Bradester is the Upset Winner of the Stephen Foster
In the 23rd start of his career, six-year-old Bradester got his first Grade 1 victory when he won the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs in gate to wire fashion. Sent off at odds of 9-1, the Eddie Kenneally-trainee bested the field of seven by a half of a length.
Bradester, who is a son of Lion Heart, has been doing his best running of late at Monmouth Park, where his sire was the winner of the 2004 Haskell Invitational. In 2015, Bradester won the Salvador Mile (G3) and the Monmouth Cup (G2). Last month he shipped to the Jersey Shore from Churchill Downs to make a victorious 2016 debut in the Majestic Light Stakes. Characteristically, he won all three of those races on the lead every step of the way.
Proud trainer Kenneally said, “He’s won five or six graded stakes prior to today, but to win a Grade One with him is phenomenal. Now he has established himself. He is a beautiful horse so now he’s got credentials to be a stallion hopefully at some point in his career here in Kentucky and I think he’s earned that right. He’s been a durable and hard-knocking horse and it’s great to finally win a Grade I. He was coming into the race great so we decided to take a shot. For a 6-year-old he’s relatively light and has been lightly raced and he’s a horse that runs well fresh so we gave him the winter off after the Breeders’ Cup. He came back with a huge run at Monmouth a month ago.”
Thus, it was no surprise that when the gates opened tonight in the Foster that jockey Joe Bravo hustled Bradester to the rail and onto the lead. With a chance to get a length or so clear of the field, Bravo was able to carve out steady moderate fractions while his mount got to relax and settle on the lead. Majestic Harbor chased Bradester throughout as the fractions went in 23.64, 47.58, and 1:11.69.
All the while, the .60-1 favorite Effinex tracked the leader in the two-path, but as the race progressed he had no answer and faded from third to fourth and then fifth after three-quarters of a mile. He would end up finishing in sixth place.
About Effinex, his rider Gary Stevens added, “He didn’t get away real clean, but I got to where I wanted to be into the first turn on the outside part, three wide and the two horses I thought would be in front of me were. But I was done early. I hate to say it. I wasn’t traveling like a winner at any point during the race.”
Turning for home, Bradester was scooting along on the lead while Majestic Harbor was still chasing. It was Eagle that had some run after rallying from last place eight lengths behind. Eagle was able to pass Majestic Harbor for second place, but was no match for Bradester. Final time for the nine furlongs was 1:48.85.
Kenneally continued, “This race came up with a shorter field than in past years, so we figured it was a good opportunity for him to take a shot at some Grade I horses. Looking at the form he is the true speed of the race. We didn’t know if he was going to be pressed through the first part of the race too hard and maybe just get the air knocked out of him, but I felt like if he could dictate the pace all alone on the front end that he could run them into the ground. (Jockey) Joe (Bravo) rode him with so much confidence and we are just so delighted for the whole team. We have a great crew and we couldn’t have done any of this without them.”
With the win Bradester upped his career stats to 23: 9-6-2 and made him a millionaire with earnings of $1,006,532. For his supporters at the betting windows he paid $20.40, $8.40, and $5.40.
Since the Stephen Foster is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and is a designated “Win and You’re In” race, Bradester gets a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 5 at Santa Anita Park.
“It is nice to get a free invite, we’ll just see how it goes,” said Kenneally. “Of course that race is a mile and a quarter, so one day a time. We’ll just enjoy this.”