LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Murray Johnson said a few days before the Stephen Foster that he was excited about having Pat Day ride for him for the first time.

That degree of excitement was nothing compared to the overwhelming feeling of joy that Johnson experienced Saturday after Day deftly guided the trainer's stable star, Perfect Drift, to a narrow victory over heavily favored Mineshaft in a dramatic 22nd running of the Grade 1 Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs.

One close friend said Johnson was so overcome by emotion in the aftermath of the Foster "he could barely even talk." The next day, more composed and more hoarse, Johnson said a whole new world has opened to Perfect Drift, a 4-year-old gelding bred and owned by Dr. William Reed's Stonecrest Farm.

Johnson, a native of Australia, seemed intrigued about the possibility of one day taking Perfect Drift to run somewhere exotic. In the meantime, however, the primary goal is the Aug. 16 Arlington Million, with the likelihood of one prep in the interim. Johnson said he will choose from the July 13 Hollywood Gold Cup or July 19 Washington Park Handicap, both run on dirt, or the July 26 Arlington Handicap on turf.

The long-term goal for the year is the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, but after that, Perfect Drift could go just about anywhere.

"There are other races around the world where they pay you to go rather than having to pay to run," he said. "That's a big factor. He's a gelding, and it's not like we're trying to appeal to the breeding public. We'll just go where the horse wants to go and where he takes us. I wouldn't mind traveling the world with him."

As for Mineshaft, trainer Neil Howard said he was extremely pleased with the colt's effort in defeat. He called Perfect Drift "a very good horse. People forget he finished third in the Kentucky Derby last year, and not like a distant third, either. Plus we were spotting him eight pounds."

Howard theorized that if Mineshaft, who had won six of seven starts in the United States before the Foster, had "finished third or fourth and gotten beat four to six lengths or something, then you'd say he's had a steady campaign and maybe he just didn't run his race and he's tailing off a little bit. But I don't think so."

Howard said he is more likely to have Mineshaft await the Aug. 6 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga than run him back in the July 5 Suburban Handicap at Belmont.