Stephen Foster Handicap, who has the best chance of upsetting Curlin?

Question

and why

Answer 1

i dont think any of them have much of a chance but ill say

Grasshopper

Gomez has had a good year.

Answer 2

Curlin is going to have to have a bad day to lose this one, but here's my picks if that happens:  

1.  Barcola  - dangerous if he gets loose on the lead.  

2.  Brass Hat - Calvin Borel is up, and he's always dangerous at Churchill if he can get his horse to the rail.  And he seems to have a knack for slipping to the rail unnoticed in the double digit fields.    

My longshot pick is Sam P - Kent Desormeaux is up.  He'll be looking to avenge himself for the Belmont disaster.  Also a Todd Pletcher trained horse, he's been known to pull off a few graded stakes upsets.  Sam P's last win was at Churchill Downs (although an allowance against poor company).

Answer 3

Brass Hat.  Every so often he's a complete monster.  Something near his best is plenty good enough if Curlin runs a mediocre race.

Answer 4

Curlin is an amazing horse. Brass Hat has come back in some turf races and has come in 3rd or 4th but those have come in 1 1/2 turf races. He came in 4th in the New Orleans Handicap at 1 1/8 miles. I think he can maybe come in third. I think Einstein is better on turf. Sam P. has come back off a layoff to win an allowance race. I like Delightful Kiss. He came in second in a 36K stakes race. He has won over dirt and has had a long layoff. Grasshopper hasn't been the same since the Mineshaft Handicap and came in fifth in the Pimlico Special. Curlin is carrying 10 more pounds than Einstein and at the least 15 pounds to Sam P., High Blues, Red Rock Creek, and Barcola. Here's my trifecta:

1.Curlin (of course!)

2. Grasshopper

3. Einstein

4. Brass Hat

Answer 5

None of these horses have a chance of upsetting Curlin

Answer 6

Delightful Kiss - 2007 Ohio Derby and Iowa Derby champ has a jockey change and with 114 pounds, is a live longshot. Trainer Pete Anderson wanted this matchup a year ago and  this 4yo is coming into the race off a June 4 bullet half-mile work, runner-up in the May 24 Blazing Sword at Calder...a grass stakes taken off the turf to dirt....and - before that race - a 130-day layoff. Everything points to a huge effort that's ready to go.

Answer 7

Delightful Kiss.  He'll be a very fresh horse... he went on the layoff after the West Virginia Derby in August and has come back with only one race to finish a good second.  He gets to carry 14 fewer pounds than Curlin.

Honestly, I don't think anyone can come close to Curlin.  Unless Curlin falls down, no one can beat him.

But at 20-1, Delightful Kiss might be a tempting play.