Magnitude landed the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday night, giving Steve Asmussen and Jose Ortiz a major Breeders’ Cup Classic pointer in the $2million contest.
The Winchell Thoroughbreds colt made the most of testing conditions in Louisville, forcing the issue from the front before holding Baeza by one and a quarter lengths.
Sovereignty, last year’s Horse of the Year, finished third, with White Abarrio and Willy D’s completing the five-runner field.
The result carries immediate weight because the Stephen Foster is a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland.
It also extended Magnitude’s winning sequence to four, following victories in the Clark Stakes, Razorback Handicap and Dubai World Cup.
Magnitude Strengthens Classic Case
Ortiz was positive from the gates and Magnitude kept finding when asked, despite briefly wandering in the stretch. Asmussen’s runner stopped the clock in 1:48.03 for nine furlongs on a sloppy track.
According to Thoroughbred Daily News, Ortiz called Magnitude “an incredible horse” after the performance, while Asmussen described the win as a special moment for a horse who has climbed through the programme.
The Classic picture now has a sharper American shape. Magnitude has beaten Forever Young in Dubai and has now handled Baeza, Sovereignty and White Abarrio on home soil.
