How to bet With, and Against, Sierra Leone in the Stephen Foster Stakes

A fantastic field of seven of the top handicap horses in training will clash at Churchill Downs in Saturday’s $1 million Stephen Foster S. (G1). #4 Sierra Leone (5-2), one of four Grade 1 winners in the cast, has been installed as the morning-line choice in the star-studded group. 

Sierra Leone – With

• $20 exacta 4 with 1,2 ($40)

Sierra Leone – Against

• $12 win and place #1 First Mission ($24)
• $1 trifecta 1,2 with 1,2,4 with 1,2,3,4,5,6 ($16)

Trained by Chad Brown, the standout son of Gun Runner had an excellent sophomore campaign, which included two classic placings as well as a pair of top-level victories, capped by a fine score in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar. The dark bay Kentucky-bred commenced his 2025 season at Fair Grounds in the New Orleans Classic (G2) on March 22 and checked in third when rallying into a slow early tempo, and the colt figures to be more fit for this engagement second off the shelf. Flavien Prat will guide the late-running star. 

I have been impressed by the pair of efforts put in by #1 First Mission (4-1) this season and will give him a big chance third time off the break. Conditioned by Brad Cox, the five-year-old strode home a clear winner of the Oaklawn H. (G2) in his latest venture and has trained swiftly on this surface in the interim. Godolphin homebred is a Grade 2 winner on the oval and will improve upon his fourth-place result in the race in 2024, when he tired late as the 4-5 choice. He will be in the mix from the opening bell beneath Luis Saez. 

Recent Churchill Downs S. (G1) hero #2 Mindframe (7-2) has performed especially well in each lifetime try to date and has a very high ceiling for Todd Pletcher. The lightly raced son of Constitution toppled a sensational field at seven-eighths here most recently, and the colt might move forward moving to two turns in his third appearance of the season, too. If the classic-placed Maryland-bred secures a good spot in the early stages of the tilt, then he will be right there late under the guidance of Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Join us for our LIVE coverage during Stephen Foster Day as we include all the major stakes races at Churchill Downs for this Horse Racing Weekend on Saturday! Our LIVE coverage will include Churchill Downs expert picks, LIVE odds, exclusive interviews, and other horse racing news. Discover the thrill of Churchill Downs starting at 3:30 p.m. ET through the Stephen Stakes at 6:03 p.m. ET.