8/6/26 Barn Notes
Compiled by Robert Yates
Magnitude, a leading Horse of the Year candidate, headlines six Oaklawn-raced runners entered in the $1 million G1-Whitney Stakes for 3-year-olds and up Saturday at Saratoga.
The 1 1/8-mile Whitney is a “Win and You’re In” for the $7 million G1-Breeders’ Cup Classic Oct. 31 at Keeneland. Probable post time for the Whitney, the 12th of 14 races, is 5:33 p.m. CDT.
Magnitude is unbeaten in three starts this year for Steve Asmussen, Oaklawn’s all-time leading trainer, and owner Winchell Thoroughbreds. In his 4-year-old debut, Magnitude was a sharp 3 ¾-length winner of the $500,000 G3-Razorback Handicap Feb. 28 at Oaklawn. Magnitude returned to score front-running victories in the $12 million G1-Dubai World Cup March 28 in the United Arab Emirates and the $2 million G1-Stephen Foster Stakes June 27 at Churchill Downs.
The 9-5 program favorite, Magnitude is scheduled to break from the rail under regular rider Jose Ortiz and carry equal top weight of 126 pounds.
Eight horses are entered in the Whitney, including 2025 Horse of the Year Sovereignty (3-1), 2023 Whitney champion White Abarrio (8-1), Eclipse Award winner Nitrogen (4-1), Grade 2 winner Forged Steel (20-1) and Grade 2 winner Tiztastic (30-1). All five of those horses have also raced at Oaklawn.
White Abarrio and Sovereignty finished 1-2, respectively, in the nine-furlong $1.25 million G2-Oaklawn Handicap April 18. Nitrogen, North America’s champion 3-year-old filly of 2025, won the $250,000 G3-Bayakoa Stakes for older fillies and mares Feb. 7 at Oaklawn.
Forged Steel made two starts last season at Oaklawn, finishing third in the $200,000 Temperence Hill Stakes for older horses at 1 ½ miles March 28 and winning a one-mile $136,000 allowance race May 2. Tiztastic, also trained by Asmussen, ran in two Kentucky Derby qualifying races in 2025 at Oaklawn.
Nitrogen finished second against males in her career debut, Aug. 30, 2024, at Woodbine, for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. Casse was Oaklawn’s third-leading trainer last season.
Oaklawn stakes winners Explora and Goodall are entered in the seven-furlong $500,000 G1-Test Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Saratoga.
The 5-2 program favorite, Explora won the $750,000 G3-Honeybee Stakes March 1 for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The 1 1/16-mile Honeybee was Oaklawn’s second of three qualifying races for the G1-Kentucky Oaks.
After finishing fourth in the May 1 Kentucky Oaks, Explora was a front-running 1 ¼-length winner of her last start, the seven-furlong Leslie’s Lady Stakes June 7 at Churchill Downs.
Goodall (5-1) won the six-furlong $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes March 14 at Oaklawn for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
Finish Lines
Oaklawn-raced Carolyncaroline is entered in the $100,000 Shenandoah Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs on the turf Saturday at Colonial Downs. … Oaklawn-raced Ewing is entered in the six-furlong $100,000 Colonial Turf Dash Stakes for 3-year-olds Saturday at Colonial Downs. … Oaklawn-raced Lake Louise is entered in the $250,000 Bison City Stakes for 3-year-old Canadian-bred fillies at 1 1/16 miles over the all-weather surface Saturday at Woodbine. … Oaklawn stakes winner Seventies Music and Oaklawn allowance winner Spun D M C are entered in the one-mile $400,000 Ellis Park Derby Sunday at Ellis Park. … Oaklawn-raced Queen Azteca and Oaklawn winners In Just My Heels and Floating Beauty are entered in the $200,000 Groupie Doll Stakes for fillies and mares Sunday at Ellis Park. … Oaklawn maiden special weight graduate Bet the Gray is entered in the $200,000 Audubon Oaks Sunday at Ellis Park. … Oaklawn debut winners Heroic Move and This Is Uscar, multiple Oaklawn winner Money Supply and millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Battle are entered in the $200,000 R.A. “Cowboy” Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 mile Sunday at Ellis Park. … Oaklawn allowance winner J J Grey is the 2-1 program favorite for the $400,000 G3-West Virginia Derby Sunday at Mountaineer. Oaklawn-raced Baytown Dreamer and Maximum Effort are also entered. … Oaklawn-raced Neoequos is entered in the 1 1/16-mile $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes for 3-year-olds and up Sunday at Mountaineer. … Multiple Oaklawn winner Woodcourt is entered in the $100,000 Avery Whisman Memorial Stakes Monday at Presque Isle Downs. … Jockey Ramon Vazquez, Oaklawn’s leading rider last season, enters Friday with 3,975 career North American victories, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Vazquez is named on horses this weekend at Prairie Meadows and Mountaineer. … Oaklawn-raced Gulch will be inducted posthumously into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Friday in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Racing in 1986, 1987 and 1988, Gulch won 13 of 32 starts and earned $3,095,521 for breeder/owner Peter Brant. Gulch was North America’s Champion Sprinter of 1988 after winning the G1-Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the G1-Metropolitan Mile Handicap. He also ran third that year in the $500,000 G1-Oaklawn Handicap for future Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
