Commissioner among 34 nominated for Stephen Foster Handicap

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs racing officials said Tuesday they have been informed by trainer Todd Pletcher that Commissioner and Protonico will represent his stable a week from Saturday in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap.

Meanwhile, trainer Bob Baffert left behind Hoppertunity and Cat Burglar at Churchill Downs as his likely starters for the $500,000 Foster, which will anchor a Downs After Dark card here June 13. Baffert had considered Bayern for the 1 1/8-mile Foster but opted instead for the Met Mile on the Belmont Stakes undercard this Saturday.

In all, 34 horses were nominated to the Foster, one of four graded stakes on the June 13 card. The other races are the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis, Grade 3 Matt Winn, and Grade 3 Regret. Nominations for all four races were released Tuesday.

Commissioner, the winner of the May 15 Pimlico Special, and Protonico, the winner of the May 1 Alysheba at Churchill, are two of the four older horses with whom Pletcher already has won graded stakes on dirt this year. Constitution and Race Day are the others.

Last November as a 3-year-old, Hoppertunity won Churchill’s fall counterpart to the Foster, the Grade 1 Clark Handicap.