Study Guide: Stephen Foster

Jun 24, 2020 J. Keeler Johnson

The 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) will be run at Churchill Downs on June 27, 2020.

Total 5 start(s)	Top Speed Rating: (107) when dominating allowance race at Gulfstream Park
Wins: 3	Total Earnings: $118,520
Place: 1
Show: 0

Owner: WinStar Farm and China Horse Club	Sire: Ghostzapper
Breeder: Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust	Dam: And Why Not
Trainer: Todd Pletcher	Color: Bay
Jockey: John Velazquez

Sold for $725,000 as a yearling, this lightly-raced son of Horse of the Year Ghostzapper has shown flashes of significant talent for trainer Todd Pletcher. After cruising to victory by 8 1/2 lengths in a Feb. 1 allowance race at Gulfstream, Fearless faltered with a slightly troubled trip in the New Orleans Classic (G2), but recently rebounded to score a confident allowance victory going 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs. A deep closer with a strong late rally, Fearless should appreciate the opportunity to stretch out over 1 1/8 miles, but will need a quick pace to enhance his homestretch charge.

Total 14 start(s)	Top Speed Rating: (102) when finishing first in an allowance race at Oaklawn Park.
Wins: 4	Total Earnings: $197,751
Place: 2
Show: 4

Pirate's Punch wins at Oaklawn Park (Coady Photography)

Owner: Gulliver Racing, Craig W. Drager, and Dan Legan	Sire: Shanghai Bobby
Breeder: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings	Dam: Catch the Moon
Trainer: Grant Forster	Color: Dark bay/brown
Jockey: Mike Smith

Consistency has been a strong suit for Pirate’s Punch—the 4-year-old gelding hasn’t miss the trifecta in his last nine starts, most notably cruising to a five-length allowance victory at Oaklawn Park in April. But the son of juvenile champion Shanghai Bobby was beaten to third in the Super Derby (G3) and Mineshaft (G3), his two previous runs against graded stakes company, and he’s stepping up in class and distance for the Stephen Foster. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will have to carefully ration Pirate’s Punch’s early speed if the dark bay gelding is going to last 1 1/8 miles against this caliber of competition.

Total 15 start(s)	Top Speed Rating: (99) when winning a June 7 allowance race at Churchill Downs.
Wins: 4	Total Earnings: $238,478
Place: 0
Show: 2

Owner: Shadwell Stable	Sire: Tapit
Breeder: Shadwell Farm	Dam: Firdaws
Trainer: Daniel Peitz	Color: Gray/roan
Jockey: Declan Cannon

Improving 5-year-old has been on the rise in recent months, posting upset victories in his last two starts on dirt. Those were both 1 1/16-mile allowance races against quality competition, and one of Alkhaatam’s wins came at Churchill Downs just 20 days ago. But Alkhaatam was in similarly strong form prior to finishing 11th in the 2019 Stephen Foster, so this Shadwell Farm homebred still has a lot to prove against graded stakes company.

Total 28 start(s)	Top Speed Rating: (105) when finishing second in the Santa Anita H. (G1).
Wins: 3	Total Earnings: $492,950
Place: 5
Show: 4

Owner: Wachtel Stables, George J. Kerr, and Gary Barber	Sire: The Factor
Breeder: Mark Stansell	Dam: Trippi Street
Trainer: Peter Miller	Color: Gray/roan
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

With just 3 wins from 28 starts, Multiplier isn’t a frequent winner, but he’s shown class while facing tough competition on both dirt and turf. He was beaten a neck in the 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita H. (G1) during the winter and is wheeling back just one week after finishing second by a nose in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Santa Anita, so there’s no reason to doubt his current form or ability to handle 1 1/8 miles. But since Multiplier hasn’t won a race in 25 months, he seems more likely to land in the exotics than the winner’s circle.

Total 17 start(s)	Top Speed Rating: (107) dominating a Saratoga allowance race by nine lengths.
Wins: 10	Total Earnings: $1,326,572
Place: 2
Show: 1

Tom's D'Etat gallop at Oaklawn Park (Coady Photography)

Owner: G M B Racing	Sire: Smart Strike
Breeder: SF Bloodstock	Dam: Julia Tuttle
Trainer: Al Stall	Color: Bay
Jockey: Miguel Mena

This veteran 7-year-old has won more than $1.3 million through a combination of talent, class, and durability. Formerly an effective speed horse, Tom’s d’Etat has elevated his game to a new level since switching to late-running tactics last year, a style change that carried the son of Smart Strike to victory in Churchill’s 1 1/8-mile Clark H. (G1) on Nov. 29. With seven straight triple-digit Brisnet Speed ratings under his belt, Tom’s d’Etat is consistently the fastest horse in the Stephen Foster field, and he enters off a victory over future Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) champion Improbable in the Apr. 11 Oaklawn Mile. By almost every metric, Tom’s d’Etat is the horse to beat.

Total 9 start(s)	Top Speed Rating: (105) when prevailing in the Oaklawn H. (G2).
Wins: 5	Total Earnings: $1,281,910
Place: 2
Show: 1

Owner: Allied Racing Stable	Sire: Goldencents
Breeder: Don Ladd	Dam: A Jealous Woman
Trainer: Bret Calhoun	Color: Bay
Jockey: Gabriel Saez

Aside from an off-the-board finish in the 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1), By My Standards hasn’t run a bad race in nine starts, even nabbing a trio of Grade 2 victories. The son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) champion Goldencents was particularly sharp in the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn H. (G2) on May 2, tracking a steady pace before accelerating down the stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths. With his tactical speed, By My Standards figures to work out a clean trip stalking the pace on Saturday. The key will be leaving enough gas in the tank to hold off Tom’s d’Etat’s late surge. With the right timing, By My Standards has upset potential.

Total 28 start(s)	Top Speed Rating: (104) when claiming the West Virginia Governor’s Stakes (G3).
Wins: 6	Total Earnings: $787,577
Place: 7
Show: 3

Owner: Tom R. Durant	Sire: Tapit
Breeder: Don Alberto Corporation	Dam: Filare l’Oro
Trainer: Bret Calhoun	Color: Gray/roan
Jockey: Adam Beschizza

Silver Dust has come up short in his three previous runs against Grade 2 company, but this occasionally quirky gelding isn’t afraid to dig deep in a dogfight. He’s picked up a trio of Grade 3 wins, two of them in hard-fought fashion, and missed by less than a length after pressing a fast pace in the one-mile Blame S. at Churchill Downs last month. Speed is Silver Dust’s forte, and the gelded son of Tapit figures to be prominent from the outset. Though he’s 0-for-5 racing 1 1/8 miles, he’s cracked the trifecta in six of his eight runs at Churchill, and his affinity for the local oval—coupled with his tenacity—might be enough to land Silver Dust a spot on the board.

Total 15 start(s)	Top Speed Rating: (103) when finishing first in the Oklahoma Derby (G3).
Wins: 6	Total Earnings: $1,129,185
Place: 2
Show: 2

Owner: Rupp Racing	Sire: Into Mischief
Breeder: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings	Dam: Aspen Light
Trainer: Brad Cox	Color: Bay
Jockey: Florent Geroux

In a race filled largely with veteran campaigners, the 4-year-old Owendale is a younger and fresher face. Winner of the Ohio Derby (G3) and Oklahoma Derby (G3) against 3-year-olds last season, Owendale wasn’t disgraced when producing a big late rally to finish second in the Clark H. (G1), beaten 3 1/4 lengths by Tom’s d’Etat. Owendale kicked off 2020 on a winning note when closing strongly to defeat Silver Dust in the 1-mile Blame S. at Churchill, and with this sharpener under his belt, Owendale could be poised to fire off a career-best effort for hot trainer Brad Cox.