Seeking the Soul rallies late to win Stephen Foster Handicap
Seeking the Soul winning the Stephen Foster Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs - Coady Photography
June 17th, 2019
Some horses bring their "A" game regardless of where they’re running. Others show a distinct preference for certain racetracks. It’s seems clear at this point Seeking the Soul has a special fondness for Churchill Downs, where he scored a gallant victory in the $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G2) on June 15.
All three of Seeking the Soul’s graded stakes wins have come at Churchill Downs, and overall he’s compiled a 12-4-2-4 record over the Louisville oval. Highlights include a victory in the 2017 Clark Handicap (G1) and a runner-up effort in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), and his triumph in the Stephen Foster certainly ranks among his best performances.Reserved in mid-pack under regular rider John Velazquez, Seeking the Soul raced a bit closer to the early pace than usual, which was understandable, because the early fractions set by dueling leaders Tom’s d’Etat and Quip were slow—:24.60, :49.43 and 1:13.44.
Moving down the backstretch and into the far turn, Seeking the Soul made an eye-catching move between horses to reach contention. Tom’s d’Etat and Quip briefly re-broke at the top of the stretch—they were still fresh after the slow early pace—but Seeking the Soul was relentless down the lane. He gradually wore down the leaders to prevail by a neck over Quip. Tom’s d’Etat held for third, while favored Gift Box raced wide and weakened in the homestretch to round out the superfecta.
Seeking the Soul stopped the clock for nine furlongs in 1:49.27, which translated to a 104 Beyer speed figure, and sprinted the final three furlongs in :35 4/5, an excellent finish at the end of a two-turn dirt race.
“As soon as I broke out there and got into the first turn, he was a little more aggressive than I want him to be,” Velazquez said. “He’s never been that close in the first part of the race, but I got him back to where I wanted him to be, got comfortable where he was and then down the stretch, pulling out, he had it.”
The victory secured Seeking the Soul a “Win and You’re In” berth to the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), and although he ran well in the Dirt Mile last year, trainer Dallas Stewart is eager to shoot for a bigger prize this fall.
“We will definitely be in the Breeders’ Cup Classic this year,” Stewart said. “This horse is so special to our entire barn. We have to thank Mr. Fipke for allowing us to train him. With family and friends here tonight, this is as good as it gets—we’re in the Classic.”
Bred and raced by Charles Fipke, Seeking the Soul has quietly compiled an admirable résumé in 2019. He kicked off the season with a runner-up effort in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and most recently placed third in the Alysheba Stakes (G2). In a year without a clear standout among older males on dirt, Seeking the Soul has tossed his hat in the ring as a candidate for division leadership.
“As soon as I broke out there and got into the first turn, he was a little more aggressive than I want him to be,” Velazquez said. “He’s never been that close in the first part of the race, but I got him back to where I wanted him to be, got comfortable where he was and then down the stretch, pulling out, he had it.”
The victory secured Seeking the Soul a “Win and You’re In” berth to the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), and although he ran well in the Dirt Mile last year, trainer Dallas Stewart is eager to shoot for a bigger prize this fall.
“We will definitely be in the Breeders’ Cup Classic this year,” Stewart said. “This horse is so special to our entire barn. We have to thank Mr. Fipke for allowing us to train him. With family and friends here tonight, this is as good as it gets—we’re in the Classic.”
Bred and raced by Charles Fipke, Seeking the Soul has quietly compiled an admirable résumé in 2019. He kicked off the season with a runner-up effort in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and most recently placed third in the Alysheba Stakes (G2). In a year without a clear standout among older males on dirt, Seeking the Soul has tossed his hat in the ring as a candidate for division leadership.
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