Kentucky-bred Magnitude seized control early in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan and never looked back. The son of Not This Time showed the way throughout and proved uncatchable, defeating the reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Forever Young (JPN) by a length.
“We knew we had a very good horse, but obviously Forever Young is the best horse in the world,” said winning jockey Jose Ortiz. “We left all the options open – if he jumps well, we can go to the lead; if somebody jumps better than him, just sit off, maybe behind the speed. He didn’t have a running start, but he jumped well and I knew it was time to go. I asked him to run, and he was there for me.”
Added winning trainer Steve Asmussen, who took the 2008 World Cup with Curlin and sent out Gun Runner to be second in 2017: “What an incredible win. We just wanted to let him run his race from point A to point B. The horse is running with a lot of confidence and that gave us confidence. It unfolded just how we wanted it to.”
Bred in Kentucky by Ron Stolich and campaigned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Magnitude is a 4-year-old son of Not This Time out of the Bernardini mare Rockadelic. Magnitude is now a winner in 7-of-13 starts and he has amassed earnings of $8,544,365. Prior to the Dubai World, Magnitude won the Razorback Handicap (G3). He brought the curtain down on his 2025 season with a win in the Clark Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Kentucky-bred Hit Show, last year’s winner of the Dubai World Cup (G1), finished fifth.