Calhoun hopes Silver Dust behaves himself in Stephen Foster

After Silver Dust won the Grade 2 Ben Ali in April at Keeneland, trainer Bret Calhoun had him ready to go for the Blame Stakes on May 29 at Churchill Downs.

But the 7-year-old gelding, sired by Tapit, had different ideas. He reared in the gate and had to be scratched.

So the new plan is for him to start in the featured Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) on closing day Saturday at Churchill Downs. It is a race that will be a "tall order," Calhoun told Horse Racing Nation on Wednesday.

"It was disappointing. He acted up in the gate last time and we had to scratch him. He was, really, really doing well. You're very optimistic going into that race."

The scratch "kind of got us off schedule a little bit."

The buzz about the Stephen Foster is the return of Maxfield, who figures to be an odds-on favorite at post time.

"I think it scared off the competition, and the field's not going to be quite as deep," Calhoun. "Obviously it's a high caliber for (Silver Dust).

"It felt like, a horse like him, it's probably just better off to run him out of his own stall. He's doing very, very well, and I think he'll run well. He's always got his antics, and he's always going to have them, I don't care how old he gets. He's been very good. He did very good for a long time, and I don't know what set him off that day. It doesn't take much."

A win Saturday would make a millionaire of Silver Dust, whose career winnings stand at $975,677. He has a career record of 33: 7-7-5, and his graded-stakes wins have come in the Mineshaft (G3) in 2019 and 2020, and the West Virginia Governor's Stakes (G3).