Stephen Foster Handicap

Stephen Foster Handicap

Grade I race
File:Curlin on his way to winning the Stephen Foster Handicap (2972612204).jpg 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.

The Stephen Foster Handicap was created in 1982, for three-year-olds and up and is run on the dirt at a distance of one and one-eighth miles. It has progressed from Grade III status in 1988 to Grade II in 1995 and is a Grade I event since 2002. The race now serves as the only Grade I stakes held at Churchill Downs during the Spring Meet outside of Derby Week's running of the Kentucky Oaks, Woodford Reserve Turf Classic and the Kentucky Derby. The race had been restricted to horses four years of age an older in 1983 and from 1985 through 1987. Currently offering a purse of $500,000 added, the race draws some of the top older horses from various parts of the United States.

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.

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:

• 1:47.28 - Victory Gallop (1999)

Most wins:

• Vodika Collins (1982, 1983)
• 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 Casse (2011, 2015)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 - M.B. Collins (1982, 1983)
• 2 - Richard E. Trebat (1994, 1995)
• 2 - Stronach Stables (1998, 2000)
• 2 - West Point Thoroughbreds (2007, 2009)

Winners of the Stephen Foster Handicap since 1982

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Dist.	Time	Purse	Grade
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

• Stephen Foster Handicap "top three finishers" and starters
• List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area
• List of graded stakes at Churchill Downs

External links

• Ten Things You Should Know about the Stephen Foster Handicap at Hello Race Fans!