Pletcher Pair Set for Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs

Four-year-old First Mission has won five of eight starts, including the 2023 Lexington Stakes (G3) and the Essex Handicap (G3) by five lengths at Oaklawn Park on March 23 and the Alysheba (G2) by four lengths at Churchill Downs on May 3. Florent Geroux has the call for trainer Brad Cox.

“He came out of the Alysheba very well and has been training great at Churchill,’’ Cox said. “The Stephen Foster is always a tough race year in and year out. It’s a Grade I, so that’s expected. This year’s field is no different, but we like our chances to try and get him his first Grade I win.”

Joseph confident with Skippylongstocking

And there’s Skippylongstocking, the 5-year-old son of Exaggerator who won the Challenger Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs on March 9 and followed up with a win in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 24. Jose Ortiz has the call for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.

“If he runs as well as he did at Oaklawn last time, he’s going to be very tough,’’ Joseph said.

Post time for the Stephen Foster is 6:03 p.m. ET.

 Notes: The last time First Mission and Skippylongstocking raced in a Grade 1 came on Jan. 27 in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Neither fared well; First Mission struggled at Gulfstream Park and finished ninth, while Skippylongstocking was pulled up late while appearing to overheat … The undercard features Saturday are the $500,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2), the $500,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2), the $250,000 American Derby, the $250,000 Kelly’s Landing Stakes and the $250,000 Tepin Stakes.

For online horse betting folks, the Stephen Foster picks:

1 Dreamlike 2 First Mission 3 Skippylongstocking

The field for the $1 million Stephen Foster (G1), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:

1 Pyreness (Brian Hernandez, Jr., Cherie DeVaux), 12-1

2 First Mission (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox), 6-5

3 Happy American (Corie Lanerie, Neil Pessin), 30-1

4 Disarm (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen), 6-1

5 Dreamlike (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Todd Pletcher), 10-1

6 Classic Causeway (Julien Leparoux, Ken McPeek ), 30-1

7 Kingsbarns (Luis Saez, Todd Pletcher), 6-1

8 Steal Sunshine (Paco Lopez, Bobby Dibona), 20-1

9 Skippylongstocking (Jose Ortiz, Saffie Joseph, Jr.), 5-2