Magnitude Likely to Train Up to Breeders' Cup Classic

While Sovereignty rebounded strongly in the Aug. 8 Whitney Stakes (G1) from a pair of defeats to start the season, the two horses who beat him earlier in the year left their connections scratching their heads the morning of Aug. 9. Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) winner Magnitude did not get off to the sharpest of beginnings and was outfooted early by runner-up Nitrogen in the race to the lead. Magnitude would begin retreating on the far turn and finished sixth of seven, beaten 15 1/4 lengths. The one horse behind him at the wire was four-time grade 1 winner White Abarrio, who two starts ago defeated Sovereignty in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2). On Saturday, he sat a stalking trip down the backside and appeared to be moving into contention before coming up empty in the stretch, beaten 17 1/2 lengths. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said that Winchell Thoroughbreds' Magnitude was looking fine Sunday morning after his poor Whitney performance as the 9-5 favorite. "Obviously a disappointing run yesterday, never was comfortable," Asmussen said. "We'll go from there, regroup." After speaking with the Winchell Thoroughbreds' team, Asmussen said the plan going forward will likely be training up to the Oct. 31 $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland. Asmussen said the 84-day layoff between those starts would be ideal given how well Magnitude has run off similar layoffs in the past. The son of Not This Time has won all five career starts when exiting a layoff of at least two months, including three of those being three months or more. Asmussen also noted no decision has been made yet whether Magnitude will remain training in Saratoga or return home to Kentucky. The questions left to be answered were much different at the Saffie Joseph Jr. barn Sunday morning. White Abarrio's last-place effort followed a distant fourth-place finish 9 3/4 lengths behind Magnitude over a sealed sloppy track. At age 7 and a stallion career at Gainesway Farm on the horizon in 2027, it's likely the son of Race Day has run his last race. READ: White Abarrio to Enter Stud in 2027 at Gainesway Joseph identified illness, physical issues, or internal airway issues as the three reasons horses give poor performances. White Abarrio passed all the physical tests postrace, but was coughing heading back to the barn. "He coughed a lot after the race. It's not physical; we jogged him up (Sunday morning) and he's moving as smooth as ever," Joseph said. "Sat a good trip in a good spot, made a brief run for about a second and a half, and then he was completely empty. It's disappointing for him to run like that, but not disappointing in the overall achievement of the horse. You're never going to be disappointed coming back safe and sound. That's the most important thing of all." Joseph said the coughing had cleared up by Sunday morning, and that dirt was not found in his trachea. White Abarrio scoped fine other than a trace of mucus. An earner of more than $8.5 million in a 28-race career, Joseph said the risk is likely to outweigh the reward of going forward with the 7-year-old's career. A throwback to the old era where losses would not deter connections from trying top company again, White Abarrio has nothing left to prove. His durability and talent have been displayed on the track for six racing seasons as he competed at the grade 1 level in all but his first. Joseph said the ownership of C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber, and La Milagrosa will spend the next week discussing whether White Abarrio will be retired or continue with this season. "If it was a different horse, you would just move forward. But he's not a different horse," Joseph said. "He's one of the few horses who's accomplished so much. You have to really think through carefully. If it was just a normal race, you would probably be back in three or four weeks running again, and he'd probably win. "Physically today, the horse is as good as ever, so we know that's eliminated (as an excuse). But we're not dealing with a normal horse. You don't make normal decisions, and risk versus reward, there's not much reward to get. You have to protect the horse. "The worst thing would be running him and seeing him run bad again. How would you accept yourself if he ran bad again?" Reflecting on White Abarrio's career, Joseph said, "If that is his last race—it is a high possibility—then the journey has been a fun journey and he's retired healthy and sound. He'll have a new chapter for us to look forward to in the future and be excited about. He owes us nothing; we owe him." Joseph Works Forged Steel, Navajo Warrior for Pacific Classic Joseph still has several shots at the Classic-division races and is preparing a pair of runners to ship to Del Mar for the Aug.22 $1 million Pacific Classic (G1). Both horses were on Saratoga's worktab Sunday morning. C2 Racing Stable, Mathis Stable, and TCC Stables' Forged Steel had been entered in the Whitney and would have run if the track got too wet to where the team wanted to scratch White Abarrio. The track remained fast despite a quick shower two races before, and Forged Steel was scratched. On Sunday, the 4-year-old son of Vekoma breezed a half-mile in :47.50. BAG Racing Stables, Miller Racing, Dr. Derek Paul, Mathis Stable, Paul Braverman, and Timothy Pinch's Navajo Warrior recorded his first work since winning the July 11 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3), going a half-mile in :48.90. Forged Steel had shipped out to California in May to win the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G2) in gate-to-wire fashion at Santa Anita Park. He then returned in the Suburban Stakes (G2) July 4 at Saratoga Race Course where he rated off the pace and finished fifth. Joseph left no question that the strategy this time is being the pacesetter. "Last time, we took him back, he conceded the lead and it didn't work," Joseph said. "He got rank on the inside and he got bottled up. In the Pacific Classic, he's going to be on the lead. That's one thing we already committed that if he breaks well, he's going to be on the lead. If we have to go :22, :44; we are going to be on the lead. If Knightsbridge goes with us, maybe it will set it up for Navajo Warrior. We committed to be on the lead. We're not going to change his style; we feel like he's a free-running horse, he gets into that rhythm, and he goes." Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking emerged from his third-place effort in the Monmouth Cup (G3) July 18 at Monmouth Park with a minor foot issue that Joseph said is now all cleared up. The 7-year-old son of Exaggerator will return to the worktab later this week as he seeks a third win in the $1 million Charles Town Classic (G2) Aug. 28.