The 2025 GI Stephen Foster Stakes was a doozy on paper, featuring the previous year's GI Kentucky Derby victor (Mystik Dan), a reigning winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic (Sierra Leone) and a G1 Dubai World Cup hero (Hit Show). The race was ultimately won by Mindframe (Constitution).There is very much a sense of deja vu this weekend for the nine-furlong contest–offering the winner an all-expenses-paid trip to this year's Classic just down the road at Keeneland–as 2025 Horse of the Year and spectacular Kentucky Derby conqueror Sovereignty (Into Mischief) takes on 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day) and Magnitude (Not This Time), exiting a front-running defeat of 2025 Classic champ Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the Meydan feature on March 28.Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado teamed with Olympiad (Speightstown) to win the 2023 renewal–the last of four times it was contested at Grade II level–and Sovereignty enters the race with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Last year's champion 3-year-old male was the easiest kind of winner of the GI Travers Stakes last August and would have been the one to beat–even with the presence of Forever Young–in the 2025 Classic, only to be scratched in the days leading up to the race.There was some uncertainty as to whether the colt would remain in training at four, but that was confirmed over the winter, and Sovereignty was programmed to make his return in the GII Oaklawn Handicap on Apr. 18. Sovereignty had never once found himself calling the shots in any of his previous nine runs, but there he was, leading up Journalism (Curlin) and White Abarrio on a pace that wasn't overly taxing, but testing enough, given that he was returning from a lengthy absence. The big bay was confronted by a race-fit White Abarrio at midstretch and didn't go down without a fight, but was two lengths in arrears on the wire.“We weren't anticipating being on the lead, but he ran a very good race, got a lot out of it and has trained well since,” said Mott. “We've had a couple of good works into this race, and hopefully we're ready to get the better of (White Abarrio) Saturday.”White Abarrio, who will stand at Gainesway once time has been called on his career, was fastest away in Hot Springs and could have made the running, but was deftly taken back by Irad Ortiz, Jr. to stalk his two main rivals. When it came time to go to war entering the final furlong, White Abarrio had plenty to say and proved a convincing winner while in receipt of two pounds from Sovereignty. He earned a 111 Beyer Speed Figure that was the best of his career and five points higher than when winning the Classic at Santa Anita.White Abarrio was one of three entered by Saffie Joseph, Jr. but the only one that will face the starter on Saturday.White Abarrio | Coady MediaMagnitude earned triple-digit figures in three of his six appearances in 2025, including towering victories in the GII Risen Star Stakes and Iowa Derby, but he finished third and in a different area code behind Sovereignty in the Travers.After defeating Hit Show in the GII Clark Stakes over this course and distance last November, all roads pointed to Riyadh and a start in the G1 Saudi Cup, but a minor illness derailed those lofty plans. Instead, the $450,000 Keeneland September purchase came from just off the speed to win the GIII Razorback Handicap two weeks later and when last seen, took them all the way in the World Cup.“Very impressive horse, continues to train forwardly,” trainer Steve Asmussen, who sent out Gun Runner to win the 2017 Foster, told TDN Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack.Though less proven than the top three, it would be no colossal shock if C R K Stables' Baeza (McKinzie) were to emerge on top Saturday afternoon. After accounting for Magnitude en route to a richly deserved maiden Grade I in the Pennsylvania Derby last September, the $1.2-million KEESEP yearling was sixth in the Breeders' Cup Classic and got a deserved rest. Transferred to Mott after the untimely passing of John Shirreffs, Baeza resumed in the GII Alysheba Stakes May 1 and lost his race at the break for all intents and purposes. That he was able to trim the final margin down to less than a length speaks to his resolve as much as his raw ability, but it isn't like there is a great margin of error either with the three other divisional heavies signed on.“He doesn't have to be a fast gate horse, but he does need to leave there cleanly because it takes him a little while to get into his stride,” Mott said. “Once he does, he settles into a really nice rhythm.”Saturday's program features an additional six added-money events, three at the graded level. In the GII Fleur de Lis Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, 'TDN Rising Star' Shred the Gnar (Into Mischief) puts her perfect Churchill mark on the line, having rallied to take the GI La Troienne Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 1. Splendora (Audible) looms the main danger from the rail, but she may come out in favor of the GII Molly Pitcher Stakes on July 18. The remarkably consistent Lagynos (Kantharos) will look to make it five in a row in the GII Wise Dan Stakes, while the GIII Bango Stakes has 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian (Into Mischief) as its even-money favorite.Alpyland (Vekoma) looms the strong favorite in the Listed American Derby off his four-length thrashing of Immortalised (Fr) (Romanised {Ire}) in the GIII Penn Mile May 29, while Ground Support (Army Mule), who returned 100-1 on debut last year, makes her first start since a third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf in the card-ending Listed Tepin Stakes.Among the five graded stakes that close the Saturday program at Woodbine are the GIII Marine Stakes for 3-year-old males and the GIII Selene Stakes for sophomore fillies. Each race can be expected to produce some runners for the Canadian Classics which kick off in about two months' time. The Stephen Foster is turning into a heavyweight showdown this weekend. Who do you like? Is it finally time for Baeza to bust through? Is White Abarrio just that good now? pic.twitter.com/6pvZGSYw2S— Eclipse Sportswire (@EclipseSports) June 25, 2026The post Fearsome Foursome Set To Fight It Out In Foster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.