Grade I race | |
Location | Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
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Inaugurated | 1982 |
Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
Website | Churchill Downs |
Race information | |
Distance | 1+1⁄8 miles |
Surface | Dirt |
Track | Left-handed |
Qualification | Three-Year-Olds and older |
Weight | 124 lbs |
Purse | $1,000,000 (2023) |
Bonuses | Winner automatic entry into Breeders' Cup Classic |
The Stephen Foster Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three and older over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles on the dirt run annually in mid-June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is named in honor of famed composer Stephen Foster, who wrote numerous melodies including "My Old Kentucky Home" which is the song that is annually played as the Kentucky Derby field parades on the track.[1]