Stephen Foster draws field of 10

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Ten older horses, led by Buzzards Bay and Brass Hat, have been entered for the Grade 1 on Saturday at Churchill Downs, although trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said Wednesday that the field might ultimately be nine at the most.

Dutrow entered both Wild Desert, who drew post 8 in the $750,000 Foster, and Love of Money (post 10), but said he is likely to scratch Wild Desert. Dutrow said he is inclined to save the colt for the Grade 1, $400,000 Suburban Handicap, a 1 1/4-mile race set for July 1 at Belmont Park.

"The owners are leaning that way, too," he said, referring to a partnership headed by Dan Borislow. "Besides, the way Love of Money is training, there aren't too many horses that can beat him when he brings his 'A' game."

Love of Money, with Edgar Prado to ride for the Jay Em Ess Stable, is the likely pacesetter in the 1 1/8-mile Foster.

"He'll be in control the first five-eighths, I know that," said Dutrow. "After that, we'll see."

Buzzards Bay drew post 1, the same gate from which he zipped to a 6 1/2-length romp in his last start, the April 8 Oaklawn Handicap. He and Brass Hat, who drew post 9, are the 121-pound highweights.

From the rail, the Foster lineup is: Buzzards Bay, Seek Gold, West Virginia, Cosmonaut, Wiggins, M B Sea, Perfect Drift, Wild Desert, Brass Hat, and Love of Money.

Post time for the Foster, the 10th of 11 races on Saturday, is 6:13 p.m. Eastern. The Foster will be televised live on a two-hour ESPN broadcast that begins at 5 p.m. and also includes the Fleur de Lis from Churchill, the Ogden Phipps Handicap from Belmont, and the Californian from Hollywood Park.

The six graded stakes will comprise the entire pick six and are the last six races on the 11-race Saturday card. Besides the pick six, Churchill also is offering a $250,000 guaranteed pool on the final pick four (races 8-11).

In the other Foster Day stakes:

* The Grade 2, $200,000 Jefferson Cup (race 6): Storm Treasure, making his first start since finishing 11th in the Kentucky Derby, could be a slight favorite in a field of seven 3-year-olds. The top challengers appear to be Brilliant, 2 for 2 on turf, and Yate's Black Cat, an impressive recent allowance winner.

* The Grade 3, $200,000 Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup (race 7): Private Vow and High Cotton, the respective one-two finishers in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes here last fall, are the logical favorites in a field of seven 3-year-olds. Private Vow finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby in his last start, while High Cotton won the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness Day undercard.

* The Grade 3, $200,000 Regret Stakes (race 8): Eight of the 11 entered in this 1 1/16-mile turf race come off a win, including Lady of Venice, who captured the Appalachian Stakes in her North American debut, and Magnificent Song, winner of the Edgewood Stakes on the May 5 Kentucky Oaks undercard.

* The Grade 2, $300,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap (race 9): Two of the most accomplished female dirt runners in training drew side-by-side in what should be a terrific matchup: Oonagh Maccool, with Rafael Bejarano to ride, will start from post 1 in a field of six, while Happy Ticket, with Julien Leparoux, will break from post 2. Four others were entered.

* Grade 3, $100,000 Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (race 11): Perhaps the best betting race of the day will have My Typhoon (119 pounds) and Rich in Spirit (118) as top contenders in a full field of 12.