Stephen Foster Stakes

They got just four horses for the $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby Saturday, hardly a surprise since most stakes run at Los Al wind up with depressingly small fields. The Ashley T. Cole S. at Aqueduct attracted a field of five. At Laurel, the Deputed Testamony drew five starters and so did the Alma North S. Only four ran in the DeFrancis Memorial Dash. At least Laurel had an excuse as a number of horses expected to be shipping down from New York had to be scratched because of the quarantine...

Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution) was his own worst victim in last year's GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes, his inexperience costing him victories in both of those marquee events for the 3-year-old generation. He got the monkey off his back, at least to some extent, when proving best in a thrilling four-way go in the GI Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard, and in the $1-million GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon, cemented his position as one...

About the only thing missing from Saturday's $1-million GI Stephen Foster Stakes is a Horse of the Year--for good measure, she runs elsewhere on Saturday's blockbuster program on the final weekend of racing at Churchill Downs--but the nine-furlong event is rich in quality and brings together the winners of such prestigious events such as the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, the GI Kentucky Derby, and the G1 Dubai World Cup. A 'bananas' Foster, indeed. The horses that will line up for the 'Win and You're In' qualifier for this year's Classic...

It will be a hugely important weekend for trainer Kenny McPeek as Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and Mystik Dan (Goldencents) will be in action Saturday at Churchill Downs. Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna will be heavy favorite in the GII Fleur De Lis Stakes, while 2024 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan faces a tough assignment in a loaded GI Stephen Foster Stakes. To talk about the two biggest stars in his barn, his hiring of Jimmy Jerkens and even his new tattoo, McPeek was the Gainesway Guest of...

It will be a hugely important weekend for trainer Kenny McPeek as Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and Mystik Dan (Goldencents) will be in action Saturday at Churchill Downs. Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna will be heavy favorite in the GII Fleur De Lis while 2024 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan faces a tough assignment in a loaded GI Stephen Foster Stakes. To talk about the two biggest stars in his barn, his hiring of Jimmy Jerkens and even his new tattoo, McPeek was the Gainseway Guest of the...

Reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) breezed a half-mile in a sharp :47.80 (13/90) Friday morning at Churchill Downs in advance of her intended appearance in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis Stakes on June 28. The Fleur de Lis is one of a half-dozen stakes on a program that is headed by the $1-million GI Stephen Foster Stakes. Thorpedo Anna, a troubled seventh in the GI Fasig-Tipton La Troienne Stakes May 2, took to the track around 7:15 a.m. Friday morning and covered her opening quarter-mile...

Pyrenees (Into Mischief--Our Khrysty, by Newfoundland), winner of the GIII Pimlico Special Stakes and runner-up in the GI Stephen Foster Stakes and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2024, has been retired from racing, according to Adam Corndorf, who bred and raced the horse in partnership with his mother Bonnie Baskin under their Blue Heaven Farm banner. A homebred son of Grade III winner Our Khrysty, purchased by Blue Heaven for $600,000 in foal to Tiznow at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Pyrenees broke his maiden by 4 1/2 lengths...

Amo Racing's Hill Road (Quality Road) may have earned himself a tilt at the June 7 GI Belmont Stakes with his win in the GIII Peter Pan Stakes at Aqueduct Saturday. "He bounced out of the Peter Pan in good shape," trainer Chad Brown said Sunday. "Hopefully once we get him back under tack and he's healthy and good, we will go onto the Belmont." A debut winner at Leopardstown last August, Hill Road was third behind champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del...

Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) had always shown potential, but making good on it had become a problem. After he won last year's GII Louisiana Derby to remain undefeated in three career starts, he struggled to duplicate that performance. He did win the GIII Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland, but his record still lacked that all-important Grade I win. That's no longer a problem. Kingsbarns defeated a strong field to win the June 29 GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs. To discuss that win and other matters relating to Spendthrift Farm,...

West Will Power (Bernardini--Wild Promises, by Wild Event), last-out winner of the GI Stephen Foster S., has been retired from racing after suffering a soft tissue injury, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Tuesday. The news was first reported by Dave Grening of Daily Racing Form. A homebred for Gary and Mary West, West Will Power hit the board in 15 of 17 starts, with seven wins and earnings of $1,745,390. In addition to his victory in the July 1 Stephen Foster, the 6-year-old also won this year's GII New Orleans Classic...

Susan Moulton's Andthewinneris (Oscar Performance), an impressive debut winner over the turf at Keeneland in April (video), will move to the main track when he makes his second start in the Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs July 4. The bay colt had his second work over the Churchill main track Sunday, going four furlongs from the gate in :49.60 (50/95). He worked the same distance in a bullet :46.80 (1/156) June 18. "There were, and still are, a lot of options we had for him after he broke his...

Getting a 3-year-old to peak precisely on the first Saturday of May is an over-arching goal in our sport. But even for the very upper crust of colts, a brush with GI Kentucky Derby aspirations ends up being nothing more than an early diversion on a much longer development arc. It's always intriguing to watch how one-time Derby hopefuls progress over months and even years, and two of them from Todd Pletcher's barn signaled Saturday that they might be A-level factors in the second half of this season. Within the...