The 2024 summer time racing season kicks into excessive gear Saturday at historic Churchill Downs with the 43rd operating of the $1 million, Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes. The 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster is the primary stakes race in North America this 12 months that may be a “Win and You’re In” Problem Collection qualifier for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
Along with securing a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Basic, the connections of this 12 months’s Foster winner will bankroll a handbag north of $550,000 and add their horse’s identify to an inventory of modern-day standout Thoroughbreds who’ve gained the race named after the well-known 19th century composer, together with Black Tie Affair (1991), Superior Once more (1998), Victory Gallop (1999), Avenue Cry (2002), Good Drift (2003), Saint Liam (2005), Curlin (2008), Blame (2010), Fort Larned (2013), Gun Runner (2017), and Olympiad (2022).
The 2024 Stephen Foster Stakes drew a well-matched subject of 9 horses age 4 and older and can be televised stay on FanDuel TV, with a scheduled put up time of 6:03 p.m. ET. Get info on all the Foster contenders plus handicapping insights beneath in ABR’s Cheat Sheet.
1. Pyrenees
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Coach: Cherie DeVaux
Proprietor: Blue Heaven Farm
Profession report: 8 begins – 4 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Profession earnings: $321,716
Earnings per begin: $40,215
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 103
Pedigree: Into Mischief – Our Khrysty, by Newfoundland
Age: 4
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Stalker
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing details: This son of high sire Into Mischief is on a promising profession trajectory as he takes one other step up at school within the Foster. Pyrenees solely raced as soon as at age 3 in 2023, getting back from an 11 ½-month layoff in December to interrupt his maiden decisively at Truthful Grounds, and since then he’s gained three races in a row this spring, a pair of allowance races, at Truthful Grounds and Keeneland, after which a surging three-quarter-length rating over odds-on favourite Kingsbarns in his stakes debut, the Grade 3 Pimlico Particular Stakes Might 17. His Equibase Pace Determine sample is ascending, topped by a 103 within the Pimlico Particular, and he’ll want to enhance as soon as once more by about 10 factors or so to have a shot at pulling off the upset within the Foster towards his eight opponents, every of whom has extra graded stakes expertise. It’s not out of the query, although: coach Cherie DeVaux is having an excellent spring-summer meet at Churchill, and Brian Hernandez Jr.’s latest accomplishments as this 12 months’s Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve– and Longines Kentucky Oaks-winning jockey communicate for themselves. Hernandez has been aboard Pyrenees for all 4 of his wins since his late 2023 return to racing. Search for him to settle Pyrenees simply behind the early pace and to avoid wasting as a lot floor as attainable by way of each turns earlier than giving him his cue, just like his trip on Mystik Dan in Kentucky Derby 150. Hernandez gained the 2013 Foster on Fort Larned.
2. First Mission
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Coach: Brad Cox
Proprietor: Godolphin
Profession report: 8 begins – 5 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $1,273,020
Earnings per begin: $159,128
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 115
Pedigree: Avenue Sense – Elude, by Medaglia d’Oro
Age: 4
Shade: Darkish bay or brown
Operating fashion: Stalker
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing details: First Mission has a very good likelihood at going off because the odds-on favourite on this 12 months’s Stephen Foster as he comes into the race off of arguably his two finest performances in a high quality eight-race profession. After ending a distant ninth within the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Offered by Baccarat again in January, the Godolphin homebred has reeled off two overpowering victories, taking the Grade 3 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park in March by 5 lengths after which the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes Offered by TwinSpires by 4 lengths Might 3 at Churchill Downs. In each races, First Mission patiently stalked the tempo below Florent Geroux earlier than taking up in early stretch and coasting to victory, and he earned back-to-back Equibase Pace Figures of 115. These numbers make him a number one win candidate within the Stephen Foster, and Geroux retains the mount on Saturday. This colt practically gained the Grade 2 Clark Stakes Offered by Norton Healthcare final November at Churchill, shedding by a nostril within the 1 1/8-mile race, and he’s been coaching effectively in latest weeks for Louisville native Brad Cox. First Mission has solely had one poor begin in his profession – that puzzling effort within the Pegasus – and all indicators level to a giant effort as he vies for a primary Grade 1 victory towards a stronger subject than he’s confronted in his latest wins. Cox gained final 12 months’s Foster with West Will Energy, owner-breeder Godolphin campaigned Foster winners Maxfield (2021) and Avenue Cry (2002), and Geroux gained the 2017 Foster aboard the good Gun Runner.
3. Completely satisfied American
Jockey: Corey Lanerie
Coach: Neil Pessin
Proprietor: Neil Pessin
Profession report: 29 begins – 5 wins – 1 second – 8 thirds
Profession earnings: $655,556
Earnings per begin: $22,606
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 113
Pedigree: Runhappy – Queen of America, by Quiet American
Age: 6
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Nearer
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing details: This veteran 6-year-old rebounded from three consecutive desultory efforts in graded stakes – defeated by a complete of 60 ¾ lengths – with a third-place end in his most up-to-date begin, that coming in a Might 31 allowance-optional claiming race going a one-turn mile at Churchill Downs. He’s a one-dimensional nearer who, at his finest, can grind up and fill out the trifecta in a graded stakes every so often, even profitable a Grade 3 occasion at Truthful Grounds again in early 2023. In final 12 months’s Foster held at Ellis Park, Completely satisfied American rallied from final of eight to move drained runners within the stretch and examine in a strong third, two lengths behind West Will Energy, and he earned a career-best 113 Equibase Pace Determine towards a subject comparable in high quality to this 12 months’s race. Usually, Completely satisfied American has run effectively on Churchill’s grime observe, incomes three of his 5 profession victories and in addition ending third thrice. Ending third or fourth on Saturday seems to the best-case situation for the gelding, and search for jockey Corey Lanerie to settle him in final by way of the primary mile or so earlier than shifting him up by way of the far flip in an try to safe a minor purse share – which, within the case of this million-dollar race, nonetheless quantities to a pleasant payday. Completely satisfied American can be entered within the one-mile Hanshin Stakes Offered by JRA, held on the June 30 closing-day card of Churchill’s spring-summer meet.
4. Disarm
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Coach: Steve Asmussen
Proprietor: Winchell Thoroughbreds
Profession report: 10 begins – 3 wins – 3 seconds – 2 thirds
Profession earnings: $1,077,120
Earnings per begin: $107,712
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 107
Pedigree: Gun Runner – Simple Faucet, by Tapit
Age: 4
Shade: Chestnut
Operating fashion: Stalker/nearer
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing details: This Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred enters the Stephen Foster with seemingly untapped potential after a very good however not nice 3-year-old season and an encouraging first begin as a 4-year-old. Disarm competed effectively towards the most effective of his age group in 2023, ending a strong fourth within the Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve, second to champion Arcangelo within the Travers Stakes, and second to Foster foe Kingsbarns within the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby whereas additionally profitable the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Ellis Park, a race that’s usually held at Churchill Downs. After an 8 ½-month layoff, he returned Might 18 in a 1 1/16-mile allowance-optional claiming race at Churchill and simply defeated three opponents, setting the tempo and profitable by 1 ½ lengths because the very heavy 0.14-1 odds favourite. Disarm usually prefers to settle off the tempo and make a closing rally, however in his comeback effort towards an overmatched subject jockey Keith Asmussen put him on the early lead. Asmussen is now sidelined attributable to harm, and 2024 Corridor of Fame inductee Joel Rosario is assigned for the Foster. Rosario rode Disarm in 5 out of seven begins final 12 months, together with the races talked about above, and search for him to revert to the colt’s traditional stalking fashion Saturday. His total Equibase Pace Figures are a notch beneath a number of others on this subject, however Disarm is eligible to maneuver ahead off of his 2024 debut and he could be prepared to meet expectations. If he does, he’s received a shot at pulling off the upset. Corridor of Fame coach Steve Asmussen has two Stephen Foster wins on his résumé, with Curlin in 2008 and Gun Runner in 2017. Winchell Thoroughbreds co-owned Gun Runner, the sire of Disarm. Gun Runner, like Curlin, took house Horse of the Yr honors in his Foster-winning season.
5. Dreamlike
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Coach: Todd Pletcher
Homeowners: Repole Secure and St. Elias Secure
Profession report: 9 begins – 1 win – 4 seconds – 2 thirds
Profession earnings: $457,625
Earnings per begin: $50,847
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 113
Pedigree: Gun Runner – Time to Faucet, by Tapit
Age: 4
Shade: Chestnut
Operating fashion: Nearer
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing details: This colt, bred on an analogous cross (Gun Runner out of a Tapit mare) as Disarm, is a longshot contender within the 2024 Stephen Foster as his house owners Mike Repole and Vincent Viola – no strangers to success on the sport’s highest stage – proceed to ambitiously check him towards stakes firm. Dreamlike competed within the Grade 2 Wooden Memorial Stakes Offered by Resorts World On line casino final 12 months regardless of nonetheless being a maiden and practically gained, ending third by a head. Then, after profitable at Saratoga over the summer time, he got here up a half-length quick to Saudi Crown within the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby. In his two begins this 12 months at age 4, Dreamlike has completed second by a neck because the odds-on favourite in a 1 1/16-mile allowance-optional claiming race at Keeneland after which third by three lengths within the Grade 3 Blame Stakes June 1 at Churchill, the 1 1/8-mile native prep for the Stephen Foster. Dreamlike’s finest profession Equibase Pace Determine of 113 got here within the Pennsylvania Derby, which was held on a rain-drenched, sloppy observe, and based mostly on a primarily dry climate forecast he gained’t get comparable circumstances Saturday in Louisville. On the optimistic facet, he’s performed his finest operating at a mile and an eighth and reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. retains the mount after using Dreamlike in 5 of his final six begins, together with each races this 12 months. It’ll take a career-best effort from Dreamlike to topple this high quality subject, and total he initiatives extra as a horse to make use of in exacta and trifecta tickets. Corridor of Fame coach Todd Pletcher, who additionally saddles Kingsbarns within the Foster, will add blinkers on Dreamlike for this race.
6. Basic Causeway
Jockey: Julien Leparoux
Coach: Ken McPeek
Proprietor: Previous Kentucky House
Profession report: 22 begins – 4 wins – 3 seconds – 4 thirds
Profession earnings: $1,507,986
Earnings per begin: $68,545
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 112
Pedigree: Big’s Causeway – Personal World, by Thunder Gulch
Age: 5
Shade: Chestnut
Operating fashion: Pacesetter
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing details: Basic Causeway initiatives to be a part of the early tempo in Saturday’s Stephen Foster as he makes an attempt to scale heights he hasn’t reached since 2022. Again then, at age 3, he gained each of the Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve prep races at Tampa Bay Downs and in addition pulled off a front-running upset within the Grade 1 Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes on turf – however this son of the late elite sire Big’s Causeway has subsequently gone winless in 13 begins. He got here near ending that streak in his first begin of 2024, setting the tempo within the 1 ½-mile Temperence Hill Stakes at Oaklawn Park earlier than yielding by a head on the end, and since then he’s regressed, ending fifth of eighth in a 1 ½-mile stakes on grime at Churchill Downs after which fourth of seven in a 1 1/16-mile race washed off turf and held on grime on the similar observe in late Might. At his finest, he’s ok to be an element on this aggressive Grade 1 occasion, however as famous his finest got here practically two years in the past, and Basic Causeway honestly hasn’t been the identical since a visit final summer time to England when he was soundly defeated in three group stakes held on turf. The one optimistic in his column is his capacity to deal with a route of floor as his Grade 1 win on turf again in 2023 got here at 1 ¼ miles and he practically held on within the mile-and-a-half Temperence Hill earlier this 12 months. If he can regain that kind within the Foster, Basic Causeway might grasp round lengthy sufficient to fill out the trifecta or superfecta at excessive odds for Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve- and Longines Kentucky Oaks-winning coach Ken McPeek. Something greater than that will be a shock.
7. Kingsbarns
Jockey: Luis Saez
Coach: Todd Pletcher
Proprietor: Spendthrift Farm
Profession report: 8 begins – 5 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $957,800
Earnings per begin: $119,725
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 108
Pedigree: Uncle Mo – Girl Tapit, by Tapit
Age: 4
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Stalker
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing details: At all times extremely regarded, Kingsbarns has matured into a number one contender within the older male division in 2024 with two wins in three begins. He’s but to earn a breakthrough Grade 1 win, nevertheless, and maybe Saturday is when he claims that prize towards a high-caliber subject. The Todd Pletcher trainee gained final 12 months’s Grade 2 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby over Disarm and began 2024 with a pair of visually spectacular victories, taking a seven-furlong allowance-optional claiming race with a late rush at Gulfstream Park after which the 1 3/16-mile, Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland in April by a straightforward 3 ¼ lengths. He was then despatched off because the 7-10 favourite within the 1 3/16-mile, Grade 3 Pimlico Particular Stakes Might 17 and took the lead within the stretch, however he was outfinished by rising star Pyrenees within the late going and completed second by three-quarters of a size. A rematch is on the schedule Saturday, and Kingsbarns can even face seven different high quality runners together with the above-mentioned Disarm and stablemate Dreamlike. Nonetheless, he’s a very good wager to be among the many high three or 4 betting decisions come put up time, and deservedly in order he’s in constant kind and remains to be comparatively calmly raced with potential but to meet. Search for common rider Luis Saez to have Kingsbarns among the many high two or three runners early on and in a very good place to compete with the opposite forwardly positioned runners similar to First Mission and Skippylongstocking when the sphere turns for house.
8. Steal Sunshine
Jockey: Paco Lopez
Coach: Bobby Dibona
Homeowners: Michael Iavarone, Jules Iavarone, Carrie Brogden, Kevin Pollard, Ed Gorry, and David Menard
Profession report: 22 begins – 6 wins – 2 seconds – 6 thirds
Profession earnings: $541,420
Earnings per begin: $24,610
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 110
Pedigree: Structure – Heat Sunshine, by Unbridled’s Tune
Age: 5
Shade: Darkish bay or brown
Operating fashion: Nearer
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing details: South Florida-based Steal Sunshine returns to Churchill Downs for his second consecutive begin after ending fourth by seven lengths to First Mission within the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes Offered by TwinSpires Might 3. He was a 12.88-1 longshot in that race and figures to go off at even greater odds within the Stephen Foster, having established himself as a graded stakes-caliber runner at his house observe of Gulfstream Park however primarily in races held at 1 1/16 miles or shorter. He’s been very constant over the previous 12 months, together with his worst margin of defeat coming within the Alysheba, and counts a gritty nostril win over Tumbarumba two begins again within the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes Offered by Jack Christopher as his high profession accomplishment. Steal Sunshine will want a quick tempo to run into so as to have a shot on the upset, and he might get that with forwardly positioned runners Basic Causeway, Skippylongstocking, Kingsbarns, and First Mission entered within the Foster. Nonetheless, making seven lengths up on Alysheba victor First Mission is a formidable process, and a extra reasonable situation might have this 5-year-old shut quick sufficient to hit the board at a pleasant value. Paco Lopez, presently based mostly at Monmouth Park, flies in to trip Steal Sunshine after being aboard the horse in his 5 most up-to-date begins.
9. Skippylongstocking
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Coach: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Proprietor: Daniel Alonso
Profession report: 23 begins – 8 wins – 2 seconds – 4 thirds
Profession earnings: $2,291,685
Earnings per begin: $99,638
Prime Equibase Pace Determine: 114
Pedigree: Exaggerator – Twinkling, by Conflict Chant
Age: 5
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Press the tempo
Notable achievements and attention-grabbing details: Skippylongstocking figures to vie with First Mission for post-time favoritism within the Stephen Foster Stakes as, like that rival, he enters Saturday’s race off of two open-length victories following a disappointing begin within the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Offered by Baccarat. The veteran Exaggerator horse was pulled up in January’s Pegasus at Gulfstream Park, however he got here again to rout an overmatched subject within the Grade 3 Michelob Extremely Challenger Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay Downs. Then, extra impressively, Skippylongstocking kicked clear within the stretch to defeat 10 opponents in a two-length rating within the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap held at 1 1/8 miles in late April. That was his second Grade 2 victory and matches his five-length rating in final 12 months’s 1 1/8-mile Charles City Basic Stakes as his finest profession accomplishment, though his strong third within the 2023 Large Ass Followers Breeders’ Cup Dust Mile behind two superstars in Horse of the Yr Cody’s Want and a number of Grade 1 winner Nationwide Treasure additionally deserves point out. Skippylongstocking has competed at a excessive stage towards among the finest racehorses of his technology for 2 years and operating, and as such is a giant risk to win the Stephen Foster. Jockey Jose Ortiz was aboard for this horse’s win within the Oaklawn Handicap and can very probably be aggressive together with his mount breaking from the surface put up so as to safe a distinguished early place near projected pacesetter Basic Causeway earlier than the sphere hits the primary flip. Ortiz gained the 2021 Foster aboard Maxfield.
