HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The eyes of the Middle Eastern racing community will be on Oaklawn Park Saturday, as Dubai World Cup prospect Magnitude launches his 4-year-old season in the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap. “I’m hoping we can go from here to Dubai with him,” said Magnitude’s trainer, Steve Asmussen. The Razorback, a 1 1/16-mile race for older horses, has been a springboard for some notable starters at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. Mystic Guide won the 2021 Razorback and Dubai World Cup, while Gun Runner dazzled in the 2017 Razorback before finishing second to Arrogate in that same year’s Dubai World Cup. This year, the $12 million renewal of the race is March 28. Magnitude has the same connections as Gun Runner, a Hall of Famer co-owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Asmussen. Magnitude is the 123-pound highweight in a Razorback field of seven that includes Sandman, the winner of last year’s Arkansas Derby, and Nu What’s New, a speed horse who has paired up triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in each of his last two starts at Oaklawn. :: Live racing action at Oaklawn Park! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Magnitude enters off a half-length win in the Grade 2 Clark on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs. He had been meant for a start in last month’s Saudi Cup, but a fever forced him to miss the overseas trip, and he remained at his base of Fair Grounds. “He has rebounded from the temperature that knocked us out of going to Saudi with him, and he has put in two nice works since then,” Asmussen said. “The Razorback is Plan B.” Magnitude’s drills include a five-furlong work in 1:00.80 on Feb. 21. In the Clark, he sat just off the pace and won over Hit Show, who came back to take the Grade 3 Mineshaft at Fair Grounds. Last year, Magnitude won the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds with a Beyer Speed Figure of 108. “Magnitude’s a horse that we obviously thought the world of early,” Asmussen said. “It took him a while to put things together. Last year, the Risen Star was a breakout performance and then he was sidelined for a bit after that. He came back with a very nice victory in the Iowa Derby, and then was third in the Travers, second in the Pennsylvania Derby, and won the Clark.” It’s a record that has an uncanny resemblance to Gun Runner’s ahead of the Razorback, with Asmussen noting Gun Runner also was third in the Travers, second in the Pennsylvania Derby, and then won the Clark in his 3-year-old finale in 2016. And there’s more. “I did not get to run Gun Runner back in the originally planned first race of his 4-year-old year,” Asmussen said. “I had planned on running in the Pegasus, but because of the quarantine at the Fair Grounds, was not allowed. The Razorback became Plan B, and then he went to Dubai. So, been down that road before.” :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  A son of Not This Time, Magnitude is 5 for 11 with earnings of $1.2 million. He will start from post 5 under Jose Ortiz. “He’s got big shoes to fill, but obviously we’ve been trying to fill Gun Runner’s shoes ever since we’ve had him,” Asmussen said. “When Magnitude runs his race, it’s an extremely fast race.” Sandman is making his second start since August. He made his 4-year-old debut in a Feb. 7 allowance at 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn. Sandman stalked the pace, had to wait behind rivals, and finished fifth, beaten a total of 2 1/4 lengths. “You know, I didn’t think Sandman’s race was that bad,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He kind of got bottled up. He actually hit himself pretty good. It took us a few days to get him over that. It’s a tough race Saturday, but I think he’ll run well.” Cristian Torres has the mount from post 7. “I like the post,” Casse said. “I like that there’s some speed. If they go fairly quick up front early, he should come running.” Griffin Johnson, who co-owns Sandman, will be part of the free Dawn at Oaklawn program Saturday. The track’s Nancy Holthus will interview Johnson, a social-media influencer who has more than 1.6 million followers on X. Holthus also will talk with trainer Kenny McPeek, who on Thursday was announced as a finalist on the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame ballot. The Dawn at Oaklawn event starts at 8:30 a.m. in the apron area. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.