Magnitude dominates the Razorback, Coady Media
Robert Yates
Goodbye Hot Springs, hello Dubai.
Winchell Thoroughbreds Sizeunder the confident performance of Jose Ortiz, raced to an easy victory in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses at Oaklawn on Saturday.
An estimated 32,500 spectators watched as Magnitude, the 4-5 favorite, rode home 3 ¾ lengths ahead of the leader Now what’s new. It was 3 ¼ lengths further back to third Gould’s goldwhich was followed in order by Echo again, Houthof And Sandman. Tap Into This, a stablemate of Magnitude, was dropped, reducing the starting field for the 1 1/16-mile race to six.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Magnitude made his 4-year-old debut after a minor illness derailed a planned trip to Saudi Arabia for the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) on February 14.
Asmussen was diverted to Oaklawn and used the Razorback in preparation for the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 28 in the United Arab Emirates. Magnitude had not started since beating older horses in the Clark Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.
Now What’s New, as expected, went straight to the front, but Magnitude was glued to his flank with solid fractions of :23.68 for the first quarter mile, :47.38 for half a mile and 1:11.28 for 6 furlongs. Magnitude took the lead at the outside turn for home and set off late, covering 1 1/16 miles in a meet-best 1:42.10. The track was fast.
Magnitude paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.10. Nu What’s Nu, making his betting debut after two big wins earlier in the meeting, paid $3 and $2.20. Gould’s Gold paid $2.60.
Magnitude’s appearance in the Razorback came nine years after Gun Runner opened his 4-year-old campaign with an eye-popping 5 ¾ length victory in the race for Asmussen and Winchell Thoroughbreds (Ron and Joan Winchell).
The Razorback was also Plan B for Gun Runner, who won the Clark in his last start at 3 and would make his debut in 2017 in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park. Gun Runner missed that race, his scheduled preparation for the Dubai World Cup, because he was stuck at Fair Grounds following an outbreak of the equine herpes virus.
Gun Runner finished second in the Dubai World Cup, his only defeat in what would become a 2017 Horse of the Year campaign. His winning time in the Razorback was 1:40.97.
Magnitude, a son of red-hot sire Not This Time, increased his career earnings to $1,584,365 after his sixth win from 12 starts. In addition to Clark, Magnitude won the Risen Star Stakes (G2) and the Iowa Derby last year.
Racing resumes Sunday at noon CST with 12 races, highlighted by the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) and $750,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3).
Razorback Quotes
Winning jockey Jose Ortiz (size): “Beautiful. Great to see him make his debut for the four-year-olds today. I think the pace was high and the closers couldn’t even get close. I think the other horse (Nu What’s New) also ran a very good race. Today I think he made a lot of progress in the competition. There’s not much to say. It was beautiful to see. He broke well, relaxed and hit home.”
Winning coach Steve Asmussen (Magnitude): “Horse has always had tremendous talent, but I think today is his best performance yet.”
Second place jockey Rafael Bejarano (Now What’s New): “He broke into the lead beautifully, but the winner (Magnitude) was on top of me the whole way. He (Jose Ortiz) knew I was going to slow the pace. He was on top of me. It was the only shot we had to beat him, if he let me get a few lengths in front and let him settle down. But the best horse beat me.”
Jockey Cristian Torres (Sandman) in sixth place: “He galloped around there. He broke well. He traveled pretty well, to be honest. He felt good. But when it was time to run, there was nothing.”
#Razorback #Handicap #Summary