Stephen Foster Handicap Gets Breeders' Cup Challenge Rolling

While the hoopla surrounding the Triple Crown is now over, there is plenty of championship racing on tap over the next four months, culminating in the Breeders’ Cup on Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland. 

The first Breeders’ Cup Challenge "Win and You’re In" race for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) takes place on Saturday night at Churchill Downs, with a field of seven older horses lining up in the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1).

American Pharoah is the current early betting favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at odds of 3-2, per Odds Shark, and some of the horses he will face later this year take center stage under the twin spires on Saturday night.

The race will be televised live on the NBC Sports Network during a two-hour telecast that gets underway at 8 p.m. ET and includes the $200,000 Fleur De Lis (G2), a "Win and You’re In" race for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).

Three horses that won the Stephen Foster went on to win Horse of the Year honors­—Black Tie Affair (1991), Saint Liam (2005) and Curlin (2008). In addition, Mineshaft (2003) and Wise Dan (2012) ran second in the Foster in their Horse of the Year campaigns.

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

The Triple Crown champion will be on the racetrack at Churchill Downs on Saturday night but will not go into the starting gate. The colt will be paraded in front of the crowd at Churchill Downs shortly before the Stephen Foster is run. Owner Ahmed Zayat, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Victor Espinoza will be on hand for the official engraving of the 2015 Kentucky Derby trophy.

The Bill Mott-trained Lea will be sent off as the betting favorite in the Stephen Foster. The six-year-old makes his first start since running third in the Dubai World Cup (G1) behind upset winner Prince Bishop and last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, California Chrome. Mott saddled the 2012 Foster winner Ron the Greek.

Lea is listed at early Breeders’ Cup Classic betting odds of 20-1 at Odds Shark.

The Bob Baffert barn will send out a pair of contenders in the Foster. He will saddle Hoppertunity, who won the Clark Handicap (G1) over the Churchill Downs main track last fall, and Cat Burglar, who was third in the Pimlico Special (G3) in his last start.

Commissioner, who will break from the rail in the Foster, won the Pimlico Special. The colt missed winning last year’s Belmont Stakes by a head to Tonailist.

Completing the field are the speedy long shot Paganol (G2), runner-up Noble Bird and last year’s Santa Anita Gold Cup (G1) winner, Majestic Harbor, who was ninth in the Louisville Handicap (G3) in his last start.

Peter Rotondo Jr., Vice President of Media & Entertainment for the Breeders’ Cup, thinks we will see more of Baffert, as he predicted for the Breeders' Cup's official website:

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The 'Hopper' is working great for his return and I think he’ll get a perfect trip with the patient HOF’er Mike Smith aboard. I see Paganol on the lead with Commissioner/Noble Bird/Lea all making their moves at him on the turn. While Mikey [jockey Mike Smith] keeps Hopper relaxed behind the top four until he makes his move at the top of the stretch to run them all down in the lane.

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The Downs After Dark program at Churchill Downs kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday evening. In addition to the Fleur De Lis and Stephen Foster, the card is highlighted by the $100,000 Regret (G3) for three-year-old fillies and the $100,000 Matt Winn (G3) for three-year-olds.

My selections for the Stephen Foster

Win: Commissioner should get a good tracking trip just off the pace and looks capable of winning his third straight race.

Place: Lea had a long trip to Dubai and back but has had some time off to renew his energy. If he runs back to his game second in the Donn to Constitution, he will be tough, but his price is going to be on the light side.

Show: Cat Burglar is one of two sent out by Baffert and will be the more generous price. The five-year-old was third last out in the Pimlico Special and looks to be headed in the right direction. He is going to end up a decent price in this spot.

Follow Michael Dempsey on twitter @turfnsport