Closing weekend of the Churchill Downs Spring Meeting goes out with a parade of stars. Saturday’s program features the $1 million Stephen Foster among 6 consecutive stakes on a 12-race card. Horseplayers at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet can take advantage of $7,500 in Hit & Split promotions on the day’s multi-race wagers.
Let’s meet the contenders for the big afternoon:
Fleur de Lis Stakes | Race 7
#3-THORPEDO ANNA: The 2024 Kentucky Oaks, Breeders’ Cup Distaff and Horse of the Year winner looks to bounce back from the worst performance of her career. She finished seventh on 20 days’ rest In the May 2 La Troienne but comes in well-rested with a bullet workout June 14 for this.
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Tepin Stakes | Race 8
#6-VIXEN: Mark Casse trainee exits the shadow of her stablemate Nitrogen, the clear-cut leader right now in the 3-year-old turf filly division. This 2-time stakes winner at Gulfstream exits a third-place run behind Nitrogen and Lush Lips in the local Edgewood Stakes.
#5-LUSH LIPS: Edgewood Stakes and Florida Oaks runner-up has been first or second in all 4 starts for Brendan Walsh since arriving from Ireland.
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Kelly’s Landing Stakes | Race 9
#3-BOOTH: Red-hot sprinter aims for 5 straight wins as Steve and Erik Asmussen have seen this one take flight at Oaklawn and Pimlico in recent starts. Son of Asmussen’s champion sprinter Mitole has won 7 of 11 and seeks millionaire status.
#1-DR. VENKMAN: Grade 2 San Diego Handicap winner looks for his first sprint stakes win after runner-up efforts in a trio from Santa Anita to Keeneland. Californian comes east for Mark Glatt and Antonio Fresu.
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Wise Dan Stakes | Race 10
#4-MERCANTE: Kentucky Cup Classic and Arlington Stakes wins sandwich between his near-miss second in the Grade 1 Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby Day undercard. Carl Pollard homebred is son of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine and Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Caressing.
#8-FORT WASHINGTON: Trainer Shug McGaughey and 2025 Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Junior Alvarado look to keep this 6-year-old rolling in his best career form. Won the Canadian Turf and Dinner Party Stakes at Gulfstream and Pimlico in his last 2 starts.
#3-MI HERMANO RAMON: Glatt and Fresu team with another Santa Anita-based shipper, this one winner of the Grade 2 Seabiscuit and recently a neck runner-up in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile.
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Stephen Foster Stakes | Race 11
#5-MYSTIK DAN: The 2024 Kentucky Derby winner has re-found his groove in recent starts, a nose runner-up at Oaklawn to Saudi Crown and then his victory in Churchill’s Grade 3 Blame. Three of his 4 careers wins have come over this track and the Kenny McPeek trainee fired a bullet workout June 21 for this assignment under Brian Hernandez Jr.
#4-SIERRA LEONE: The 2024 Champion 3-Year-Old makes his second start of 2025, following a disappointing third-place run in the March 22 New Orleans Classic. Chad Brown looks to get the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Kentucky Derby nose runner-up back on track under Flavien Prat. His rematch with Mystik Dan takes on added significance under the twin spires.
#2-MINDFRAME: Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes winner has won 4 of 6 with narrow runners-up in last year’s Belmont Stakes and Haskell. Todd Pletcher gives a leg up to Irad Ortiz Jr., the only rider this son of Constitution has known. All 4 wins have come at 1-1/16 miles or less. Pletcher seeks back-to-back Foster wins after Kingsbarns in 2024.
#6-HIT SHOW: Rallying winner April 5 of the $12 million Grade 1 Dubai World Cup has steadily improved with age. Regular rider Florent Geroux has the mount for Brad Cox, who won this race 2 years ago with West Will Power.
#1-FIRST MISSION: $2 million earner is 6-for-12 lifetime and exits a career-best win in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap. Flavien Prat jumps to ride Sierra Leone, returning the mount to Luis Saez on this Street Sense 5-year-old who won the 2024 Alysheba locally and missed the 2024 Clark by a nose.
#3-SKIPPYLONGSTOCKING: 11-time winner of $3.6 million won the Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita last month, adding to a national resume that includes multiple victories in the Charles Town Classic and Tampa’s Challenger Stakes. Irad Ortiz Jr. jumps to ride Mindframe as Jose Ortiz returns to the saddle for Saffie Joseph Jr.
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American Derby | Race 12
#3-TIZTASTIC: Louisiana Derby winner returns to turf after a disappointing finish in the Kentucky Derby. Steve Asmussen trainee was 2-for-2 on grass at Kentucky Downs, including a Juvenile Mile Stakes victory.
#1-REAGAN’S WIT: Jimmy Murphy Stakes winner on Preakness Weekend at Pimlico for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Son of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic.
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