(Trainer Brad Cox / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers:

COX BRINGS DEEP STAKES ARSENAL TO STEPHEN FOSTER PREVIEW DAY LED BY GRADE I WINNERS HIT SHOW, IMMERSIVE

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, May 28, 2026) – Trainer Brad Cox will bring a powerful quintet of contenders to Saturday’s Stephen Foster Preview Day at Churchill Downs, led by Dubai World Cup (GI) winner Hit Show and Eclipse Award-winning filly Immersive.

Saturday’s blockbuster 11-race program features seven stakes races worth $1.975 million in purses, including the $300,000 Blame Stakes (GIII), $300,000 Shawnee Stakes (GIII), which feature Hit Show and Immersive, respectively.

“It’s a big weekend to look forward to,” Cox said. “I think they’re all competitive in their given races and hopefully we can have a good day.”

Wathnan Racing’s Hit Show will headline the $300,000 Blame (GIII) as the classy 6-year-old returns to Churchill Downs following a fifth-place finish in his attempt to repeat in the Dubai World Cup (GI). Hit Show captured the 2025 Dubai World Cup and owns eight graded stakes victories from a 25-race career. Last year, he returned from Dubai to finish fifth in the Stephen Foster Stakes (GI) at Churchill Downs.

“He’s a classy older horse,” Cox said. “Obviously, he’s well-traveled being a Dubai World Cup winner. Last year we went from the Dubai World Cup to the Foster, and this year we decided to run him in this race coming back from Dubai. He’s had a solid string of works since returning to the U.S. and I think he’s ready to run a top effort on Saturday.”

Hit Show drew post No. 3 in the field of eight and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Godolphin’s three-time Grade I winner Immersive will make her second start of the season on Saturday. The 2024 Eclipse Award Champion 2-Year-Old Filly opened her campaign with a runner-up finish in the Distaff Stakes (GIII) at Aqueduct after a decorated 2- and 3-year-old career that included victories in the Spinaway (GI), Alcibiades (GI), Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) and Seneca Overnight Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

“She had a solid run to begin her season going seven-eighths,” Cox said. “She’ll stretch back out around two turns Saturday, which is where she’s proven herself against some top competition in the past.”

Immersive drew the outside post in the field of seven and reunites with Ortiz in the irons.

Cox also will saddle Juddmonte’s improving 3-year-old Touch of Fire in the $275,000 Audubon Stakes (Listed). The lightly raced colt has won two of three starts, including a dominant seven-length debut victory at Fair Grounds and a recent allowance score at Keeneland.

“He’s a nice horse with only three starts,” Cox said. “We stepped him up into stakes company second out at Fair Grounds and he ran a credible second. He’s still improving and we’re looking forward to seeing how he handles this spot.”

Touch of Fire drew post 7 in the field of 10 and also will be ridden by Ortiz.

Cox’s Saturday stakes contingent also includes Qatar Racing’s West Hollywood in the $275,000 Arlington Stakes (GIII) and Full of Run Racing II and Frank Silva’s Sweet Treasure in the $275,000 Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes (GIII).

First post for Saturday’s Stephen Foster Preview Day card is 12:45 p.m. ET.

ALL TURF PICK 4 HIGHLIGHTS MASSIVE WAGERING MENU FOR STEPHEN FOSTER PREVIEW DAY – Churchill Downs will offer a special all-turf, all-stakes Pick 4 on Saturday’s Stephen Foster Preview Day that includes the $275,000 Arlington (Grade III), $275,000 Old Forester Mint Julep (GIII), $275,000 Regret (GIII) and $275,000 Audubon (Listed).

Saturday’s 11-race program gets underway at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) with the all-turf Pick 4 beginning in Race 5 at 2:47 p.m.

The sequence (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

  • Race 5 (2:47 p.m.), $275,000 Audubon Stakes (Listed), 3yo, 1 1/8 M (T) (10 entries)
  • Race 7 (3:53 p.m.), $275,000 Old Forester Mint Julep (GIII), f&m, 4&up, 1 1/16 M (T) (nine entries)
  • Race 9 (4:56 p.m.), $275,000 Regret (GIII), 3yo f, 1 1/8 M (T) (nine entries)
  • Race 11 (5:59 p.m.), $275,000 Arlington (GIII), 3yo, 1 1/16 M (T) (11 entries)

The special wager is a 50-cent base denomination and has a 22% takeout.

Stephen Foster Preview Day was inaugurated in 2020 to provide horses a local prep for the blockbuster June 27 Stephen Foster Day at Churchill Downs. Overall, Saturday’s card features seven stakes races worth $1.975 million in purses, led by the $300,000 Blame (GIII), a local prep for the $2 million Stephen Foster (GI).

For more information, visit www.churchilldowns.com.

ROLL ON BIG JOE TABBED AS 9-5 FAVORITE IN GRADE III ARISTIDES – Rancho Temescal, Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, White Fence and Richard Hale Jr.’s Roll On Big Joe was tabbed as the 9-5 morning line favorite in a talented field of seven sprinters entered in Saturday’s $275,000 Aristides (Grade III) at Churchill Downs.

          Run at six furlongs, the Aristides serves as the local prep to the newly named $275,000 Bango (GIII) on Saturday, June 27. The Aristides field will go to post in Race 8 at 4:25 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 12:45 p.m.

Trained by Bob Hess Jr., Roll On Big Joe was a hard-fought winner of last year’s Kelly’s Landing (GIII) and Bet On Sunshine (Listed) at Churchill Downs. The gray son of Prospective began his 6-year-old season at Oaklawn with a victory in the King Cotton (Listed) and runner-up to fellow Aristides rival Mad House in the Count Fleet Turf Sprint (GIII). Jockey Julien Leparoux will be in the irons Saturday from post No. 3.

          The field for the Aristides from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • Mad House (Paco Lopez, David VanWinkle)
  • Cornucopian (Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert)
  • Roll On Big Joe (Leparoux, Hess)
  • Durante (Tyler Gaffalione, David Jacobson)
  • Tejano Twist (Francisco Arrieta, Chris Hartman)
  • Madaket Road (Irad Ortiz Jr., Bob Baffert)
  • Gold Sweep (Jose Ortiz, John Haran)

          The Aristides is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Dirt Dozen where the top three nominated finishers will receive partial entry fees paid to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) on Saturday, Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

DOWN THE STRETCH – Twilight Thursday began the four-day week at Churchill Downs. The eight-race card had a first post of 5 p.m. and the festivities included $2 domestic draft beer, live music from Ben Bernhard and local food trucks Crave Street, Drake’s, Red Top Hotdogs, Soul Fire Company and Spinelli’s Pizza. … A total of 45 horses took part in extended paddock schooling Thursday after training including stakes entrants Immersive, Majestic Oops, Medoro, Mr Mo’s Magic, and Touch of Fire. … “Inside Churchill Downs” returns Friday at 6 p.m. on ESPN 680/105.7. Join Darren Rogers and Kevin Kerstein as they give their takes for Saturday’s Stephen Foster Preview Day. Those outside the Louisville Market can listen live on www.espnlouisville.com. … For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.churchilldowns.com.

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