CRAWFORD | Olympiad makes it 5-for-5; holds off Mandaloun and others in Stephen Foster | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A dream year continues for the Bill Mott-trained Olympiad, who cruised just off a fast pace, then powerfully put away the field in Saturday’s $740,000 Grade II Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.

Olympiad improved his unbeaten 2022 record to 5-for-5 and did it impressively, stalking early leader Caddo River for much of the way, then wearing him down before outlasting 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun and holding off a bid from American Revolution in the stretch for a 2 ¼-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup win-and-you’re-in race.

The 4-year-old Speightstown colt has lost just twice since last September and hasn’t posted a speed figure below 100 since his 2-year-old campaign. His winning time of 1:47.66 on Saturday was just 0.38 of a second off the track record for 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, set by Victory Gallop in 1999. It was the seventh-fastest running of the Stephen Foster.

His Hall-of-Fame trainer wasn’t in attendance, but liked what he saw.

Olympiad, with Junior Alvarado aboard, hits the finish line to win the Grade II Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on July 2, 2022.
Eric Crawford

“I thought it was a very game win,” Mott said via telephone. “There were some nice horses in this field and I thought he did things rather easily. It was really nice to see him win like that.”

Aboard for the fifth straight race, jockey Junior Alvarado said the colt keeps getting better, and didn’t mind the fast early fractions (23.05, 45.45 for the first half-mile).

“We were going a little faster today, you know those are faster horses today, so he had to go a little faster today and he did,” Alvarado said. “Turning for home, every time I keep asking him, I keep finding more out of him. . . . This horse has such a big stride on him and really extends it late in races. I think as he’s gotten older he’s gotten faster in each start. Today we sat in a good position just off of the early pace and he showed how powerful his stride can be. I asked him just a little bit in the final furlong and he continued to get faster. He’s a great horse and has shown his talent all year long. It will be a fun rest of the year.”

Olympiad paid $5, $3.40 and $2.60. Americanrevolution, with Luis Saez aboard, was second and returned $4 and $3.20 as the 7-2 third betting choice. Proxy, another 2 ¾ lengths back in third under Joel Rosario, paid $3.60 to show at odds of 11-1.

Mandaloun was making his first Churchill Downs start since being awarded the 2021 Kentucky Derby win after the drug disqualification of Medina Spirit. The Brad Cox-trained colt, who had turned in impressive works in recent weeks, flattened out late.

“It was disappointing,” Mandaloun’s rider, Florent Geroux said. “We were expecting a big effort today. He never quite grabbed the bit around the turn.”

Olympiad boosted his career earnings to $1,407,560 with the win.

“Bill likes to have horses on win streaks, like Cigar,” said Mott’s Kentucky-based assistant Kenny McCarthy. “This horse has started one of his own and he’s been such a pleasure every time he’s run in our care in Kentucky. The whole team did a great job to get him back here and it’s very special to win the Stephen Foster again. He has such a big stride and it’s so powerful in the late stages of his races.”

McCarthy said Mott would make the final call on where Olympiad will go next, but he appears in good form working toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5, at Keeneland, and now with Saturday’s win, he holds a free ticket.