Named for the composer who wrote My Old Kentucky Home, the sun will shine bright Saturday on the Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs. Inaugurated in 1982, the race has become a key summer stop toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Past winners include Black Tie Affair (1991), Awesome Again (1998), Saint Liam (2005) and Gun Runner (2017).

Let’s meet the contenders for the Grade 1 Stephen Foster (Race 11):

#1-PYRENEES: Scored the Grade 3 Pimlico Special last month for his fourth consecutive victory. Hasn’t lost since missing nearly a full calendar year and this 4-year-old son of Into Mischief has blossomed into a Breeders’ Cup Classic division contender from obscurity for Cherie DeVaux. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. looks to continue his dream meet at Churchill, having won the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby in May.

#2-FIRST MISSION (pictured): First or second in 7 of 8 lifetime starts, he exits blowout wins in the Grade 3 Essex at Oaklawn and the Grade 2 Alysheba over the Churchill track on Oaks Day. Trainer Brad Cox seeks back-to-back Foster successes after West Will Power’s win in 2023. Florent Geroux won this race in 2017 aboard Gun Runner. Son of Kentucky Derby winner and Churchill horse-for-course Street Sense missed by a nose in last year’s Clark over this track and distance.

#3-HAPPY AMERICAN: Third-place finisher in last year’s Foster looks to snap a 13-race losing streak. Three of his 5 career wins have come over the Churchill main track for trainer Neil Pessin. Horses aged 6 and older have won 5 of the last 10 Foster editions, including last year. Deep closer will need a fast pace for his best longshot chance.

#4-DISARM: Last year’s Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher exits an allowance victory over the Churchill strip in his first start of 2024. Trainer Steve Asmussen’s Stephen Foster victories came with legends Curlin (2008) and Gun Runner (2017), the latter sire of Disarm. The ’23 Louisiana Derby runner-up’s only stakes win to date came last summer in the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Ellis Park.

#5-DREAMLIKE: Last year’s Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby runner-up is 0-4 in stakes and 1-9 overall, but has been knocking on the door. Solid third in the Blame Stakes, the local prep, in his first spin over the track 4 weeks ago. Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz Jr. seek their first Foster scores with this son of ’17 Foster winner Gun Runner.

#6-CLASSIC CAUSEWAY: Grade 1-winning turfer has bagged more than $1.5 million for trainer Kenny McPeek, enjoying his best Churchill meet on the wave of Mystik Dan and Thorpedo Anna sweeping the Kentucky Derby and Oaks. But this colt has lost 13 straight dating back nearly 2 years and hasn’t won on dirt since the March ’22 Tampa Bay Derby.

#7-KINGSBARNS: Winner of the 2023 Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds and 2024 Grade 3 Ben Ali at Keeneland has been first or second in 7 of 8 career starts. Only blemish is 14th-place effort in the ’23 Kentucky Derby when pressing the pace and fading. Exits narrow runner-up in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special to Foster re-matched rival Pyrenees.

#8-STEAL SUNSHINE: Consistent sort has 8 straight top-4 finishes, including a win in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile around 1 turn. All 6 career victories have been in 1-turn races while adding a 1-mile victory at Ellis Park with the elbow start on the first turn. Must make up more than 7 lengths on Forster rival First Mission from their May matchup in the Grade 2 Alysheba over this track.

#9-SKIPPYLONGSTOCKING: Son of Preakness winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Exaggerator has earned nearly $2.3 million in a well-traveled career. Signature wins include the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap and Grade 2 Charles Town Classic. He’s run at 13 different tracks and returns to Churchill for the first time since a fourth-place effort in the 2021 Street Sense Stakes. Jockey Jose Ortiz won the 2021 Foster aboard Maxfield.