Seeking the Soul

Seeking the Soul picked up his first career win in his third start before then testing the deepest of waters in the 2016 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, in which he finished 12th.

Later that fall, Seeking the Sould ran third in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes and third in the Jefferson Cup Stakes before returning to the winner's circle after an allowance victory at Keeneland on Oct. 29. He closed his season with a runner-up finish at Churchill Downs.

Seeking the Soul opened his 4-year-old season with three straight losses before regaining his winning form at Saratoga in July, when he won a 1 1/8-mile allowance race by a half-length. In September 2017, Seeking the Soul ran third in the Grade 3 Lukas Classic Stakes before a runaway nine-length allowance win at Keeeneland set him up for the Grade 1 Clark Handicap presented by Norton Healthcare. He took the lead in deep stretch of the Clark and held off late rallies from Good Samaritan and Hoppertunity to secure his first career stakes victory.

Seeking the Soul ran fifth in the $16-million Pegasus World Cup in his 2018 debut, after which he was given a break from training. He returned in July and ran second as the 1-2 favorite in a stakes race at Indiana Grand.

Seeking the Soul then ran a disappointing 13^th of 14 in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes, but he rebounded in a big way with a hard-fought victory in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept. 29.

That race set Seeking the Soul up for a start in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 3 at Churchill, and he responded with a game effort, rallying from off the pace to finish second to City of Light.

Dallas Stewart then brought Seeking the Soul back quick for a repeat bid in the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare on Nov. 23. Seeking the Soul threatened in early stretch with an off-the-pace rally, but flattened out late and settled for third behind Leofric and Bravazo.

Seeking the Soul made his 2019 debut in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes on Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park. He closed powerfully late to overhaul 2018 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Accelerate but could not get to familiar rival City of Light in a lucrative ($1.25 million) runner-up finish.

Owner-breeder Charles Fipke then shipped Seeking the Soul to Dubai for a start in the Dubai World Cup Presented by Emirates Airline, but he made no impression, finishing eighth. Returning to his home track, Churchill Downs, Seeking the Soul finished third in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes Presented by Sentient Jet on May 3, an effort that trainer Stewart attributed to rust after international travel.

Returning to peak form, Seeking the Soul rallied past dueling leaders Quip and Tom’s d’Etat to win the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes by a neck over Quip on June 15 at Churchill and earn an automatic berth in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Classic via the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.