Stephen Foster 2019: Post positions, odds and more

The 38th renewal of Churchill Downs' Stephen Foster arrives Saturday with two major changes. First, the race is no longer known as a handicap with most in the field of 12 carrying 21 pounds. Also, while it offers a $600,000 purse, the race is now a Grade 2 rather than Grade 1.

However, don't let that sway you into thinking this isn't a top-level event.

California shipper Gift Box is in to challenge Yoshida, Seeking the Soul and other well-known horses in the centerpiece to a stakes-packed night card at Churchill Downs. So let's meet the contenders in this "Win and You're In" race toward the Breeders' Cup Classic:

1. Thirstforlife (15-1)

2. Rated R Superstar (20-1)

3. Runaway Ghost (20-1)

4. Seeking the Soul (4-1)

5. Alkhaatam (30-1)

6. Gift Box (3-1)

7. Tenfold (12-1)

8. King Zachary (12-1)

9. Tom's d'Etat (5-1)

10. Quip (10-1)

11. Exulting (20-1)

12. Yoshida (7-2)

TimeformUS' Pace Projector predicts a trio of horses converging from different circuits -- Runaway Ghost, Tom's d'Etat and Quip -- will challenge for the early lead, with the race favorite Gift Box expected to lay in just behind them.

TVG will provide live on-site coverage of the entire 11-race card, with first post time at 6 p.m. ET. Additionally, NBC Sports Network will begin coverage at 8:30 p.m. ET, with the connections to Kentucky Derby winner Country House also on hand to receive their engraved trophies Saturday, as is tradition. All races can be live streamed on advanced deposit wagering services such as NYRABets.

Stephen Foster handicapping

• Expert Stephen Foster picks

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• Full card Churchill selections

• Early odds and analysis

Stephen Foster undercard

Check out full entries for Saturday at Churchill Downs. The all-stakes Pick 5 sequence begins with the fifth.

Race 5: Matt Winn (G3) - 8:03 p.m.

Race 6: Wise Dan (G2) - 8:37 p.m.

Race 7: Fleur de Lis (G2) - 9:12 p.m.

Race 8: Stephen Foster (G2) - 9:47 p.m.

Race 9: Regret (G3) - 10:19 p.m. 

Stephen Foster preview

Via Churchill Downs communications...

Hronis Racing LLC’s Santa Anita Handicap (G1)) winner Gift Box will invade from the West Coast to take on Charles Fipke’s 2017 Clark Handicap (G1) hero Seeking the Soul and China Horse Club International, WinStar Farm and Head of Plains Partners’ multiple Grade 1 winner Yoshida in Saturday night’s Stephen Foster.

Total purses on the evening are more than $1.8 million, which makes it the most lucrative racing day for horsemen at Churchill Downs outside of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks programs.

Combined, Stephen Foster contenders have won 60 of their 184 starts (32.6%), including 25 stakes events, and earned more than $11.4 million.

Gift Box (16: 5-6-2—$979,160), who won the Big 'Cap by a scant nose over McKinzie on April 6, arrived at Churchill Downs on Tuesday for trainer John Sadler to begin preparing for Saturday’s Stephen Foster. The 6-year-old son of Twirling Candy was transferred to Sadler’s care in 2018 from trainer Chad Brown. Since Sadler began training Gift Box, he’s also reeled off a half-length score in the San Antonio (G2) on Dec. 26 and, most recently, finished second to Vino Rosso in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) on May 27.

Recent Belmont Stakes (GI)-winning jockey Joel Rosario is scheduled to fly into Kentucky to ride Gift Box, who drew post No. 6 in the field of 12 older horses.

Morning line odds maker Mike Battaglia has installed Gift Box as the 3-1 morning line favorite.

Among Gift Box’s chief rivals is two-time Yoshida (14:5-3-0—$2,179,770). The 5-year-old son of Heart’s Cry won the 2018 Old Forester Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill prior to switching to the dirt and winning the Woodward (G1) at Saratoga. Yoshida enters the Stephen Foster after finishing sixth in the Dubai World Cup (G1) in late March.

“Before we ran him in the Woodward, he never had a start on the dirt but always trained well over it,” said trainer Bill Mott. “He really showed us that day that he can run over it in the afternoon as well. It’s great to have options with him and knowing he’s won Grade I races on both surfaces doesn’t hurt either.”

Mott, who ranks No. 2 behind Dale Romans in the all-time trainer standings at Churchill Downs with 713 wins, previously won the Stephen Foster in 2012 with Ron the Greek. 

Jose Ortiz, who rode Tacitus to a second-place finish in last week’s Belmont Stakes for Mott, is scheduled to ride Yoshida in the Foster from post 12 at morning line odds of 7-2.

Charles Fipke’s 2017 Clark Handicap (G1) winner Seeking the Soul (26: 6-6-7—$2,989,842) will attempt to avenge his Alysheba third-place finish behind McKinzie and Tom’s d’Etat in the Stephen Foster. Trained by Dallas Stewart, Seeking the Soul began his 2019 campaign with a runner-up finish behind City of Light in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) prior to finishing eighth in the Dubai World Cup.

“He’s really been bouncing around perfectly over this track,” Stewart said. “He was doing so well after the Dubai World Cup that we ran him in the Alysheba as a prep for the Stephen Foster. He ran good that day but I think he can do much better in the Foster.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will, once again, unite with Seeking the Soul from post 4 at morning line odds of 4-1.

G M B Racing’s Alysheba runner-up Tom’s d’Etat (11: 6-2-0—$606,092) could be a pace-presence in the Stephen Foster for trainer Al Stall Jr. and jockey Shaun Bridgmohan. 

“Looking at the race I’d expect him to be on the lead or close to the pace,” Bridgmohan said. “(Alkhaatam) has some speed but we can be right there with him early. I don’t expect the pace to be too quick, though."

Tom’s d’Etat drew post 9 and is 5-1 on the morning line.

WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International and SF Racing's Oaklawn Handicap (G2) winner Quip (8: 4-1-1—$942,500) will attempt to give jockey Florent Geroux his second Stephen Foster victory in the last three years. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Quip was on the Triple Crown trail as a 3-year-old after winning the Tampa Bay Derby (G2). Following his enigmatic eighth-place effort in the Preakness, the connections opted to give the son of Distorted Humor time off from the races.

“I think it was the best thing that could have happened to him, getting time off,” Brisset said. “He came back so much stronger and mature. I think he can really make a name for himself in the older horse division this year.”

Quip began his 2019 campaign with a third-place effort in the Hal’s Hope (G3) prior to his Oaklawn Handicap score. Geroux, who won the 2017 Stephen Foster aboard Gun Runner, has the call from post 10 at odds of 10-1.

Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Tenfold (10: 4-0-1—$895,890) entered the Stephen Foster after what Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen described as a “breakthrough performance” in the May 17 Pimlico Special (G3). 

“We always knew he had the talent, and he really fought hard to win the (Pimlico Special),” Asmussen said. “He’s been one of those horses that always trained well and we knew he could put it together in his races but never quite got there. It was very satisfying when he crossed the wire in front in the Pimlico Special.”

Asmussen’s go-to rider, Ricardo Santana Jr., has the call on Tenfold and will break from post 7 at odds of 12-1.

Tom Conway’s King Zachary (10: 3-0-3—$303,650), who was transferred to trainer Graham Motion’s barn as a 4-year-old, drew post 8 and will be ridden by Javier Castellano at morning line odds of 12-1. King Zachary won last year’s Matt Winn (G3) as a 3-year-old.

Owner/trainer Wes Hawley entered former $50,000 claim Thirstforlife (22: 7-4-3—$393,170) in the Stephen Foster following his narrow victory over American Anthem and fellow Stephen Foster entrant King Zachary in a conditioned allowance race on Derby Day.

“He really impressed me on Derby Day,” Hawley said. “He beat some good horses in that race including American Anthem and King Zachary. If he can run back to that race, with the way he’s been working throughout the month of May and into June, we have a shot at the Foster.”

Miguel Mena rides Thirstforlife, who drew the rail at odds of 15-1.

Joe Peacock’s Sunland Park Handicap winner Runaway Ghost (11: 7-2-0—$744,224) will invade from New Mexico for the Stephen Foster. Trained by Todd Fincher, Runaway Ghost cruised to a 2 3/4-length score in last year’s Sunland Derby (G3) but a minor injury did not allow the son of Ghostzapper to compete in the Kentucky Derby. 

Julien Leparoux has the riding assignment on Runaway Ghost from post 3 at odds of 20-1.

Shadwell Stable’s impressive allowance winner Alkhaatam (5: 2-0-2—$133.848) will test stakes company for the first time in the Foster for locally based horseman Danny Peitz. The son of Tapit broke his maiden atOaklawn prior to his easy 3 ¼-length win in a first-level allowance race on May 12 at Churchill Downs.

“Eventually we knew we’d end up in stakes company and the Foster was a good spot to try it for the first time since it’s in our backyard,” Peitz said. “He keeps improving in every start and who knows how good he could be.”

Channing Hill will team up with Alkhaatam from post 5 and is slated at morning line odds of 30-1.

Crystal Racing Enterprises and Contreras Stable’s Essex Handicap winner Rated R Superstar (34: 6-5-6—$784,517) and Michael Gui's Oaklawn Mile victor Exulting (17: 5-2-2—$458,292) round out the field.

All horses will tote 121 pounds with the exception of Gift Box who will carry 125 and Quip who will carry 123.

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