Despite Dubai World Cup win, Magnitude could be third choice in Stephen Foster
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Trainers as a rule don’t like talking about other people’s horses. Steve Asmussen probably falls into this category, generally speaking. But there are exceptions, like Forever Young, winner of the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic and two-time winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup, who has earnings of more than $31 million, most of those dollars earned after grueling international travel from Japan.
“He may be one of the all-time greats,” Asmussen said. “If you’re not a fan of Forever Young, you’re not a fan of horse racing.”
Asmussen trains the 4-year-old colt Magnitude, whose third straight win came March 28, when he beat Forever Young by one length in the $12 million Dubai World Cup.
One would think, based on that mighty performance in particular and his rising star in general, that Magnitude would be the talking horse coming into the Stephen Foster Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs. And that thought would be wrong.
Magnitude and six others were entered last Saturday in the 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster, though Willy D’s was cross-entered at Lone Star Park and, for his sake, should probably take the trip to Texas.
Saffie Joseph Jr. trains three of the seven, and while Navajo Warrior and Forged Steel each scored a breakout graded stakes win in their most recent start, neither has a realistic chance Saturday. White Abarrio stands far above Joseph’s other two, and, remarkably, the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner might even have surpassed that performance – he did on the Beyer Speed Figure scale – winning the Oaklawn Handicap in April.
He did so at the expense of 2025 Horse of the Year Sovereignty, who gave White Abarrio two pounds as well as a massive recency edge, having not raced since last August. Sovereignty hooked up with Journalism on a hot pace, put away his longtime rival, but could not counter perfect-trip White Abarrio in the final half-furlong in Hot Springs.
Bill Mott, Sovereignty’s trainer, also sends the highly capable Baeza, a very troubled, fast-closing third making his first start for Mott in the Alysheba Stakes on May 1 at Churchill.
This viper’s nest is what Magnitude steps into first race back from Dubai. The Foster was supposed to offer a $1 million purse, but Churchill doubled it to ensure this epic June showdown.
“I think we’re third choice in the race,” Asmussen said. “We have things left to prove. And the weirdest part of that is this is the middle of the year.”
Three of the big guns ship in for the Foster, but Magnitude calls Churchill home. He’s been at the track since returning an amazingly fresh horse from Dubai. The Foster stood as part of Asmussen’s long-term plan – culminating, of course, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic – before the race turned into a mini-Breeders’ Cup Classic.
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Magnitude began his ascent toward the top of his crop late last year, after Sovereignty beat him by more than 20 lengths in the Travers, but he evinced this kind of ability as far back as February 2025, when, as a 42-1 shot, he blitzed the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds by nearly 10 lengths, lighting up the speed figure world with a 108 Beyer.
“It either took you by surprise, or you said, finally, that’s the horse we’ve been working with,” Asmussen said.
Magnitude cooled out after the Risen Star, wasn’t walking right, and was diagnosed with a chipped ankle that knocked him from the Triple Crown trail.
“Probably just the physics of the race,” Asmussen said. “Last horse you’d expect it to happen to. He’s always been a slinky – flexible, light on his feet.”
And always meant to be an older horse – just like his Asmussen-trained predecessor Gun Runner, who followed almost exactly the same trajectory as Magnitude from his 3-year-old season of 2016 into his 2017 Horse of the Year campaign. In Dubai, Gun Runner ran a race that would’ve won most World Cups but finished second to Arrogate. He came back to win the Foster by seven lengths – a far, far lesser Foster than this one.
Magnitude, as good as he ran in Dubai, probably still has more to give. He trains like a different horse than at 3, looks like a different horse.
“You’re seeing a horse who understands what he’s training for. We’re dealing with an extremely talented horse that is just very, very confident right now,” Asmussen said.
Watch Magnitude in his last major Foster work on June 13 assent to being held up through a slow pace during first part of the breeze. Watch him show push-button acceleration when his rider asks for more speed. Magnitude swaps to the wrong lead at the eighth pole, flips right back without missing a beat at the sixteenth pole.
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“That’s him. I haven’t had a horse swap leads as much as he does since . . . Gun Runner,” Asmussen said.
Here’s another horse Asmussen will talk about: Sovereignty.
“I absolutely love him. Look what he did to us in the Travers,” Asmussen said. “The hair on my arms stands up thinking about just being in the paddock on Saturday.”
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