Stephen Foster Barn Notes (6-12-15)
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Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Lea galloped 1 ¼ miles Friday morning under exercise rider Penny Gardiner in preparation for Saturday’s $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) where he is the 7-5 morning line favorite. The son of First Samurai is trained by Churchill Downs all-time leading trainer Bill Mott who was pleased with the way the horse trained.
“Seemed to be moving well and seemed to be happy,” Mott said. “His works have been good. He’s been training at Saratoga and his works, we think, have been very good and steady.”
The Stephen Foster will be Lea’s first race back since his third-place effort in the Dubai World Cup (GI) behind eventual winner Prince Bishop and last year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner California Chrome.
“The timing and distance for this race worked out well and he’s won over this racetrack before so hopefully that’s a good indicator that he’ll run well,” Mott said.
Lea’s only start over the Churchill Downs main track was in June 2013 when he won an allowance optional claiming event that came off the turf. Mott isn’t the least bit concerned about how Lea will bounce back off his performance in Dubai.
“I’ve had three of the horses that I have taken to Dubai who have come back and become champions,” Mott said. “Cigar came back and was champion at the end of the year. Royal Delta went to Dubai twice and didn’t win but she became champion both years. If you’ve got a tired, worn out, old horse then it’s going to be too much but I don’t think we can make a general statement that they can’t come back.”
Mott is not thinking much about the rest of the year with Lea, but would likely run the horse in the $1.25 million Whitney Handicap (GI) on Aug. 8 at Saratoga if he performs well.
“I’m not planning too far ahead, I’m taking things race by race,” he said. “Naturally if we run well here, I’d like to go up to Saratoga and run in the Whitney and then just take things from there.”
Also on the track this morning was WinStar Farm’s Commissioner, the 3-1 morning line second-choice who is coming off a victory in the Pimlico Special (GIII). The 4-year-old son of A.P. Indy galloped 1 3/8 miles on the main track this morning with Adele Bellinger in the irons.
“He felt awesome this morning,” Bellinger said.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sent out his pair of Stephen Foster contenders: Michael Pegram’s Hoppertunity, winner of last year’s Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) and Michael Lund Petersen’s Cat Burglar for training this morning at 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., respectively. Exercise rider Jorge Alvarez was in the irons for both horses.
John C. Oxley’s Noble Bird, second last time out in the Alysheba (GII) on May 1, galloped one mile this morning under exercise rider Will Cano for trainer Mark Casse.
Gallant Stables’ Majestic Harbor galloped 1 ¼ miles on the main track with Luis Rodriguez for trainer Paul McGee.
James and Ywachetta Driver’s Paganol galloped one mile at Churchill Downs’ Trackside on Friday morning.
The field for the 2015 Stephen Foster Handicap (from the rail out with jockey, assigned weight and morning line odds): Commissioner (Javier Castellano, 120, 3-1), Lea (Joel Rosario, 120, 7-5), Paganol (Robby Albarado, 114, 20-1), Noble Bird (Shaun Bridgmohan, 116, 10-1), Hoppertunity (Martin Garcia, 121, 5-2), Majestic Harbor (Corey Lanerie, 115, 12-1) and Cat Burglar (Victor Espinoza, 116, 8-1).
LEA FAVORED IN FOSTER, BUT COULD BE LONELY IN WINNER’S CIRCLE
A victory by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Lea in Saturday’s $500,000 Stephen Foser Handicap Presented by GE (Grade I) would be among the most notable moments at Churchill Downs in the history of the Paris, Ky. farm that is an icon in both American breeding and racing.
But should Lea make it to the winner’s circle for the 34th running of the Grade I race and Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In Classic Division” event, the 6-year-old homebred son of First Samurai could glance around the G.H. Mumm Winner’s Circle and feel a little lonely.
That’s because the Hancock family that has guided Claiborne Farm for more than a century will also be focused on another celebration that evening. Allison Hancock, the daughter of longtime Claiborne President Seth Hancock and wifeDebbie, will be married Saturday evening in the Bourbon County city. Among others attending the wedding will be the bride’s 25-year-old brother, Walker, who succeeded his father as Claiborne’s president in early 2014 and represents the fourth generation of the Hancock family to run the farm.
“The wedding was planned a good while back, well before we hand any thoughts that Lea might run in the Foster,” the younger Hancock said. “So we’ll enjoy the wedding and hope for good news at Churchill.”
It’s probably a safe bet that a few seconds after the bride says “I do,” members of the family will at least glance at their smartphones.
The lightly-raced Lea, who is trained by Hall of Famer and all-time Churchill Downs win leader Bill Mott, will look to follow a path similar to the one taken in 2010 by Claiborne and Dilschneider’s Blame. He won the Stephen Foster and returned to Churchill Downs later in the year to hold off the previously unbeaten Zenyatta and win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. Should Lea win on Saturday, a run in this year’s Classic at Keeneland would seem a logical goal.
Lea will be ridden by Joel Rosario, who has been in the saddle for his last four races. He will carry 120 pounds, one fewer than high weight and 2014 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) winner Hoppertunity, and will start from post two.
The Stephen Foster will be Lea’s first since a third-place run behind Prince Bishop and 2014 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year California Chrome in the $10 million Dubai World Cup (GI) at Meydan Race Course in late March. Prior to his Dubai journey, Lea had run second to Constitution in the Donn Handicap (GI) after earning second consecutive victory in the Grade III Hal’s Hope, both at Gulfstream Park. Lea secured his most notable career triumph in the 2013 Donn, where he downed 2013 3-year-old champion and Clark Handicap winner Will Take Charge, but various illnesses kept him out of action for the rest of that year.
Several U.S. stars of the Dubai Gold Cup have returned to action at home in the Stephen Foster. Victory Gallop (1999),Street Cry (2002) and Curlin (2008) won the Foster following runs in Dubai, with Street Cry and Curlin winning both races.
Hancock would be thrilled if Lea could follow Victory Gallop’s path of a third-place finish in Dubai followed by a Foster victory in which the 4-year-old colt the current Churchill Downs record for 1 1/8 miles. Victory Gallop’s foes that day included 1997 Kentucky Derby winner and 1998 Dubai World Cup winner Silver Charm, who finished fourth in what would be the final race of his Hall of Fame career.
“There are plenty of horses that have run well there and have come back to run well here,” Hancock said. “We’re pleased with the way he’s come back from Dubai. There’s never really an ‘easy spot’ for a horse to come back in when you have a horse like Lea. Much will be expected of him, but we hope we’ve put him in a good spot and hopefully he’ll run to his ability.”
Although his career record includes only 16 races and a record of 7-3-3, Lea has made the most of that limited action over five seasons and has earned $1,898,618. His win total includes a Churchill Downs allowance race on the main track and a victory in the 2012 Commonwealth Turf (GIII) over the Matt Winn Turf Course. He also ran second to two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the 2013 Firecracker Handicap (GII) on the Churchill Downs grass.
Claiborne’s ultimate hope is that Lea will have done enough this year and throughout his racings days to become a prominent member of the farm’s stallion roster.
“We’re looking forward to having him here as a stallion and we’re just trying to win as many Grade Is as we possibly can,” Hancock said. “Our choices [for Lea’s return race] were the Foster or the Met Mile, but we think a mile-and-an-eighth is probably a better distance for him and that played heavily in our decision.
“He’s got an enticing pedigree with Galileo on the bottom and Giant’s Causeway, through First Samurai, on top. He’s very versatile and runs on turf or dirt, and it looks like he could probably run at any distance, too.”
So a Grade I win in the Stephen Foster would mean much to Lea’s racing career and his future as a stallion, but a win on Saturday would also carry historical significance for Claiborne Farm. It would be the farm’s 32nd stakes win at Churchill Downs, which would lift it into a tie with Calumet Farm, another Kentucky racing legend, for the most stakes wins at the Louisville track.
Source: Churchill Downs
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