Olympiad notches fifth straight victory with Stephen Foster
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Olympiad stayed perfect on the year with another rousing victory Saturday in the 41st running of the Grade 2, $740,000 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.
Always close to the pace under Junior Alvarado, Olympiad put away Caddo River and Mandaloun turning for home in the 1 1/8-mile Foster before defeating Americanrevolution by 2 1/4 lengths to run his 2022 record to 5 for 5.
“I feel like I’ve never gotten to the bottom of him,” an elated Alvarado said afterward. “It’s just the way he’s been.”
Olympiad returned $5 as favorite in a field of seven older horses after finishing in 1:47.66 over a fast track.
Trained by Bill Mott, Olympiad is one of a handful of exciting prospects to establish themselves as leaders of a terrific older-horse division as 2022 has unfolded, along with Life Is Good, Flightline, Country Grammer, Hot Rod Charlie, and perhaps a couple more. The Foster was the first Win and You’re In event run on the North American continent toward the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic, with Olympiad the first to get his ticket stamped for that Nov. 5 race at Keeneland.
Mott was not on hand from his New York base, leaving longtime assistant Kenny McCarthy to saddle Olympiad, but the three-way partnership that owns the 4-year-old Speightstown colt was well represented. Those owners are the LNJ Foxwoods of the Roth family, the Grandview Equine of Robert Clay, and the Cheyenne Stable of Everett Dobson.
On a warm and humid afternoon, Caddo River set fractions of 23:05, 46.45, and 1:10.64 with Olympiad lapped on his outside flank and Mandaloun just to their outside. Nearing the quarter-pole, as Olympiad commenced his bid in earnest, Caddo River began to tire – and it was shortly thereafter that Mandaloun, the 2-1 second choice who was making his first start in more than four months, also began to falter. Their failed efforts left Olympiad alone on the lead as the field straightened for home, with Americanrevolution the only one to make it something of a contest down the lane.
“He’s not really push-button,” Alvarado said. “It takes him a couple strides to start going. I had a couple horses kind of crimping on me there, so I had to start in on him a little early. But I was confident. I know him. I knew he wasn’t going to have any problem carrying that speed to the wire.”
Down the stretch, with Olympiad kept to his task, Americanrevolution loomed a momentary threat before settling for second, another 2 3/4 lengths ahead of a belated run from Proxy. Mandaloun, the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner via disqualification, was another four lengths back in fourth when followed under the wire by Title Ready, Caddo River, and Last Samurai.
Olympiad, bred in Kentucky by Emory Hamilton, has won his five races this year by open margins, all of them at 1 1/16 miles or at 1 1/8 miles and all with Alvarado up. His prior wins came in a Gulfstream Park allowance, the Grade 3 Mineshaft and Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds, and the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill on the May 6 Kentucky Oaks card. He enjoyed his biggest payday Saturday when earning $455,320, increasing his bankroll from 10 starts to $1,407,560.
Olympiad will soon return to Saratoga, where he underwent his preparation for the Foster for Mott and his son, Riley. The Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga is the next likely target, with that Aug. 6 race also expected to get Life Is Good, an easy winner Saturday of the John Nerud at Belmont Parkin returning from a layoff.
The $2 exacta (3-2) paid $23.20, the $1 trifecta (3-2-5) returned $46.40, and the 10-cent superfecta (3-2-5-6) was worth $10.40. The Foster ended an all-stakes pick five (races 6-10) that returned $52.05 on a 50-cent bet.
*** Churchill will run a pair of $160,000 overnight stakes Sunday, then close its 42-day spring meet Monday with three $175,000 stakes and mandatory wagering-pool disbursements. Ellis Park starts its summer meet Friday.