Mindframe Makes it Back-to-Back G1s in Stephen Foster
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Mindframe pressed a slow early pace then proved best in the lane to defeat a star-studded field in the $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) June 28 at Churchill Downs.
Mindframe sat second early outside of leader First Mission through fractions of :23.94, :47.94, and 1:11.46. The Todd Pletcher trainee grabbed the advantage as the field entered the stretch.
The 2024 champion 3-year-old male Sierra Leone launched an early move while the field was still on the backstretch, flattened out after reaching the leaders, then was resurgent late to finish second, beaten a length. Another length back was pacesetting First Mission, who held on to finish third, a neck in front of 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan in fourth.
Final time for 1 1/8 miles on the dirt track rated fast was 1:47.48, about a length off the track record. Mindframe paid $5.76 to win.
“Today he was a more professional racehorse than his whole career honestly,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr.
Mindframe, a 4-year-old Maryland-bred colt by Constitution , is classic-placed having finished second in last year’s Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and now has grade 1 wins at seven and nine furlongs at Churchill.
This story will be updated.
