Stephen Foster Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2023 Stephen Foster Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2023 Stephen Foster is set for July 1 at Ellis Park race track in Henderson, Kentucky. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Stephen Foster Stakes Preview
- Race: Stephen Foster Stakes
- Purse: $1 million
- Track: Ellis Park
- Date: July 1
- Post Time: 5:26 PM (ET)
- Live: Stephen Foster Stakes Odds: Click Here
2023 Stephen Foster Stakes Racebooks / Betting Apps We Like!
Before we can give you our expert 2023 Stephen Foster Stakes free pick, we have to break down the entries! In fact, we’d love to hear from you after you’ve given this post a read to see if you see an angle that we don’t!
2023 Stephen Foster Stakes Handicapping
For playing host to Churchill Downs’ spring/summer racing meet, this Saturday Ellis Park gets to shine in the racing spotlight with a excellent card that includes five stakes races. Three of those are the graded-stakes variety, including the (G1) Stephen Foster.
Run at a distance of 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, the Stephen Foster is open to horses age four and older. On Saturday, eight are expected to go to the gate for what should be a very competitive race. Seven of the eight already have graded-stakes victories on their resume and most of those are multiple graded-stakes winners.
In addition to taking the lion’s share of the purse, the Stephen Foster winner also gains automatic entry into the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic to be held November 4 at Santa Anita Racecourse.
Odds listed here are provided by the Ellis Park track oddsmaker.
2023 Stephen Foster Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Smile Happy Race Odds: 3-1
After starting his career in 2022 with two wins and two runner-up finishes, Smile Happy was considered by some to be a serious contender at last year’s Kentucky Derby. That didn’t work out for him, as he ended a non-factor eighth, the only time in his eight-race career he has failed to hit the board.
After being away from the races for almost a year, he’s come back strong in 2023 with two wins and third-place run in three starts. Most recently he took the (G1) Alysheba Stakes at Churchill over two he’ll face here again in a time that just missed setting a new track record.
He’s one of two in the race for trainer Ken McPeek, while jockey Corey Lanerie picks up the mount.
2023 Stephen Foster Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: West Will Power Race Odds: 7-2
A third-place finish in the Alysheba – where he went off as the clear betting favourite – marked the first time in seven races that the ultra-consistent West Will Power had not run first or second. In fact, in 16 career races he has been in-the-money 14 times, with six wins and seven runner-up finishes in that span.
Prior to the Alysheba, he was a winner by more than four lengths in the G2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds. That was the second Grade 2 win of his career and on Saturday he’ll try to capture his first Grade 1 title.
Brad Cox is the trainer, Flavien Prat will ride.
Rattle N Roll Race Odds: 4-1
On paper, Rattle N Roll may be the horse coming into the race in the best form, as he’s riding a three-race winning streak, albeit all at the Grade 3 level against arguably weaker fields than he’ll tackle here.
He’s one that seems to be an all-or-nothing type, as he has eight wins in an 18-race career but has also failed to hit the board in seven of his starts. On speed figures he appears to be just a bit behind the top two here.
He’s the second entry for trainer McPeek. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. was the winner in 2013.
Proxy Race Odds: 4-1
Yet another that always seems to show up, Proxy has started 16 times and has hit the board in 13 of those races, with five wins and six runner-up finishes to his name.
He’s also a last-out winner, after coming from off the pace to get up for a head win the (G2) Oaklawn Handicap despite getting floated six-wide off the final turn. For that effort he earned a career-best 113 Equibase speed figure.
Michael Stidham is the trainer, Joel Rosario will be in the irons.
Here’s My 2023 Stephen Foster Stakes Free Pick.
From top to bottom, this might be the most competitive race we’ve seen in the US so far this year, and the morning line odds reflect this fact with six-of-eight starters listed at odds of 6-1 or less.
That should make for a very exciting race, but a tough handicapping puzzle. I think the early pace is going to be a key factor in how the race plays out. When they last met, West Will Power set the pace and was hounded every step of the way by Smile Happy, who eventually gained the advantage as they turned for home.
I can see a very similar scenario play out here, but they have to go a 1/16th of a mile further, which just might be enough for Proxy to get up and steal it at the wire.
Full Field: 2023 Stephen Foster Stakes Odds
By post position
- #1 – Proxy 4-1
- #2 – Stiletto Boy 6-1
- #3 – Speed Bias 12-1
- #4 – Rattle N Roll 4-1
- #5 – Smile Happy 3-1
- #6 – West Will Power 7-2
- #7 – Last Samurai 6-1
- #8 – Happy American 20-1
Register here for a FREE Sports Betting Account Now for Daily Free Picks & More Special Offers! Please Follow our LINKTR.EE.
OUR Top 3 Racebooks are — MYBookie — Bovada — BetOnline