Nine older horses headlined by three-time graded-stakes winner First Mission will test their mettle at 1 1/8 miles Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes, the main-track feature during closing weekend at Churchill Downs. In addition to the purse, the race awards the winner an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Post time is 6:03 p.m. EDT for the 11th of 12 races Saturday. The Stephen Foster will be shown live on FanDuel TV.
Check out Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page today for downloadable PPs for the Stephen Foster and more courtesy of our partners at Brisnet.
We also have Super Screener picks and analysis for the Stephen Foster as well as recent top speed figures for each contender.
Stephen Foster best speed figures
| Post | Horse | ML | Beyer | TimeformUS | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pyrenees | 12-1 | 93 | 115 | 105 |
| 2 | First Mission | 6-5 | 106 | 128 | 111 |
| 3 | Happy American | 30-1 | 95 | 115 | 96 |
| 4 | Disarm | 6-1 | 85 | 98 | 89 |
| 5 | Dreamlike | 10-1 | 98 | 122 | 101 |
| 6 | Classic Causeway | 30-1 | 95 | 115 | 92 |
| 7 | Kingsbarns | 6-1 | 95 | 124 | 105 |
| 8 | Steal Sunshine | 20-1 | 96 | 120 | 106 |
| 9 | Skippylongstocking | 5-2 | 107 | 125 | 109 |
Looking at the pace
A moderate pace is expected for the Stephen Foster with race favorites Skippylongstocking and First Mission disputing it.
Pace projector appears courtesy of TimeformUS.
HRN picks for the Stephen Foster Stakes
This week’s Super Screener has you covered for the Stephen Foster day program at Churchill Downs as well as a lucrative card at Woodbine. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty focused on 6-1 shot Fast as Flight in the Nassau Stakes (G2).
“This very consistent mare that has finished in the exacta 10 times over 16 grass starts and has not missed the superfecta over her last 10 starts won’t miss it here either,” Shutty said about Fast as Flight. “She moved to the barn of Marty Drexler earlier this year and in just two starts finished second in her seasonal debut before winning the Modesty Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill Downs. She moved forward in that start and, following the short break and cutback in distance, she’ll take another move forward here.”
Buy the special now-through-Breeders’ Cup Super Screener package, which is on sale for just $127, a savings of $360.
Ed DeRosa’s Stephen Foster fair odds are tempted to key Skippylongstocking in the horizontal wagers while acknowledging First Mission has done little wrong in his brief career.
DeRosa also has Fleur de Lis fair odds, and he believes Shotgun Hottie is offering incredible value.
Laurie Ross and Ashley Tamulonis went head to head handicapping the Stephen Foster and came up with different horses on top while agreeing that Kingsbarns can complete the exacta.
Ross and Tamulonis also went head to head to handicap the Fleur de Lis, an neither is taking a major stand against morning-line favorite Scylla.
Chip Gehrke believes Disarm could upset the divisional rankings if he outruns his odds in the Stephen Foster.
Brian Zipse and Matt Shifman provided their opinions on the biggest races of the weekend at Churchill Downs in the latest edition of HorseCenter.
For a deeper dive, check out Shifman’s horse-by-horse analysis of the Stephen Foster.
Retired Santa Anita track handicapper Jon White joined the Ron Flatter Racing Pod to discuss his 50-year career in horse racing.
Here’s the field for the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1):
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Pyrenees Into Mischief |
7.40 | 12-1 | ||
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| 2 |
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First Mission Street Sense |
7.36 | 6-5 | ||
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| 3 |
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Happy American Runhappy |
4.47 |
3rd, CD AOC (05/31/2024-R7) |
30-1 | |
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3rd, CD AOC (05/31/2024-R7) |
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| 4 |
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Disarm Gun Runner |
7.84 | 6-1 | ||
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| 5 |
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Dreamlike Gun Runner |
6.36 | 10-1 | ||
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| 6 |
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Classic Causeway Giant’s Causeway |
6.70 |
4th, CD AOC (05/27/2024-R5) |
30-1 | |
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4th, CD AOC (05/27/2024-R5) |
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| 7 |
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Kingsbarns Uncle Mo |
7.39 | 6-1 | ||
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| 8 |
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Steal Sunshine Constitution |
6.47 | 20-1 | ||
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| 9 |
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Skippylongstocking Exaggerator |
7.35 | 5-2 | ||
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