissioned more than 100 years ago and is one of the most cherished prizes in the entire sport. At 231 pounds, it’s also one of the largest and heaviest trophies awarded at any sporting event.

Originally commissioned in 1900 by Dwight Davis at a cost of $1,000 at the time, the trophy is currently valued at $600,000.

The trophy rarely makes an appearance outside of the Davis Cup Finals, but it will be on display for the first three days of the Countrywide Classic men’s tennis tournament Aug. 4-10 at UCLA’s Los Angeles Tennis Center.

Tournament director Bob Kramer requested its presence from the U.S. Tennis Association.

Once he secured its arrival, Kramer made a friendly gesture to Los Angeles Sports Council President David Simon. He offered to display it at the organization’s quarterly board meeting at the Los Angeles offices of accounting firm KPMG LLP. After the meeting, employees at the firm’s downtown office were invited to the boardroom to look at the trophy. But they were only allowed to look, not touch; the trophy requires gloves to handle. It is made of 100 percent silver and reacts to moisture.

The trophy is kept in the care of the International Tennis Federation and is under the control of the winning country. The United States won the trophy last year for the first time since 1995 thanks to Andy Roddick’s leadership against the Russian team. The United States has won the trophy a total of 32 times, more than any other country.

Kramer hopes to reunite Roddick with the trophy at Countrywide Classic, but that depends on Roddick’s health. He may skip the tournament due to a nagging neck injury.

“The Davis Cup would be in Russia right now if it weren’t for Roddick,” Kramer said.

Part-Timers

While some Angelenos paid in excess of $25,000 to sit courtside during the NBA Finals at Staples Center, many more have been hit hard by the rising cost of gas and food.

That’s why Anschutz Entertainment Group executives expect this year’s hiring fair for jobs at Staples Center and Nokia Theatre to be larger than any of the past go-rounds. The two-day job fair is scheduled for Aug. 26-27 at Staples Center.

The job fair is for people interested in part-time positions as ushers and ticket takers, security officers, merchandise salespeople and parking lot attendants.

Staff reporter David Nusbaum can be reached at

[email protected]

or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 236.