Apart puts in final work for Stephen Foster

Apart, shown winning the Ack Ack Handicap, will seek a second Churchill stakes win in the Stephen Foster (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

While trainer Al Stall Jr.'s Monday was darkened by news of the

season-ending injury to his promising three-year-old Bind (Pulpit), a

glimmer of light was provided by a sharp workout by APART (Flatter) in

his final prep for a run in Saturday's $500,000 Stephen Foster H. (G1).

Apart breezed four furlongs in :48 2/5 over the synthetic Polytrack at

Keeneland. The move under exercise rider Jerry O'Dwyer was the second

fastest of eight at the distance.

"Apart is on target," Stall said. "I think he's an improving horse.

That's what he's got going for him. He's a Grade 2, Grade 3 type of

winner and we just feel like he's going to get better with time. It's

nothing we're doing. It's just something Mother Nature will take care

of, hopefully."

Julien Leparoux is scheduled to ride Apart in the Stephen Foster, a 1

1/8-mile race won last year by former stablemate Blame.

While Stall likes the way Apart is coming up to the race, he is a bit

concerned about the prospect of a full starting gate for the race.

"This race is getting to be such a big field that the (post) draw

will be important, so we're going to have to sweat that out," he said.

"It'll be about set-ups and trips and that kind of thing this weekend, I

think."

Regal Ransom arrived for the Stephen Foster on a relatively cool Kentucky morning (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

The Saeed bin Suroor-trainee stepped off a van at the track around

10:30 a.m. (EDT) following a flight from New York to Louisville

International Airport. He is stabled in Barn 41.

The winner of the 2009 editions of the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) and

Super Derby (G2) has made three career starts at Churchill Downs, with

an eighth-place finish behind Mine That Bird in the 2009 Kentucky Derby

and a ninth-place finish behind Stephen Foster contender GIANT OAK

(Giant's Causeway) in last fall's Clark H. (G1) on his on his resumé

along with his near miss in the Alysheba.

Southern California-based Stephen Foster contenders CROWN OF THORNS

(Repent) and GLADDING (Sarava) are scheduled to arrive in Louisville on

Tuesday following a flight from the West Coast.

The Stephen Foster appears to have lost a starter in First Dude, who had been

scheduled to be on the same plane. Trainer Bob Baffert will reportedly keep the

Alysheba winner in Southern California to run in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) on

July 9.