Racing fans: the brief respite to catch your collective breath after the excitement and drama of the Triple Crown is about to end.
The return of top-level stakes action is only a week away. And what a return it will be -- the $2 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) on June 27 at Churchill Downs.
The race is shaping up as one of the top contests of the year for older horses with a loaded expected lineup that includes reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty, 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and 2025 Pegasus World Cup (G1) winner White Abarrio, Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Magnitude, and Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner Baeza.
Churchill Downs doubled the Foster purse this year, making it one of the richest races in North America. Based on the prospective lineup, the additional money looks like it will pay off with a star-studded lineup.
As if the purse money was not sufficient incentive, the Foster is also a “Win and You’re In” race, guaranteeing the winner a spot in this Fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The Foster is also an ideal way for fans to ease into the big meets of the Summer: Saratoga and Del Mar, which are both just around the corner in July.
Last year’s Stephen Foster produced one of the deepest fields of the season when Mindframe defeated Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone by one length. The race has also been a stepping stone for several Horse of the Year campaigns, including those of Black Tie Affair, Saint Liam, Curlin, and Gun Runner. This edition looks primed to follow that tradition.
White Abarrio has already had a season to celebrate in only two starts. He defeated both Sovereignty and 2025 Preakness winner Journalism most recently in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) after starting the campaign with a second-place finish to stablemate Skippylongstocking in the Pegasus World Cup.
The 7-year-old gray stallion has already earned over $8.4 million, and trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. feels the horse is coming to the race in top form.
“All the big wins are important, but I’d probably put the Oaklawn Handicap up there as one of the most exciting wins I’ve ever had as a trainer for our team,” Joseph said.
The loss at Oaklawn snapped Sovereignty’s four-race winning streak that carried him to the Horse of the Year title. The streak started with the Kentucky Derby (G1) and continued through the Belmont Stakes (G1), the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), and concluded with a 10-length romp in the Travers Stakes (G1).
Sovereignty was the 9-10 favorite in the Oaklawn Handicap, where he dictated a pressured pace before yielding to White Abarrio and settling for second.
It will be interesting to see who the bettors favor in this rematch, and even more fascinating to see it play out on the racetrack. The post-position draw is Saturday (June 20).
The Foster tops a stakes-filled card that includes the $500,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) and $500,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2).
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
