Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) candidate The Last Samurai Warrior completed his final adjustment for Saturday’s race with a 5-minute breeze at 1:01 2/5 at Churchill Downs.
A four-round winner against Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 23 in his final game, track runner Willis Horton was recently moved to D. Wayne Lukas’ warehouse after started all 15 of his career for coach Dallas Stewart.
According to Kevin Kerstein of Churchill Downs, some of Horton’s horses have been moved to Lukas.
The Last Samurai, a 4-year-old son of Malibu Moon, ended his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the Poinsettia Contest at Oaklawn Park before finishing seventh there in the Razorback Handicap (G3) in his 2022 debut. He came back with a determined finish in runner-up for the route specialist. Lone Rock on April 3 Temperance Hill bet against his Oaklawn Handicap win.
The foal has been consistently active at Churchill Downs for the past two months, reaching breakneck speeds: 47 4/5 two back in action on June 6.
Stephen Foster, $750,000 on Saturday, over 1/8 mile for older horses, is expected to be featured at last year’s Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winners, Mandaloun and Olympiad who got 4 to 4 the year after taking the Alysheba Stakes presented by Sentient Jet (G2) on the Kentucky Oaks card.
Entries for Stephen Foster will be made on Wednesday.
