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Fearsome Foursome Set To Fight It Out In Foster

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The 2025 GI Stephen Foster Stakes was a doozy on paper, featuring the previous year’s GI Kentucky Derby victor (Mystik Dan), a reigning winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic (Sierra Leone) and a G1 Dubai World Cup hero (Hit Show). The race was ultimately won by Mindframe (Constitution).

There is very much a sense of deja vu this weekend for the nine-furlong contest–offering the winner an all-expenses-paid trip to this year’s Classic just down the road at Keeneland–as 2025 Horse of the Year and spectacular Kentucky Derby conqueror Sovereignty (Into Mischief) takes on 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day) and Magnitude (Not This Time), exiting a front-running defeat of 2025 Classic champ Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the Meydan feature on March 28.

Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado teamed with Olympiad (Speightstown) to win the 2023 renewal–the last of four times it was contested at Grade II level–and Sovereignty enters the race with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Last year’s champion 3-year-old male was the easiest kind of winner of the GI Travers Stakes last August and would have been the one to beat–even with the presence of Forever Young–in the 2025 Classic, only to be scratched in the days leading up to the race.

There was some uncertainty as to whether the colt would remain in training at four, but that was confirmed over the winter, and Sovereignty was programmed to make his return in the GII Oaklawn Handicap on Apr. 18. Sovereignty had never once found himself calling the shots in any of his previous nine runs, but there he was, leading up Journalism (Curlin) and White Abarrio on a pace that wasn’t overly taxing, but testing enough, given that he was returning from a lengthy absence. The big bay was confronted by a race-fit White Abarrio at midstretch and didn’t go down without a fight, but was two lengths in arrears on the wire.

“We weren’t anticipating being on the lead, but he ran a very good race, got a lot out of it and has trained well since,” said Mott. “We’ve had a couple of good works into this race, and hopefully we’re ready to get the better of (White Abarrio) Saturday.”

White Abarrio, who will stand at Gainesway once time has been called on his career, was fastest away in Hot Springs and could have made the running, but was deftly taken back by Irad Ortiz, Jr. to stalk his two main rivals. When it came time to go to war entering the final furlong, White Abarrio had plenty to say and proved a convincing winner while in receipt of two pounds from Sovereignty. He earned a 111 Beyer Speed Figure that was the best of his career and five points higher than when winning the Classic at Santa Anita.

White Abarrio was one of three entered by Saffie Joseph, Jr. but the only one that will face the starter on Saturday.

White Abarrio | Coady Media

Magnitude earned triple-digit figures in three of his six appearances in 2025, including towering victories in the GII Risen Star Stakes and Iowa Derby, but he finished third and in a different area code behind Sovereignty in the Travers.

After defeating Hit Show in the GII Clark Stakes over this course and distance last November, all roads pointed to Riyadh and a start in the G1 Saudi Cup, but a minor illness derailed those lofty plans. Instead, the $450,000 Keeneland September purchase came from just off the speed to win the GIII Razorback Handicap two weeks later and when last seen, took them all the way in the World Cup.

“Very impressive horse, continues to train forwardly,” trainer Steve Asmussen, who sent out Gun Runner to win the 2017 Foster, told TDN Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack.

Though less proven than the top three, it would be no colossal shock if C R K Stables’ Baeza (McKinzie) were to emerge on top Saturday afternoon. After accounting for Magnitude en route to a richly deserved maiden Grade I in the Pennsylvania Derby last September, the $1.2-million KEESEP yearling was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and got a deserved rest. Transferred to Mott after the untimely passing of John Shirreffs, Baeza resumed in the GII Alysheba Stakes May 1 and lost his race at the break for all intents and purposes. That he was able to trim the final margin down to less than a length speaks to his resolve as much as his raw ability, but it isn’t like there is a great margin of error either with the three other divisional heavies signed on.

“He doesn’t have to be a fast gate horse, but he does need to leave there cleanly because it takes him a little while to get into his stride,” Mott said. “Once he does, he settles into a really nice rhythm.”

Saturday’s program features an additional six added-money events, three at the graded level. In the GII Fleur de Lis Stakes, a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Shred the Gnar (Into Mischief) puts her perfect Churchill mark on the line, having rallied to take the GI La Troienne Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 1. Splendora (Audible) looms the main danger from the rail, but she may come out in favor of the GII Molly Pitcher Stakes on July 18. The remarkably consistent Lagynos (Kantharos) will look to make it five in a row in the GII Wise Dan Stakes, while the GIII Bango Stakes has ‘TDN Rising Star’ Cornucopian (Into Mischief) as its even-money favorite.

Alpyland (Vekoma) looms the strong favorite in the Listed American Derby off his four-length thrashing of Immortalised (Fr) (Romanised {Ire}) in the GIII Penn Mile May 29, while Ground Support (Army Mule), who returned 100-1 on debut last year, makes her first start since a third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf in the card-ending Listed Tepin Stakes.

Among the five graded stakes that close the Saturday program at Woodbine are the GIII Marine Stakes for 3-year-old males and the GIII Selene Stakes for sophomore fillies. Each race can be expected to produce some runners for the Canadian Classics which kick off in about two months’ time.

The Stephen Foster is turning into a heavyweight showdown this weekend. Who do you like? Is it finally time for Baeza to bust through? Is White Abarrio just that good now? pic.twitter.com/6pvZGSYw2S

— Eclipse Sportswire (@EclipseSports) June 25, 2026

The post Fearsome Foursome Set To Fight It Out In Foster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Racing’s Biggest Problem, And The Solution: Tony Lacy

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In a new TDN series, we are asking the industry what is racing’s biggest problem, and what is the solution to that problem. Today, Keeneland’s Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy joins us to offer his perspective.

What do you think is racing’s biggest problem?

I think the biggest problem is that our industry is not speaking as one. Consolidation, where we have everybody singing off the same hymn sheet, is critical. It’s difficult to get all the racetracks on the same page and to operate with the same principles, and with a country as diverse as the US, it’s even more challenging. I think we need to look at our industry in far broader scale that we’re not always competing against each other. Most major sports franchises and industries have to work as a collective, knowing that if we succeed, you succeed.

As well as that, I think there’s been a lack of incentive to bring people to the racetrack, to develop an understanding of our sport.  Obviously, we want people to be able to watch and bet on racing remotely through TV and online platforms. But in doing so, there’s less incentive to cater to crowds and bring people to the track. This was always a sport that was built around people being in attendance, getting close to the horse and having that social interaction. As we get more remote and technology gets ingrained in everything we do, we’ve become somewhat isolated. And that’s one thing that is very dangerous to this sport because it doesn’t allow fans to develop the connection they had in the past.

What is the solution?

In life, in nature, in business, anything that doesn’t evolve dies. Evolution is a constant so resisting change, or a lack of adaptation, will eventually cause weakness. Any business that does not adapt to changing cultures, no matter how strong they are, fails. One thing people hate is change, but it’s also necessary. It has to be subtle and natural. It should satisfy the established demographic but also cater to the younger generation and their needs.

I do think that we always have to keep an eye on how other businesses operate, how they succeed, how can we adapt some of those principles that are relevant to us, while also keeping a firm hold on tradition that has allowed the sport to develop.

What I get frustrated with is when everybody starts talking in circular arguments about the same thing. But nobody wants to do anything about it. If they do something, they should want to do it with the understanding that we’re doing it so that this business can be so much bigger.

Keeneland

We need to understand what the outside world thinks of us and how we need to market ourselves towards it. Because we’ve operated behind a sort of steel curtain for so long, it’s difficult to get into the game if you’re an outsider. And we have to give people a portal into participation and education. I think the more we educate the general public in a healthy way, the more it allows them to understand our activity.

One of the things we work very diligently on at Keeneland is trying to educate people on the very basics. Because once you see behind the scenes, you start to understand it. Whether you watch football or basketball or a motorsport team, you can draw similarities between the trainer, the coaches, the players and what we do on this side of the fence in our sport. It’s exactly the same.

There’s so much competition from these other sports, that we can’t assume that people are going to find us. We’ve got to find ways of bringing them to the racetrack and getting them interested, because it is a fantastic sport. It’s very social. You see the big days, whether it’s here at Keeneland, or Derby Day, or Royal Ascot, they’re as much social events as they are race meetings.

A symptom of people enjoying themselves is that they spend money. They bet, they interact with the sport, and they get informed. They gain a new appreciation and new exposure to the sport and understanding. The educational piece is one that we all have a duty to. It’s not any specific organization’s responsibility. It is each and every one of us who must get behind it and make sure we build it forward. We’re almost like drug dealers. We’ve got to let people feel the adrenaline of their horse or their team winning because once they do, it’s an easy sell.

–Emma Hunter is a first-year trainee in the Godolphin Flying Start program. She is a native of Cork, Ireland. The first horse she ever foaled was Noble Yeats, winner of the 2022 Grand National, who was bred by her family.

The post Racing’s Biggest Problem, And The Solution: Tony Lacy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Fearsome Foursome Set To Fight It Out In Foster

---

The 2025 GI Stephen Foster Stakes was a doozy on paper, featuring the previous year’s GI Kentucky Derby victor (Mystik Dan), a reigning winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic (Sierra Leone) and a G1 Dubai World Cup hero (Hit Show). The race was ultimately won by Mindframe (Constitution).

There is very much a sense of deja vu this weekend for the nine-furlong contest–offering the winner an all-expenses-paid trip to this year’s Classic just down the road at Keeneland–as 2025 Horse of the Year and spectacular Kentucky Derby conqueror Sovereignty (Into Mischief) takes on 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day) and Magnitude (Not This Time), exiting a front-running defeat of 2025 Classic champ Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the Meydan feature on March 28.

Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado teamed with Olympiad (Speightstown) to win the 2023 renewal–the last of four times it was contested at Grade II level–and Sovereignty enters the race with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Last year’s champion 3-year-old male was the easiest kind of winner of the GI Travers Stakes last August and would have been the one to beat–even with the presence of Forever Young–in the 2025 Classic, only to be scratched in the days leading up to the race.

There was some uncertainty as to whether the colt would remain in training at four, but that was confirmed over the winter, and Sovereignty was programmed to make his return in the GII Oaklawn Handicap on Apr. 18. Sovereignty had never once found himself calling the shots in any of his previous nine runs, but there he was, leading up Journalism (Curlin) and White Abarrio on a pace that wasn’t overly taxing, but testing enough, given that he was returning from a lengthy absence. The big bay was confronted by a race-fit White Abarrio at midstretch and didn’t go down without a fight, but was two lengths in arrears on the wire.

“We weren’t anticipating being on the lead, but he ran a very good race, got a lot out of it and has trained well since,” said Mott. “We’ve had a couple of good works into this race, and hopefully we’re ready to get the better of (White Abarrio) Saturday.”

White Abarrio, who will stand at Gainesway once time has been called on his career, was fastest away in Hot Springs and could have made the running, but was deftly taken back by Irad Ortiz, Jr. to stalk his two main rivals. When it came time to go to war entering the final furlong, White Abarrio had plenty to say and proved a convincing winner while in receipt of two pounds from Sovereignty. He earned a 111 Beyer Speed Figure that was the best of his career and five points higher than when winning the Classic at Santa Anita.

White Abarrio was one of three entered by Saffie Joseph, Jr. but the only one that will face the starter on Saturday.

White Abarrio | Coady Media

Magnitude earned triple-digit figures in three of his six appearances in 2025, including towering victories in the GII Risen Star Stakes and Iowa Derby, but he finished third and in a different area code behind Sovereignty in the Travers.

After defeating Hit Show in the GII Clark Stakes over this course and distance last November, all roads pointed to Riyadh and a start in the G1 Saudi Cup, but a minor illness derailed those lofty plans. Instead, the $450,000 Keeneland September purchase came from just off the speed to win the GIII Razorback Handicap two weeks later and when last seen, took them all the way in the World Cup.

“Very impressive horse, continues to train forwardly,” trainer Steve Asmussen, who sent out Gun Runner to win the 2017 Foster, told TDN Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack.

Though less proven than the top three, it would be no colossal shock if C R K Stables’ Baeza (McKinzie) were to emerge on top Saturday afternoon. After accounting for Magnitude en route to a richly deserved maiden Grade I in the Pennsylvania Derby last September, the $1.2-million KEESEP yearling was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and got a deserved rest. Transferred to Mott after the untimely passing of John Shirreffs, Baeza resumed in the GII Alysheba Stakes May 1 and lost his race at the break for all intents and purposes. That he was able to trim the final margin down to less than a length speaks to his resolve as much as his raw ability, but it isn’t like there is a great margin of error either with the three other divisional heavies signed on.

“He doesn’t have to be a fast gate horse, but he does need to leave there cleanly because it takes him a little while to get into his stride,” Mott said. “Once he does, he settles into a really nice rhythm.”

Saturday’s program features an additional six added-money events, three at the graded level. In the GII Fleur de Lis Stakes, a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Shred the Gnar (Into Mischief) puts her perfect Churchill mark on the line, having rallied to take the GI La Troienne Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 1. Splendora (Audible) looms the main danger from the rail, but she may come out in favor of the GII Molly Pitcher Stakes on July 18. The remarkably consistent Lagynos (Kantharos) will look to make it five in a row in the GII Wise Dan Stakes, while the GIII Bango Stakes has ‘TDN Rising Star’ Cornucopian (Into Mischief) as its even-money favorite.

Alpyland (Vekoma) looms the strong favorite in the Listed American Derby off his four-length thrashing of Immortalised (Fr) (Romanised {Ire}) in the GIII Penn Mile May 29, while Ground Support (Army Mule), who returned 100-1 on debut last year, makes her first start since a third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf in the card-ending Listed Tepin Stakes.

Among the five graded stakes that close the Saturday program at Woodbine are the GIII Marine Stakes for 3-year-old males and the GIII Selene Stakes for sophomore fillies. Each race can be expected to produce some runners for the Canadian Classics which kick off in about two months’ time.

The Stephen Foster is turning into a heavyweight showdown this weekend. Who do you like? Is it finally time for Baeza to bust through? Is White Abarrio just that good now? pic.twitter.com/6pvZGSYw2S

— Eclipse Sportswire (@EclipseSports) June 25, 2026

The post Fearsome Foursome Set To Fight It Out In Foster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Racing’s Biggest Problem, And The Solution: Tony Lacy

---

In a new TDN series, we are asking the industry what is racing’s biggest problem, and what is the solution to that problem. Today, Keeneland’s Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy joins us to offer his perspective.

What do you think is racing’s biggest problem?

I think the biggest problem is that our industry is not speaking as one. Consolidation, where we have everybody singing off the same hymn sheet, is critical. It’s difficult to get all the racetracks on the same page and to operate with the same principles, and with a country as diverse as the US, it’s even more challenging. I think we need to look at our industry in far broader scale that we’re not always competing against each other. Most major sports franchises and industries have to work as a collective, knowing that if we succeed, you succeed.

As well as that, I think there’s been a lack of incentive to bring people to the racetrack, to develop an understanding of our sport.  Obviously, we want people to be able to watch and bet on racing remotely through TV and online platforms. But in doing so, there’s less incentive to cater to crowds and bring people to the track. This was always a sport that was built around people being in attendance, getting close to the horse and having that social interaction. As we get more remote and technology gets ingrained in everything we do, we’ve become somewhat isolated. And that’s one thing that is very dangerous to this sport because it doesn’t allow fans to develop the connection they had in the past.

What is the solution?

In life, in nature, in business, anything that doesn’t evolve dies. Evolution is a constant so resisting change, or a lack of adaptation, will eventually cause weakness. Any business that does not adapt to changing cultures, no matter how strong they are, fails. One thing people hate is change, but it’s also necessary. It has to be subtle and natural. It should satisfy the established demographic but also cater to the younger generation and their needs.

I do think that we always have to keep an eye on how other businesses operate, how they succeed, how can we adapt some of those principles that are relevant to us, while also keeping a firm hold on tradition that has allowed the sport to develop.

What I get frustrated with is when everybody starts talking in circular arguments about the same thing. But nobody wants to do anything about it. If they do something, they should want to do it with the understanding that we’re doing it so that this business can be so much bigger.

Keeneland

We need to understand what the outside world thinks of us and how we need to market ourselves towards it. Because we’ve operated behind a sort of steel curtain for so long, it’s difficult to get into the game if you’re an outsider. And we have to give people a portal into participation and education. I think the more we educate the general public in a healthy way, the more it allows them to understand our activity.

One of the things we work very diligently on at Keeneland is trying to educate people on the very basics. Because once you see behind the scenes, you start to understand it. Whether you watch football or basketball or a motorsport team, you can draw similarities between the trainer, the coaches, the players and what we do on this side of the fence in our sport. It’s exactly the same.

There’s so much competition from these other sports, that we can’t assume that people are going to find us. We’ve got to find ways of bringing them to the racetrack and getting them interested, because it is a fantastic sport. It’s very social. You see the big days, whether it’s here at Keeneland, or Derby Day, or Royal Ascot, they’re as much social events as they are race meetings.

A symptom of people enjoying themselves is that they spend money. They bet, they interact with the sport, and they get informed. They gain a new appreciation and new exposure to the sport and understanding. The educational piece is one that we all have a duty to. It’s not any specific organization’s responsibility. It is each and every one of us who must get behind it and make sure we build it forward. We’re almost like drug dealers. We’ve got to let people feel the adrenaline of their horse or their team winning because once they do, it’s an easy sell.

–Emma Hunter is a first-year trainee in the Godolphin Flying Start program. She is a native of Cork, Ireland. The first horse she ever foaled was Noble Yeats, winner of the 2022 Grand National, who was bred by her family.

The post Racing’s Biggest Problem, And The Solution: Tony Lacy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.