# Stephen Foster Stakes

The Stephen Foster Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three and older over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles on the dirt run annually in mid-June at Churchill Downs 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.

## History

The Stephen Foster Handicap was inaugurated on 19 June 1982 as the Stephen Foster Handicap and has progressed from Grade III status in 1988 to Grade II in 1995 to Grade I in 2002. In 2019, it was downgraded to Grade II. In 2023 the event was upgraded by the American Graded Stakes Committee to Grade I.
Currently offering a purse of $1,000,000, the race draws some of the top older horses from various parts of the United States. Since 2015 the event is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event, offering the winner an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
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.
Four horses used victories in the Stephen Foster as part of their resumes in Horse of the Year campaigns. The four are Black Tie Affair (1991), Saint Liam (2005), Curlin (2008), and Gun Runner (2017). Five 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 (2005) won his running of the Classic at Belmont Park. Gun Runner (2017) won the Classic at Del Mar. 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.
The race moved for one year in 2023 to Ellis Park on the Indiana-Kentucky border as a result of numerous spring meeting fatalities.

## Records

Speed record
* 1:47.28 - Victory Gallop (1999)
Margins
* 7 lengths - Gun Runner (2017)
Most wins
* 2 - Vodika Collins (1982, 1983)
* 2 - Recoup the Cash (1994, 1995)
Most wins by a jockey
* 3 - Robby Albarado (2007, 2008, 2009)
* 3 - Pat Day (1985, 1998, 2003)
Most wins by a trainer
* 2 - Forrest Kaelin (1982, 1983)
* 2 - Jere Smith Jr. (1994, 1995)
* 2 - Patrick B. Byrne (1997, 1998)
* 2 - Mark E. Casse (2011, 2015)
* 2 - Steven M. Asmussen (2011, 2015)
* 2 - Dallas Stewart (2009, 2019)
* 2 - Albert Stall Jr. (2010, 2020)
* 2 - William I. Mott (2011, 2015)
Most wins by an owner
* 2 - Milbert B. Collins (1982, 1983)
* 2 - Richard E. Trebat (1994, 1995)
* 2 - Stronach Stables (1998, 2000)
* 2 - West Point Thoroughbreds (2007, 2009)
* 2 - Claiborne Farm (1992, 2010)
* 2 - Godolphin (2002, 2021)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time | Purse | Grade |
| At Churchill Downs – Stephen Foster Stakes ||||||||||
| 2024 | Kingsbarns | 4 | Luis Saez | Todd A. Pletcher | Spendthrift Farm | 1:48.09 | $1,000,000 | I |
| At Ellis Park ||||||||||
| 2023 | West Will Power | 6 | Flavien Prat | Brad H. Cox | Gary & Mary West | 1:47.93 | $1,000,000 | I |
| At Churchill Downs ||||||||||
| 2022 | Olympiad | 4 | Junior Alvarado | William I. Mott | Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables & LNJ Foxwoods | 1:47.66 | $600,000 | II |
| 2021 | Maxfield | 4 | Jose L. Ortiz | Brendan P. Walsh | Godolphin | 1:48.53 | $600,000 | II |
| 2020 | Tom's d'Etat | 7 | Miguel Mena | Albert Stall Jr. | G M B Racing | 1:47.30 | $500,000 | II |
| 2019 | Seeking the Soul | 6 | John R. Velazquez | Dallas Stewart | Charles E. Fipke | 1:49.27 | $600,000 | II |
| Stephen Foster Handicap ||||||||||
| 2018 | Pavel | 4 | Mario Gutierrez | Doug F. O'Neill | Reddam Racing | 1:49.21 | $500,000 | I |
| 2017 | Gun Runner | 4 | Florent Geroux | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds & Three Chimneys Farm | 1:47.56 | $500,000 | I |
| 2016 | Bradester | 6 | Joe Bravo | Eddie Kenneally | Joseph Sutton | 1:48.85 | $500,000 | I |
| 2015 | Noble Bird | 4 | Shaun Bridgmohan | Mark E. Casse | John C. Oxley | 1:47.94 | $500,000 | I |
| 2014 | Moonshine Mullin | 6 | Calvin H. Borel | Randy L. Morse | Randy Patterson | 1:49.66 | $500,000 | I |
| 2013 | Fort Larned | 5 | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Ian R. Wilkes | Janis R. Whitham | 1:47.45 | $500,000 | I |
| 2012 | Ron the Greek | 5 | Jose Lezcano | William I. Mott | Brous Stable, Wachtel Stable & Jack Hammer | 1:50.51 | $437,200 | I |
| 2011 | Pool Play | 6 | Miguel Mena | Mark E. Casse | William S. Farish IV | 1:50.52 | $561,300 | I |
| 2010 | Blame | 4 | Garrett K. Gomez | Albert Stall Jr. | Claiborne Farm & Adele Dilschneider | 1:49.37 | $671,700 | I |
| 2009 | Macho Again | 4 | Robby Albarado | Dallas Stewart | West Point Thoroughbreds | 1:49.75 | $660,000 | I |
| 2008 | Curlin | 4 | Robby Albarado | Steven M. Asmussen | Stonestreet Stables et al. | 1:49.68 | $1,000,000 | I |
| 2007 | Flashy Bull | 4 | Robby Albarado | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | West Point Thoroughbreds | 1:48.63 | $829,500 | I |
| 2006 | Seek Gold | 6 | Calvin H. Borel | Ron Moquett | Bowman Couch Racing | 1:49.24 | $844,500 | I |
| 2005 | Saint Liam | 5 | Edgar S. Prado | Robert J. Frankel | Mr. & Mrs. William K. Warren Jr. | 1:47.52 | $828,000 | I |
| 2004 | Colonial Colony | 6 | Rafael Bejarano | Walter M. Bindner Jr. | Lakeside Farms (Chris Nolan) | 1:50.40 | $893,725 | I |
| 2003 | Perfect Drift | 4 | Pat Day | Murray W. Johnson | Stonecrest Farm | 1:47.55 | $856,500 | I |
| 2002 | Street Cry (IRE) | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin | 1:50.44 | $833,250 | I |
| 2001 | Guided Tour | 5 | Larry Melancon | Niall M. O'Callaghan | Morton Fink | 1:47.74 | $831,000 | II |
| 2000 | Golden Missile | 5 | Kent J. Desormeaux | Joe Orseno | Stronach Stables | 1:49.56 | $810,000 | II |
| 1999 | Victory Gallop | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | W. Elliott Walden | Prestonwood Farm | 1:47.28 | $827,250 | II |
| 1998 | Awesome Again | 4 | Pat Day | Patrick B. Byrne | Stronach Stables | 1:48.61 | $799,500 | II |
| 1997 | City by Night | 4 | Shane Sellers | Patrick B. Byrne | Richard & Nancy Kaster | 1:50.52 | $163,950 | II |
| 1996 | Tenants Harbor | 4 | Francisco C. Torres | Robert L. Desensi | Michael Sheehan | 1:49.94 | $166,050 | II |
| 1995 | Recoup the Cash | 5 | Aaron Gryder | Jere R. Smith Sr. | Richard E. Trebat | 1:49.39 | $168,149 | II |
| 1994 | Recoup the Cash | 4 | Juvenal Lopez Diaz | Jere R. Smith Sr. | Richard E. Trebat | 1:49.46 | $163,500 | III |
| 1993 | Root Boy | 5 | Tommy Turner | Louis D. Bernier Jr. | Richard F. Blue Jr. | 1:50.80 | $114,000 | III |
| 1992 | Discover | 4 | Brent E. Bartram | Steven C. Penrod | Claiborne Farm | 1:50.14 | $115,900 | III |
| 1991 | Black Tie Affair (IRE) | 5 | Juvenal Lopez Diaz | Ernie T. Poulos | Jeffrey Sullivan | 1:49.80 | $109,100 | III |
| 1990 | No Marker | 6 | Aaron Gryder | Patricia L. Johnson | Billy Ray Gowdy | 1:49.80 | $112,200 | III |
| 1989 | Air Worthy | 4 | Donald Joseph Soto | William G. Huffman | John Carlesimo | 1:49.60 | $112,700 | III |
| 1988 | Honor Medal | 7 | Luis Enrique Ortega | Neil D. Drysdale | Lettuce Farm | 1:50.60 | $129,700 | III |
| 1987 | Red Attack | 5 | Jack Kaenel | D. Wayne Lukas | Pillar Stud, Inc. | 1:51.20 | $103,775 | |
| 1986 | Hopeful Word | 5 | K. Keith Allen | Carl E. Bowman | James Clifton, Robert Doll, Barrett Morris | 1:49.40 | $102,050 | |
| 1985 | Vanlandingham | 4 | Pat Day | Claude R. McGaughey III | Loblolly Stable | 1:48.80 | $79,250 | |
| 1984 | Mythical Ruler | 6 | James McKnight | Fred V. Wirth | Albert Risen | 1:49.60 | $73,550 | |
| 1983 | Vodika Collins | 5 | Leroy Moyers | Forrest Kaelin | Milbert B. Collins | 1:49.20 | $54,750 | |
| 1982 | Vodika Collins | 4 | Thomas Barrow | Forrest Kaelin | Milbert B. Collins | 1:51.80 | $57,900 | |