The last time First Mission and Skippylongstocking raced in a grade 1 in the Jan. 27 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), neither performed anywhere near expectations. Godolphin's First Mission struggled over the Gulfstream Park main track, trainer Brad Cox said, running ninth, beaten 20 1/2 lengths, and Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking fared even worse, being pulled up late while appearing to overheat.
Both have since rebounded, winning a pair of graded stakes apiece, and now they lead a field of nine in the $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) June 29 at Churchill Downs.
The marquee race of the second half of the Louisville, Ky., track's spring meet, the 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series event for the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.
Though none of the Stephen Foster competitors have yet won a grade 1 on dirt—longshot Classic Causeway took the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) on turf two years ago—several have contended in top company, including Skippylongstocking.
Two years ago, as a 3-year-old, he ran third in the Belmont Stakes (G1), and last year as a 4-year-old, he was third in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
This year, he is 2-for-3, having bounced back from his Pegasus to win the March 9 Challenger Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs for the second straight year and the April 20 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at Oaklawn Park for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
"He's trained well for the race," said Joseph, the leading trainer at Gulfstream Park's Royal Palm Meet. "If he runs as well as he did at Oaklawn last time, he's going to be very tough."
Favored #10 SKIPPYLONGSTOCKING won the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) over #1 Highland Falls. @jose93_ortiz up for trainer @SaffieJosephJr on the son of Exaggerator. Congratulations to the connections! pic.twitter.com/uexxSP9x5m
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 20, 2024
The 5-year-old son of Exaggerator earned a career-best 114 Equibase Speed Figure in taking the Oaklawn Handicap by two lengths under Jose Ortiz, who returns in the irons Saturday.
First Mission Also Rides a Two-Race Win Streak
First Mission earned a marginally higher 115 ESF in capturing the May 3 Alysheba Stakes (G2) on Kentucky Oaks day at Churchill Downs when he splashed to a four-length victory over Japanese longshot T O Saint Denis. Before that race, he captured the Essex Handicap (G3) by five lengths in a bounce-back performance from the Pegasus.
A 4-year-old son of Street Sense , he won the Lexington Stakes (G3) last year at Keeneland and was second in the Clark Stakes (G2) at Churchill in his final 3-year-old outing.
"We've had this race on our schedule for a long time now," Cox said. "The plan has been if he ran well in the Alysheba to run him in the Stephen Foster. He came out of the Alysheba very well and has been training great at Churchill. The Stephen Foster is always a tough race year in and year out. It's a grade 1, so that's expected. This year's field is no different but we like our chances to try and get him his first grade 1 win."
Florent Geroux rides the colt, who is drawn in post 2, compared to post 9 for Skippylongstocking.
Pair of 2023 Kentucky Derby Runners in Field
Two alumni from the 2023 Kentucky Derby, fourth-place Disarm and 14th-place Kingsbarns , lead the opposition.
Winchell Thoroughbreds' Disarm, a 4-year-old son of Gun Runner , won the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) a little more than a year ago and was later second in the Travers Stakes (G1) over the summer before returning as a workmanlike winner in a slow-placed allowance optional claiming race May 18 at Churchill. Joel Rosario rides for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
Spendthrift Farm's Kingsbarns, who captured the Louisiana Derby (G2) last year for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, won his first two races of 2024, including the April 20 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. Most recently, the Uncle Mo 4-year-old colt was second to fellow Stephen Foster participant Pyrenees in the May 17 Pimlico Special Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.
Pyrenees is "a very nice colt who is clearly starting to figure things out,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said. “He’s passed every test given to him so far and the Stephen Foster is another test stepping up to a grade 1. He had a setback at the end of his 2-year-old year, and when he came back this winter at Fair Grounds, you could tell he mentally and physically matured.”
Carded as the 11th race, the Stephen Foster is the highlight of a stakes-filled program at Churchill Downs that also includes the $500,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2), the $500,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T), the $250,000 American Derby, the $250,000 Kelly's Landing Stakes and the $250,000 Tepin Stakes. Post time for the Stephen Foster is 6:03 p.m. ET.
Earlier Saturday at Churchill, the connections of this year's Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks winners—Mystik Dan and Thorpedo Anna, respectively—will be presented with their engraved trophies during a winner's circle ceremony between races. The trophies will also be on display beforehand for photo opportunities.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 29, 2024, Race 11Entries: Stephen Foster S. (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Pyrenees (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 124 Cherie DeVaux 12/1 2 2First Mission (KY) Florent Geroux 124 Brad H. Cox 6/5 3 3Happy American (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 124 Neil L. Pessin 30/1 4 4Disarm (KY) Joel Rosario 124 Steven M. Asmussen 6/1 5 5Dreamlike (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Todd A. Pletcher 10/1 6 6Classic Causeway (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 124 Kenneth G. McPeek 30/1 7 7Kingsbarns (KY) Luis Saez 124 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1 8 8Steal Sunshine (KY) Paco Lopez 124 Bobby S. Dibona 20/1 9 9Skippylongstocking (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 124 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 5/2
