Expert Pick of the Week: 2022 Stephen Foster Stakes

Jun 30, 2022 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

A fine field of seven will travel 1 1/8 miles beneath the Twin Spires in the lucrative $750,000 Stephen Foster S. (G2) on Saturday. The feature attracted an excellent cast hailing from top barns in a race that is expected to produce an exciting finish.

The Bill Mott-conditioned #3 Olympiad flashed potential in abbreviated seasons at both two and three, but the son of Speightstown has really put it together in 2022. The four-year-old has reeled off four wins in succession this campaign, led by tallies in the Alysheba S. (G2), New Orleans Classic S. (G2), and Mineshaft S. (G3), and he still has a lot of room for improvement. He is the Expert Pick of the Week.

Olympiad boasts a stout 9-6-1-1 lifetime line, and the lightly raced colt has obvious room to grow with additional experience. The $700,000 yearling purchase is one-for-one at the distance, and after earning a robust 111 Brisnet Late Pace figure while running 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs last time out, it seems more than realistic that the well-bred sort will thrive with the added ground with which to work with on Saturday. He has fine early speed, and he will be in the hunt from the break in a field lacking an abundance of early pace. Regular rider Junior Alvarado will be in the silks forcing the action from the opening bell atop the surging colt.

Godolphin homebred #5 Proxy has been facing some of the best horses in his generation since last season and gives the look of a horse sitting on a big race for trainer Michael Stidham. By Tapit, the four-year-old has run well while placing in a trio of graded stakes races in succession, which includes a runner-up result in the New Orleans (G2) behind Olympiad three races back. The bay colt has been far from a win machine in his lifetime, but he always fires in the stretch, and I like his chances to do the same on Saturday while making his second run at Churchill Downs. Joel Rosario picks up the mount atop the talented contender.

An exacta with #3 Olympiad on top of #5 Proxy in the Stephen Foster Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.