Expectations remain high for Revolutionary in Foster

Fresh off a most impressive win in the Pimlico Special, Revolutionary is

seeking his first Grade 1 victory in Saturday night's $500,000 Stephen Foster

Handicap at Churchill Downs and has been made the 2-1 favorite in a talented

field of nine older horses

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Revolutionary was third in last year's Kentucky

Derby and fifth in the Belmont before his owners opted to give him the rest of

2013 off in order to point to a four-year-old campaign.

"Like a lot of horses that go on the Triple Crown trail, after running in two

legs it just kind of made him lose a little bit of weight and he ran a bit of a

flat race in the Belmont," Pletcher said. "We felt like he was the kind of horse

that could improve as a four-year-old who could physically mature, develop and

come back a bigger, better and stronger horse.

"With the timing of the Belmont being run in June, if you give a horse a

meaningful vacation of 45-60 days, it basically eliminates any big race options

for the rest of the year. So we just felt like he needed a break and giving it

to him then would allow him to come back and compete as a four-year-old and it's

worked out pretty well so far."

Revolutionary won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in his season debut

before running seventh in the Donn Handicap and second to Will Take Charge in

the Oaklawn Handicap prior to the Pimlico Special win.

"The horse shows up every time," WinStar Farm President/CEO and Racing

Manager Elliot Walden said. “"he only race he didn't was the Donn, which was

unfortunate because that was a Grade 1. But I think he's a very consistent horse

and I think that's one of his greatest attributes."

The son of War Pass was 30 lengths off the lead after the opening

quarter-mile in the Pimlico Special but furiously rallied late in the stretch to

edge fellow Foster contender Prayer for Relief by a neck.

"I think that was a little unusual for him to drop that far back," Pletcher

said. "He's normally a horse who likes to settle but we're not looking to get

that far behind this time. We're just hoping for some pace."

Revolutionary will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith and joins

champion three-year-old Will Take Charge, Departing, Mylute, Golden Ticket, Long

River and Prayer for Relief in a battle of true closers competing for glory in

the Foster.

Moonshine Mullin has been the only Foster contender to demonstrate the

ability to win a graded stakes race from gate-to-wire, taking the Alysheba in

such fashion on Kentucky Oaks Day for trainer Randy Morse.

Jaguar Paw has shown some early speed in past races, but has yet to win a

race from gate-to-wire.

"I think Revolutionary is a horse that is tactical enough to handle

anything," Walden said. "It's a little funny saying that when he was behind 30

lengths in his last race, but if they go fast; he's going to be back. If they go

slow, he's going to be closer. So he's going to run his same speed the first

half a mile and if they just run slower, he'll just be closer, which will give

him less to do. I'm not that concerned about it.

"I feel good," Walden said. "He's training great, we're excited about the

race and it looks like he's improving. The goal for him all year is to try and

win a Grade 1, and we feel like we're in a spot where we have a reasonable

chance to do that."

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