This past weekend featured a full slate of horse racing as the quest to pile up enough qualification points to enter the Kentucky Derby began in earnest. Churchill Downs had a complete schedule of racing, as did some of the other major parks. Today we look at the results of the Stephen Foster Stakes and the Fleur de Lis Stakes, both from Churchill Downs.
Weekend Racing Recap
Saturday, June 27
Stephen Foster Stakes (Grade II, $500,000 purse)
It was seven-year-old Tom’s d’Etat who ran away with the Stephen foster stakes, winning by 4 ¼ lengths. That made it four straight stakes wins – and a qualification for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. According to his trainer, Al Stall Jr., horses his age simply don’t win races like this, but he also pointed out that Tom’s d’Etat has had a number of nagging injuries that have led to fewer hard races on his legs, which could help him last longer in the sport.
The race had a field of eight horses, and Tom’s d’Etat roared out of the fifth post position to the front. He was right off the rail and held onto second as Pirate’s Punch demonstrated some early speed to take the lead. By My Standards and Alkhaatam pushed the pace outside the race, and Tom’s d’Etat crept ahead of Pirate’s Punch at the 3/8 pole. At the six-furlong mark, he led by a head. At the mid-stretch mark, Tom’s d’Etat made his move and kept building his lead all the way to the finish. This makes a nice run for him after already winning at the Clark Stakes (Grade I), the Hagyard Fayette Stakes (Garde II) and the Oaklawn Mile Stakes on April 11.
Fleur de Lis Stakes (Grade II, $200,000 purse)
Midnight Bisou dominated the Fleur de Lis Stakes, rolling to an 8 ¼-length victory. This was her first race since the Saudi Cup on February 29, when she finished as the runner-up to Maximum Security. In her 2020 U.S. debut, she made a huge move off the far turn, and now she has qualified for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 7. She came in third at that event in 2018 and was the runner-up a year ago.
In Saturday’s race, Serengeti Empress set the pace from the beginning, but then at the three-quarters mark, Midnight Bisou caught and passed Serengeti Empress. She finished the mile in 1:35.40 and just kept pushing, not facing any challenges down the stretch. She was the 1:2 favorite and paid $3 for a $2 winning ticket. This gives her a 13-5-3 record in 21 starts, with earnings over $7.3 million – a total that does not include her runner-up winnings from the $20 million Saudi Cup, which have been frozen pending an investigation into the trainer of Maximum Security.
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