Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm’s Gun Runner, the favorite and 124-pound high weight for Saturday’s 36th running of the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap Presented by GE Appliances (Grade I), completed his final major preparations for the 1 1/8-mile race Monday morning at Churchill Downs with a half-mile breeze in :49.40 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

“He’s just an impressive horse,” Asmussen said. “He had all of his serious work the last two weeks. Today was just an easy maintenance breeze.”

Gun Runner, with exercise rider Angel Garcia up, breezed through fractions of :13 and :24.80 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:03.40.

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“We’re very excited to run him Saturday night,” Asmussen said. “We gave him a break after he ran in Dubai and he’s been training smoothly ever since.”

Regular jockey Florent Geroux once again has the Stephen Foster call to ride Gun Runner, who is rated fourth on the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.

“Flo has a great level of confidence riding him,” Asmussen said. “He’ll do whatever is best for Gun Runner in the race, regardless of who is on the early pace.”

Overall, the Kentucky-bred son of Candy Ride (ARG) has a 14-7-3-2 record with $4,337,800 in earnings.

Gun Runner’s expected rivals include Bird Song (119 pounds) and Honorable Duty (119), who ran 1-2 in the $400,000 Alysheba Presented by Big Fish Casino (GII) on the Kentucky Oaks undercard; Canadian invader Breaking Lucky (117), who ran second to Gun Runner in last fall’s Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI); last year’s Charles Town Classic (GII) and Harlan’s Holiday (GIII) winner Stanford (117); and Mo Tom (115), winner of last year’s Lecomte (GIII) and Ohio Derby.

The 1 1/8-mile Foster headlines Saturday’s action-packed “Downs After Dark Presented by Stella Artois and el Jimador” nighttime racing program, which features 11 races in prime time and under the lights. Five graded stakes races will be run that evening with total purses in excess of $1.3 million, making it the most lucrative racing day for horsemen at Churchill Downs outside of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks programs.

The other “Downs After Dark” graded stakes races:

$200,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap Presented by el Jimador (GII) for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles featuring a rematch between $300,000 La Troienne Presented by Spirited Funds (GI) top two Big World (121 pounds) and Romantic Vision (118). Also probable are Matron (GIII) winner Walkabout (120), last year’s Top Flight Invitational Handicap (GIII) winner Ogden Phipps (GI) third Carrumba (117); and last year’s Ashland (GI) winner Weep No More (116). Divine Elegance (116) is possible.

$200,000 Wise Dan (GII) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on turf led by defending champ Pleuven (Fr). Also probable are the Ian Wilkes-trained duo of Bondurant and Thatcher Street, and Maker’s 46 Mile (GI) third Conquest Panthera.

$100,000 Matt Winn (GIII) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles headlined by three-time graded stakes winner McCraken, who finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby (GI) at odds of 6-1. Also probable are Aquamarine, Excitations and Society Beau. Watch Me Whip is possible.

$100,000 Regret Presented by Cox’s Smokers Outlet (GIII) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on grass, which is expected to attract the third and fourth-place finishers in the $150,000 Edgewood Presented by Forcht Bank (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day, Sweeping Paddy and Proctor’s Ledge, respectively. Also likely to enter are Anothertequilashot, Chubby Star, Fizzy Friday (GB), La Manta Gris, Like a Hurricane, Sameeha and Savannah Belle.

Both the Stephen Foster Handicap and 42nd running of the $200,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap are part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series. The winners of the Foster and Fleur de Lis will be assured berths in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) and $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff starting gates, respectively, this November at Del Mar. The Foster is the first U.S. “Win and You’re In” for the 1 ¼-mile Classic.

Source: Churchill Downs