Preparing to ride Magnitude in the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland, jockey Flavien Prat got a feel for the Dubai World Cup (G1) winner by guiding him through a 5-furlong in-company breeze in 1:00 3/5 Oct. 10 at the Kentucky track.
The Classic ride on Magnitude became available when the 4-year-old colt's recent jockey Jose Ortiz committed to riding Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1)-winning 3-year-old Golden Tempo for trainer Cherie DeVaux.
Saturday's breeze came with a fellow Steve Asmussen trainee, the 3-year-old allowance winner Preside.
Speaking with publicist Jennie Rees of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, Prat called it a maintenance work "just to get a feel of him and not try to break the clock or anything like this, and he did it very well."
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Asmussen was similarly encouraged, noting that the work gave the jockey an opportunity to gauge the Not This Time colt's tendencies.
"He picked up a couple of the little innuendos off of Magnitude," the Hall of Fame trainer said in a separate interview with Rees. "The horse has got a tremendous amount of talent and they ought to get along well."
He added he was happy to secure the two-time reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey.
"(The) last Breeders' Cup Classic I watched here, they took Prat's picture," Asmussen said, referring to Prat teaming with Flightline to win the 2022 race at Keeneland.
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Among those Magnitude is expected to face in the Breeders' Cup Classic is Japanese superstar Forever Young, who won the race last year at Del Mar. Magnitude defeated Forever Young in the March 28 Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse, where the latter appeared flat after winning the Saudi Cup (G1) for a second consecutive time a month earlier.
Magnitude returned to Kentucky following the Dubai World Cup, and outran reigning Horse of the Year and fellow Classic probable starter Sovereignty, among others, in the June 27 Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Magnitude's subsequent effort in the Aug. 8 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, won by Sovereignty, resulted in a disappointing sixth-place finish. He also ran below expectations there last year, finishing a well-beaten third in the Travers Stakes (G1).
The colt has been training at Keeneland since late September, and his connections are encouraged by how he is handling the surface and his physical condition.
Winchell Thoroughbreds racing manager David Fiske noted that the colt's speed figures put him among the leading Classic contenders, "if you throw out the two races at Saratoga," he said with a chuckle.
"Almost everybody has one of those to chuck off their record," he quipped.
Magnitude, who will retire to Ashford Stud after his racing career, has an 8-2-1 record in 15 starts with earnings of $9,626,365.
"On his best day, he's beat the horses that are going to show up for this year's Classic, and we need to do that again, "Asmussen said.
