Tom’s D’Etat went close to lowering the Churchill Downs track record for nine furlongs with a dominant win in Saturday’s $500,000 Gr2 Stephen Foster Stakes.
Settled in second place early on by Miguel Mena, Tom’s D’Etat cruised to the lead approaching the home turn then powered clear to defeat Be My Standards by four lengths. (pic: Churchill Downs)
Mena allowed Tom’s D’Etat to coast home late yet the seven-year-old still ran 1:47.30 for the trip – just .02 off Victory Gallop’s 1999 track record.
Mena told Churchill Downs the win was as easy as it looked.
“I knew he was a lot of fun to ride him in the morning but didn’t realise how much fun he was in the afternoon,” Mena said.
“I owe everything to Al for giving me the opportunity to ride such an impressive horse. He was going along so easy and I just asked him for his attention a little bit at the top of the lane and I didn’t even have to really step on the gas.”
Trainer Al Stall said Tom’s D’Etat races well when fresh.
“We knew coming into this race he was a fresh horse but ran so well fresh in the past.,” Stall said.
“This will set him up to be in good shape for the rest of the year. I think he’ll benefit a lot from this race but we’ve sort of been waiting for this horse to get into form with the breaks in his races but he’s finally got there.
“That was a very impressive performance today.”
A son of Smart Strike, Tom’s D’Etat was bred by SF Bloodstock LLC and has now won 11 of his 18 starts and earned $1,627,272.
The victory also hands Tom’s d’Etat a guaranteed start in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on November 7