Stephen Foster features rematch of last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, runner-up

Stephen Foster Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville on Saturday will provide a flood of memories for those who enjoyed Kentucky Derby week in 2024.

The top two finishers from last year’s Run for the Roses — Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone — will square off for the first time since then in the featured event of the day, the $1 million, Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes.

Saturday’s 12-race card, with a first post time of 12:45 p.m., includes three other graded stakes

Most notably, the $500,000, Fleur de Lis Stakes is highlighted by the return to the track of 2024 Kentucky Oaks champion and Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna.

Also on tap Saturday are the $500,000, Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes and the $250,000, Grade 3 Kelly’s Landing Stakes.

The Stephen Foster, run at 1⅛ miles, features seven contenders aged 4 and older.

Sierra Leone, runner-up in 2024’s three-horse Kentucky Derby photo finish, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Stephen Foster. Mystik Dan, who won the 2024 Run for the Roses for Lexington-based trainer Kenny McPeek, is the 3-1 second choice.

The stacked field also includes Mindframe (7-2), First Mission (4-1), Hit Show (9-2), Skippylongstocking (6-1) and Ashcroft (30-1).

Sierra Leone, who won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, has raced only once since then, a third-place finish in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic Stakes on March 22 at Fair Grounds.

Sierra Leone, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Flavien Prat, has four firsts, three seconds and three thirds from 10 career starts.

After his triumph in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Mystik Dan raced three more times last year and twice more this year without reaching the winner’s circle again. That streak ended when Brian Hernandez Jr. guided him to a 1¼-length win in the $275,000, Grade 3 Blame Stakes at Churchill on May 31, his most recent race.

Mystik Dan has won three of his four career races at Churchill Downs.

“He looks like he’s going into this race well and on the right track,” Hernandez said. “The nice thing about him right now is his mind is really good.”

Mindframe, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., was runner-up in last year’s Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Haskell Stakes but is unbeaten in 2025, having captured the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes on March 1 and the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes on May 3.

First Mission, trained by Louisville’s Brad Cox, also enters the Stephen Foster off a victory, having won the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 19. The 5-year-old ran fourth in last year’s Stephen Foster, which was won by Kingsbarns.

Cox also trains Hit Show, a 5-year-old who won this year’s $12 million, Grade 1 Dubai World Cup on April 5.

Skippylongstocking, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., comes in hot as well, having won the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes at Santa Anita on May 26. The 6-year-old ran third in last year’s Stephen Foster.

Ashcroft will be the sentimental favorite. The 5-year-old, ridden by Julien Leparoux, was trained until last weekend by 89-year-old D. Wayne Lukas. Lukas’ family announced the legendary trainer’s retirement from racing on Sunday because of a series of illnesses. The Hall of Famer is now in hospice care. All horses previously trained by Lukas have been transferred to veteran assistant Sebastian “Bas” Nicholl.

Ashcroft, winner of two races in 12 career starts, has never won a stakes race in three tries.

Post time Saturday for the Stephen Foster is 6:03 p.m. (FanDuel TV) as the 11th race on the card.

The winner receives an automatic berth in this year’s $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar.

Horse of the Year looking to rebound

Thorpedo Anna, part of a rare Oaks/Derby double for Hernandez and McPeek in 2024, will face four challengers in Saturday’s Fleur de Lis.

The 4-year-old filly is the 3-5 morning-line favorite for the 1⅛-mile race.

Thorpedo Anna has won 10 of her 13 career starts and banked nearly $5 million in career earnings but will be in search of a bounce-back on Saturday.

In her most recent start, the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill on May 2, Thorpedo Anna was jostled at the start and finished a surprising last in a field of seven fillies and mares 4 and older going 1 1/16 miles.

The Fleur de Lis is a “Win and You’re In” qualifying race for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Thorpedo Anna locked up Horse of the Year honors in 2024 by winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Her challengers Saturday will be Gin Gin (7-2), Royal Spa (4-1), Taxed (9-2) and Save Time (20-1).

Post time for the Fleur de Lis is 3:52 p.m. (FanDuel TV).