Departing (above winning the 2013 Illinois Derby) has plenty of class and could be a formidable contender in the Stephen Foster at a nice price. (Four-Footed Fotos) 

The Stephen Foster Handicap will be featured under the lights at Churchill Downs on Saturday evening, and a fabulous field of older horses will compete for a $500,000 purse and all-important Grade 1 victory. 

Heading into the race, the two names on everyone’s lips are Revolutionary and champion Will Take Charge. Revolutionary looked phenomenal when closing from 30 (yes, 30!) lengths behind in the Pimlico Special on Preakness Stakes weekend in Baltimore.  On the other hand, Will Take Charge will be looking to rebound from a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Alysheba Stakes on Kentucky Oaks day six weeks ago. 

However, the race does not start and end with Revolutionary and Will Take Charge. On the contrary, I think there are three horses who have very legitimate chances to post an upset in the Stephen Foster on Saturday evening:

Moonshine Mullin (#3): Moonshine Mullin is razor-sharp, having won four races in a row. This horse is known for his early speed and ability to carry that speed throughout the entirety of the race. In the Stephen Foster, he must carry his speed a sixteenth of a mile farther than he did in winning the Alysheba Stakes on May 2, but he could very well be up to that task. The speed this horse brings to the table will always be dangerous, and Moonshine Mullin must be respected in the Stephen Foster.

MOONSHINE MULLIN WINNING ALYSHEBA

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Departing (#6): Departing is a bit of a wild card in this year’s Stephen Foster, being that he has only faced horses older than 3 years old on one occasion in his lifetime and this race will be his first test in a stakes race against older horses. Nevertheless, this 4-year-old gelding has a lot of potential and will be running on a Churchill Downs main track on which he has had success with three wins out of five attempts. Departing is a stalker in every sense of the word, and if Moonshine Mullin cannot get it done on the front end, Departing may have a chance to take over the lead and subsequently hold off Revolutionary and Will Take Charge late. Departing has a lot of questions to answer on Saturday night, but he could also be a horse capable of answering those questions. 

Golden Ticket (#7): Golden Ticket finished second to Fort Larned in the 2013 edition of the Stephen Foster and will look to take it one step farther by winning the race in 2014.  Most recently, Golden Ticket finished second to Moonshine Mullin in the May 2 Alysheba Stakes, where Golden Ticket took a solid run at Moonshine Mullin only to be rebuked in the stretch. Earlier this year, Golden Ticket ran a game second to the sensational Palace Malice at Gulfstream Park, and this horse was also second in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile so you know he can be involved on the biggest of stages. Golden Ticket, like Departing, also probably will try to get the jump on both Revolutionary and Will Take Charge in Saturday’s Stephen Foster.

Both Revolutionary and Will Take Charge will challenge for favoritism in Saturday’s Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs and for good reason. However, if you are looking to beat the top two selections on the morning line (or you are looking to spice up your exotic wagers with some well-priced horses), Moonshine Mullin, Departing, and Golden Ticket are great places to start.

Good luck! 

$500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap

Saturday, Race 8, Churchill Downs, post time 9:39 p.m. ET

1 1/8 miles, dirt, 3-year-olds and older