Magnitude turns in peak effort to win tight finish in Clark
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It took most of the Churchill Downs homestretch, but Magnitude finally wore down an exceedingly stubborn Chunk of Gold, then held clear a steady late run from Hit Show to win the Grade 2, $595,000 Clark Stakes on Friday.
The winning margin came back a half-length after it looked at the 5/16-marker like Magnitude would tally in a gallop. Sitting second the entire 1 1/8-mile trip under Jose Ortiz, who rode the colt for the first time in five starts, Magnitude always traveled comfortably and in the bridle.
Ortiz had ridden Chunk of Gold in that colt’s October allowance-race romp at Keeneland but ceded the Clark mount to Junior Alvarado, who rode Chunk of Gold for the first time and came out swinging.
Chunk of Gold’s trainer, Ethan West, pointed out earlier this week that his horse, a 3-year-old like Magnitude, had done some of his best work racing forwardly. He could not have been more forward than on Friday, setting lively splits of 23.21 and 47.07 while taking a two-length lead to the half-mile marker.
Chunk of Gold went off at odds of 13-1, Magnitude the lukewarm 2-1 favorite, and when Ortiz asked his mount to close on the leader, he got an instant response. Magnitude easily drew abreast Chunk of Gold and poked his head in front before the quarter pole, but this would be no cakewalk.
Even before straightening for home, Chunk of Gold had laid down his marker, counterpunching and at least coming close to getting back on even terms at the three-sixteenths. Magnitude responded to Chunk of Gold’s response, and while he switched to his “wrong” lead with a half-furlong to run, he still pushed to the fore and saw off Hit Show.
Hit Show, running back to his win last month in the Fayette Stakes, raced fifth between rivals down the backstretch and into the turn, moving up to third with aim on the two 3-year-olds ahead of him at the furlong grounds. He turned in the Clark’s fastest final furlong, 12.70, but never looked like he was catching Magnitude while getting his head down for second.
Nearly five lengths separated Hit Show and Who Dey, a 50-1 shot who won a three-horse photo for fourth over Rattle N Roll and third-choice Gosger.
First Mission, the second choice after being favored for much of the betting, finished almost five lengths behind Gosger, beating only 66-1 Cooke Creek in the last race of his career. Magnitude paid $6.36 and clocked a good 1:48.69 racing on a fast track.
Bred in Kentucky by Ron Stolich, Magnitude is a son of Not This Time and Rockadelic, by Bernardini. Steve Asmssusen trains the colt for Ron Winchell’s Winchell Thoroughbreds, the same connections who sent out Gun Runner to win the 2016 Clark.
Magnitude became the race’s first 3-year-old winner since that year, at least running back to his second-place finish behind Baeza last out in the Pennsylvania Derby.
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Magnitude in February won the Risen Star at Fair Grounds by almost 10 lengths, a performance that earned a 109 Beyer Speed Figure and stamped Magnitude as a hope for the Kentucky Derby – for less than 24 hours. The colt came out of the Risen Star with an injury, and while he ran a big number winning the July 5 Iowa Derby in his comeback, Magnitude got walloped in the Travers before his improved Pennsylvania Derby showing.
“I think that we’ve always been excited about his level of talent. There have been a few disappointments in there,” Asmussen said. “He’s definitely a horse who could possibly be very serious in the older horse division next year.”
Gun Runner at 4 won the Breeders’ Cup Classic and was named Horse of the Year. That’s a different order of magnitude than the position this colt presently holds. But Magnitude’s an improving horse, and in the end all anyone in racing or anywhere else wants is something to look forward to.
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