Stephen Foster Handicap

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Grade I race
Stephen Foster Handicap
Location	Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Inaugurated	1982
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	Churchill Downs
Race information
Distance	1⅛ miles (9 furlongs)
Track	Dirt, left-handed
Qualification	Three-Year-Olds and Up
Weight	Handicap
Purse	$1.000,000

The Stephen Foster Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run in mid June at the end of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Stephen Foster Handicap 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 presently a Grade I event open to horses three years old and up. 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 $750,000, the race draws some of the top older horses from various parts of the United States.

The race is named for the famous American songwriter Stephen Foster who wrote My Old Kentucky Home, the state song of Kentucky.

Contents 1 Race records 2 Winners of the Stephen Foster Handicap since 1998 3 Earlier winners 4 References

[edit] Race records

Jockeys Aaron Gryder, Pat Day, and Jerry Bailey have each won the race on two occasions.

Vodika Collins was the first horse to win the race twice, taking it back-to-back in its first two runnings. In 1994 /95 Recoup the Cash became the second two-time winner.

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. [1]

[edit] Winners of the Stephen Foster Handicap since 1998

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2007	Flashy Bull	Robby Albarado	Kiaran McLaughlin	West Point Thoroughbreds	1:48.63
2006	Seek Gold	Calvin Borel	Ronald Moquett	Bowman Couch Racing	1:49.24
2005	Saint Liam	Edgar Prado	Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.	Mr & Mrs William K. Warren	1:47.52
2004	Colonial Colony	Rafael Bejarano	Dallas Stewart	Lakeside Farm	1:50.40
2003	Perfect Drift	Pat Day	Murray Johnson	Stonecrest Farm	1:47.55
2002	Street Cry	Jerry Bailey	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin Racing	1:47.84
2001	Guided Tour	Larry Melancon	Niall O'Callaghan	Morton Fink	1:47.74
2000	Golden Missile	Kent Desormeaux	Joe Orseno	Stronach Stables	1:49.56
1999	Victory Gallop	Jerry Bailey	Elliott Walden	Prestonwood Farm	1:47.28
1998	Awesome Again	Pat Day	Patrick B. Byrne	Stronach Stables	1:48.60

[edit] Earlier winners

[edit] References

• Thoroughbred Champions list of races from 1982 to 2000
• Video at YouTube of Seek Gold's win in the 2006 Stephen Foster Handicap