Gun Runner, Bird Song to tangle early in Stephen Foster

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Florent Geroux and Julien Leparoux are French countrymen and good friends, but one thing they won’t be sharing with each other is their riding strategies for the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap on Saturday night.

“Oh, no,” said Geroux, who has the mount on the heavily favored Gun Runner in the 36th running of the $500,000 Foster, the highlight of a stakes-laden card at Churchill Downs. “But I’m sure neither one of us wants to go on a suicide mission.”

Therein lies the key to how the two primary speed horses will set the tone for the 1 1/8-mile Foster. In a field of eight older horses, Bird Song will break from post 1 under Leparoux, and Gun Runner will break from post 3. What happens by the time they cross under the wire the first time could go a long way in determining the outcome of a race widely acknowledged as the symbolic kickoff to the second half of the North American racing season.

Bird Song was terrific in wiring the Grade 2 Alysheba here last month, but no matter: Gun Runner surely will be odds-on to prevail. Although his two most recent victories came on the front end in the Grade 1 Clark here last fall and the Grade 3 Razorback at Oaklawn Park to start 2017, the 4-year-old Gun Runner long has shown a willingness to rate when needed.

“With Julien being on the fence, he may have to go,” said Geroux. “I’m sure he will be looking for me to his outside. The break will be very important. We’ll know something by the first 50 yards.”

Steve Asmussen trains Gun Runner for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm, and he has been elated with how his stable star has fared since a second-place finish behind Arrogate in the March 25 Dubai World Cup. The striking chestnut colt will carry 124 pounds, spotting five to nine pounds to the opposition. He has had six local breezes since early May.

“He has physically developed into a different animal,” said Asmussen. “We knew with his type of running style and pedigree that he would keep getting better over time. We’re very excited to run him Saturday night. We gave him a break after he ran in Dubai, and he’s been training smoothly ever since.”

Other notables in the Foster lineup include Honorable Duty (post 4, Javier Castellano), the winner of the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap, and Stanford (post 8, John Velazquez), a Grade 2 winner and earner of more than $1.37 million who is trained by Todd Pletcher.

The longer shots are Breaking Lucky (post 2, Luis Contreras), Mo Tom (post 5, Corey Lanerie), Hawaakom (post 6, Miguel Mena), and Texas Chrome (post 7, C.J. McMahon).

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First post is 6 p.m. Eastern. The Foster, the eighth of 11 races, is the centerpiece of a 90-minute broadcast (8:30-10) on the NBC Sports Network, with post time set for 9:39. The preceding race, the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis (race 7, 9:05), also will be shown live. The other graded stakes on the card are the Matt Winn (race 5), the Wise Dan (race 6), and the Regret (race 9).

Both the Foster and Fleur de Lis are Win and You’re In events toward the Nov. 3-4 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, which now comes under a narrower focus from racing fans with the Triple Crown series having ended.

The Foster is named for the legendary songwriter who penned “My Old Kentucky Home” and other favorites prior to his death in 1864 at age 37. The race was first run in 1982 and has been won by such standouts as Black Tie Affair (1991), Awesome Again (1998), Street Cry (2002), Saint Liam (2005), Curlin (2008), and Fort Larned (2013). The 2016 running was won by Bradester, trained by Eddie Kenneally.

The Foster is part of numerous multirace wagers, including two pick fours (races 6-9 and 8-11) and two pick fives (races 5-9 and 7-11).

The Saturday forecast calls for a daytime high of 94 and a nighttime low of 75, with minimal chance of rain. A crowd of some 20,000 can be expected to peak right around 8:40, when the connections of 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming will be presented with their engraved trophies.

KEY CONTENDERS

Gun Runner, by Candy Ride

Last 3 Beyers: 110-111-101

◗ An earner of more than $4.33 million from 14 career starts, he once again impressed Geroux in two recent works.

“He’s the best horse I’ve ever ridden,” said Geroux.

◗ Asmussen came down this same road in 2008 with Curlin, who won the Foster in his first start after winning in Dubai.

Bird Song, by Unbridled’s Song

Last 3 Beyers: 100-92-101

◗ Not to be confused with his fellow 4-year-old Songbird, this Marylou Whitney homebred also has a high turn of speed that always makes him a danger.

Honorable Duty, by Distorted Humor

Last 3 Beyers: 97-105-97

◗ This up-and-coming 5-year-old stands to be a prime beneficiary if a ruinous pace develops.

“He’s as good as ever right now,” said trainer Brendan Walsh.

Stanford, by Malibu Moon

Last 3 Beyers: 89-102-103

◗ Shrewdly managed during a 16-race career, this 5-year-old has tactical speed that should land him in a good spot as the running unfolds.