The 2024 summer horse racing schedule heats up this Saturday at historic Churchill Downs with the 43rd running of the $1 million Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes.This race is significant as it’s the first North American stakes race this year that serves as a “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series qualifier for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. The winner will secure a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic and take home a substantial portion of the $1 million purse, exceeding $550,000. This race has been won by many standout Thoroughbreds such as Black Tie Affair, Awesome Again, Curlin, Gun Runner, and Olympiad. Let's check out the horse racing odds and analyze each contender: 

National Treasure, the 2023 Preakness Stakes victor, is set for a busy summer horse racing schedule with potential races including the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga or the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.  The horse's connections are considering options, with these races key to preparing for the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California, hosts the annual American Thoroughbred horse race known as the Bing Crosby Stakes. This Grade 1 race is open to horses three years of age and up, run on dirt at a distance of six furlongs, and currently offers a purse of $400,000 and many offtrack betting opportunities. 

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In is a series of 82 horse races in 12 countries. Each winner gets a spot in a race at the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, with no fees to pay.This year is the 18th edition of the series. It ends with the 41st World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California, on November 1-2. The event will have offtrack betting for fans who cannot attend in person.Horses from around the world will race in the Win and You’re In program. This year's Breeders’ Cup will have 14 top-level races with total prizes of $33 million. Fans can check the horse racing schedule to stay updated on all the races before the Championships.Dora Delgado, a top officer at Breeders’ Cup Limited, talked about the benefits of the Challenge Series for getting spots in the World Championships.

Churchill Downs' Spring Meet finale features 11 stakes races, highlighted by the $1 million Stephen Foster (G1) on June 29.Many top horses at Churchill Downs, including Godolphin’s First Mission and Juddmonte’s Scylla, are preparing for the closing weekend stakes, headlined by the Stephen Foster and the $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis (G2).