Churchill Downs doubles the purse for the Stephen Foster ahead of the blockbuster showdown to come

With Sovereignty, White Abarrio, and Magnitude among the possible starters, the race will now offer a purse of US$2 million

White Abarrio gears up for another top-level showdown / ADAM COGLIANESE

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Special to Turf Diario).- The Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) already promised to be one of the most impactful races of the season in the United States, but now it will also carry a financial reward worthy of such expectations. Churchill Downs announced Tuesday that the purse for the traditional event for older horses has been doubled from US$1 million to US$2 million, definitively transforming it into the summer’s premier dirt showdown.

Scheduled for June 27 over 1 1/8 miles, the race is shaping up to attract several of the leading stars of the older horse division and already looms as a genuine preview of the second half of the season, with the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1)waiting on the horizon.

Among the names that have already expressed interest in participating are none other than reigning Horse of the Year and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief); Dubai World Cup (G1) hero Magnitude (Not This Time); and multiple Grade I winner White Abarrio (Race Day), recent victor of the Oaklawn Handicap (G2).

Also under consideration is Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), while trainer Bill Mott has additionally mentioned talented Baeza (McKinzie), winner of the Pennsylvania Derby (G1).

The decision to increase the purse is designed to further establish the Stephen Foster as one of the premier races of the American summer season.

“Stephen Foster Day has grown tremendously over the last several years, attracting some of the best horses in the world, and this purse increase helps solidify our closing weekend as a must-see event,” explained Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs.

He added: “Positioned strategically in late June and with such a substantial purse on the line, we believe this will be an ideal race for the top Thoroughbreds to compete at Churchill Downs.”

The announcement follows a record-setting 2025 edition, which generated total wagering of US$20.7 million, representing a 10 percent increase over the previous year.

Beyond the prestige and prize money, the Stephen Foster will once again be part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” program, awarding the winner an automatic berth and paid expenses toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Keeneland.

Recent history also highlights the enormous significance this race carries within the season. Champions such as Curlin (Smart Strike), Gun Runner (Candy Ride), and Saint Liam (Saint Ballado) all used the Stephen Foster as a launching pad toward Horse of the Year campaigns.

Everything suggests that the 2026 Stephen Foster will stop being merely a major race and instead become an early championship clash among the world’s best older dirt horses.