Stephen Foster Handicap

Stephen Foster Handicap
Grade I race

Curlin on his way to winning the Stephen Foster Handicap 2008
Location Churchill Downs
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Inaugurated 1982
Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website Churchill Downs
Race information
Distance  1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs)
Surface Dirt
Track Left-handed
Qualification Three-Year-Olds and Up
Weight Handicap
Purse $500,000 added

The Stephen Foster Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run in mid-June near the end of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is named in honor of famed composer Stephen Foster, who wrote numerous melodies including "My Old Kentucky Home" which is the song that is annually played as the Kentucky Derby field parades on the track. It is run on the dirt at a distance of  1 1⁄8 miles for three-year-olds and up.

History

The Stephen Foster Handicap was created in 1982 and has progressed from Grade III status in 1988 to Grade II in 1995 to Grade I in 2002.[1] It is currently the last Grade I event held at the Churchill Downs spring meeting. Currently offering a purse of $500,000 added, the race draws some of the top older horses from various parts of the United States. It is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event, offering the winner an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic.[2]

The race was restricted to horses four years of age an older in 1983 and from 1985 through 1987.

The 2006 edition of the Stephen Foster Handicap produced its biggest upset ever when jockey Calvin Borel aboard 91-1 longshot Seek Gold defeated the favored 2003 winner, Perfect Drift.[3]

Three horses used victories in the Stephen Foster as part of their resumes in Horse of the Year campaigns. The three are Black Tie Affair (1991), Saint Liam (2005) and Curlin (2008). Four horses have won the Stephen Foster and the Breeders' Cup Classic in the same year. Black Tie Affair (1991), Awesome Again (1998) and Blame (2010) won both races at Churchill Downs. Saint Liam won his running of the Classic at Belmont Park. Curlin (2008) carried the highest impost of any Stephen Foster winner: 128 pounds. Colonial Colony (2004) carried the lightest winning Foster impost at 111 pounds.

Records

Speed record
Most wins
Most wins by a jockey
Most wins by a trainer
Most wins by an owner

Winners of the Stephen Foster Handicap since 1982

Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Dist.
 Time
 Purse Grade
2016 Bradester 6 Joe Bravo Eddie Kenneally Joseph Sutton 1-1/8 1:48.85 $500,000 I
2015 Noble Bird 4 Shaun Bridgmohan Mark Casse John C. Oxley 1-1/8 1:47.94 $500,000 I
2014 Moonshine Mullin 6 Calvin Borel Randy L. Morse Randy Patterson 1-1/8 1:49.66 $500,000 I
2013 Fort Larned 5 Brian Hernandez, Jr. Ian R. Wilkes Janis R. Whitham 1-1/8 1:47.45 $500,000 I
2012 Ron the Greek 5 Jose Lezcano Bill Mott Brous Stable/Wachtel Stable/Hammer 1-1/8 1:50.51 $437,200 I
2011 Pool Play 6 Miguel Mena Mark E. Casse William S. Farish, Jr. 1-1/8 1:50.52 $561,300 I
2010 Blame 4 Garrett Gomez Albert M. Stall, Jr. Claiborne Farm/Dilschneider 1-1/8 1:49.37 $671,700 I
2009 Macho Again 4 Robby Albarado Dallas Stewart West Point Thoroughbreds 1-1/8 1:49.75 $660,000 I
2008 Curlin 4 Robby Albarado Steve Asmussen Stonestreet Stables et al. 1-1/8 1:49.68 $1,000,000 I
2007 Flashy Bull 4 Robby Albarado Kiaran McLaughlin West Point Thoroughbreds 1-1/8 1:48.63 $829,500 I
2006 Seek Gold 6 Calvin Borel Ronald Moquett Bowman Couch Racing, LLC 1-1/8 1:49.24 $844,500 I
2005 Saint Liam 5 Edgar Prado Robert J. Frankel M/M William Warren, Jr. 1-1/8 1:47.52 $828,000 I
2004 Colonial Colony 6 Rafael Bejarano Walter Binder, Jr. Lakeside Farms, LLC (Chris Nolan) 1-1/8 1:50.40 $893,725 I
2003 Perfect Drift 4 Pat Day Murray Johnson Stonecrest Farm 1-1/8 1:47.55 $856,500 I
2002 Street Cry 4 Jerry D. Bailey Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin Racing 1-1/8 1:50.44 $833,250 I
2001 Guided Tour 5 Larry Melancon Niall O'Callaghan Morton Fink 1-1/8 1:47.74 $831,000 II
2000 Golden Missile 5 Kent Desormeaux Joe Orseno Stronach Stables 1-1/8 1:49.56 $810,000 II
1999 Victory Gallop 4 Jerry D. Bailey Elliott Walden Prestonwood Farm 1-1/8 1:47.28 $827,250 II
1998 Awesome Again 4 Pat Day Patrick B. Byrne Stronach Stables 1-1/8 1:48.61 $799,500 II
1997 City by Night 4 Shane Sellers Patrick B. Byrne Richard & Nancy Kaster 1-1/8 1:50.52 $163,950 II
1996 Tenants Harbor 4 Francisco Torres Robert Desensi Michael Sheehan 1-1/8 1:49.94 $166,050 II
1995 Recoup the Cash 5 Aaron Gryder Jere Smith, Jr. Richard E. Trebat 1-1/8 1:49.39 $168,149 II
1994 Recoup the Cash 4 Jose Diaz Jere Smith, Jr. Richard E. Trebat 1-1/8 1:49.46 $163,500 III
1993 Root Boy 5 Tommy Turner Louis Bernier Richard F. Blue, Jr. 1-1/8 1:50.80 $114,000 III
1992 Discover 4 Brent Bartram Steven C. Penrod Claiborne Farm 1-1/8 1:50.14 $115,900 III
1991 Black Tie Affair 5 Jose Diaz Ernie T. Poulos Jeffrey Sullivan 1-1/8 1:49.80 $109,100 III
1990 No Marker 6 Aaron Gryder Patricia Johnson Billy Ray Gowdy 1-1/8 1:49.80 $112,200 III
1989 Air Worthy 4 Daniel Soto William Huffman John Carlesimo 1-1/8 1:49.60 $112,700 III
1988 Honor Medal 7 Luis Ortega Neil D. Drysdale Lettuce Farm 1-1/8 1:50.60 $129,700 III
1987 Red Attack 5 Jack Kaenel D. Wayne Lukas Pillar Stud, Inc. 1-1/8 1:51.20 $103,775
1986 Hopeful Word 5 Keith Allen Carl Bowman Morris, Clifton & Doll 1-1/8 1:49.40 $102,050
1985 Vanlandingham 4 Pat Day C. R. McGaughey Loblolly Stable 1-1/8 1:48.80 $79,250
1984 Mythical Ruler 6 James McKnight Fred Wirth Albert Risen 1-1/8 1:49.60 $73,550
1983 Vodika Collins 5 Leroy Moyers Forrest Kaelin M. B. Collins 1-1/8 1:49.20 $54,750
1982 Vodika Collins 4 Tommy Barrow Forrest Kaelin M. B. Collins 1-1/8 1:51.80 $57,900

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Statistics - Stephen Foster Handicap". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Spring Stakes Schedule" (PDF). churchilldowns.com. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  3. ↑ http://www.ntra.com/races.aspx?id=18172
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