The lights come on under the Twin Spires Saturday night for the Downs After Dark program at Churchill Downs, with Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Fort Larned and Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) victor Royal Delta headliners on the 11-race card that gets underway at 6:00 eastern.

Classic winner Fort Larned is the 3-1 co-third choice in the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), a nine furlong event that drew a small field of six, but it is a very competitive and talented group.

Fort Larned won five of nine starts last year, capping off his year with a win in the Classic at Santa Anita Park. Things have not gone as well this year, stumbling out of the gate and dumping his jockey Brian Hernandez in the Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) in March.

The five-year-old looked very good carrying about 114 pounds less than his rivals, drawing away to win by 20 lengths, although it does not count if the jock is not on board.

He was sent off as the favorite in his next start in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2), and Hernandez managed to stay on board for the entire trip, but he checked in a disappointing fifth as the beaten favorite.

On Saturday night he faces a strong group including the winners of the last two runnings of the Stephen Foster. Last year’s winner Ron the Greek (3-1) is back as is 2011 winner Pool Play (12-1), who pulled off the upset that year at 36-1 and has won just one of eight starts since.

The morning line favorite in the race is Successful Dan (2-1) who is coming off a good looking win in the Ben Ali (G3) on polytrack at Keeneland. The older brother of 2012 Horse of the Year Wise Dan has won eight of his dozen career starts.

The second choice on the morning line is Take Charge Indy, the 2011 Florida Derby (G1) winner who is coming into the race off a career top speed figure earned in his win in the Alysheba (G2) over the Churchill Downs main track.

Completing the field is Golden Ticket (12-1), who is coming off a victory against third level optional claimers going a mile over the Churchill Downs main track. The colt’s biggest win was a deadheat with Alpha in last year’s Travers (G1) at Saratoga.

Ladies’ Classic winner Royal Delta is the defending champion in the $175,000 Fleur De Lis (G2), and is looking to bounce back off a 10th place finish in the Dubai World Cup (G1) in her last outing. Last year she was ninth in the Dubai World Cup and bounced back with a victory in the Fleur De Lis.

The Bill Mott trainee is 2-5 on the morning line and will face just four foes. Her biggest threat appears to be Wine Princess (4-1) a Grade 3 winner who turned up for the race with a victory against third level optional claimers at Churchill Downs on April 27.

Funny Proposition was not a threat in her two stakes tries last year and comes into the race off a win against second level optional claimers.

Completing the field are Doubledogdare (G3) winner Ice Cream Silence (10-1) and She’s All In (10-1), who checked in sixth in the Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn Park in her last outing.

Also on Saturday night’s card are the $100,000 Matt Winn (G3), the $100,000 Regret (G3), and the $100,000 President of the United Arab Emirates Cup (G1) for Arabian horses.

Purchase Michael’s Churchill Downs Report. The Report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations. Michael has been handicapping the Kentucky circuit on a daily basis for nearly three decades.