By Jill Williams
In what was probably America's most anticipated race in the older horse division since the GI Breeders' Cup Classic nearly four weeks ago, the 151st running of the GII Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs Friday lived up to expectations and then some. Runaway GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes winner and Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer Magnitude (c, 3, Not This Time–Rockadelic, by Bernardini), one of the most heralded 3-year-olds on the Derby Trail at the beginning of the year, put it all together in his first start against older horses to capture the historic race over Wathnan Racing's G1 Dubai World Cup hero Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}).
Off from the outside as the 2-1 favorite, Magnitude pressured early pacesetter and GIII West Virginia Derby winner Chunk of Gold (Preservationist) through much of the :23.21 first quarter, then backed off a bit to track behind Chunk of Gold's :47.07 half. Magnitude, whose four previous wins had all come in front-running fashion, began targeting the pacesetter on the turn at the same time Hit Show advanced from midpack. He caught Chunk of Gold easily, poking his head in front, only for Chunk of Gold to fight back. The ultra-game latter sophomore didn't relent easily and the two appeared to brush, with Chunk of Gold only giving way grudgingly in the last strides as Magnitude swapped to his wrong lead and Hit Show, drifting out then back in, joined the fray late. Magnitude held his advantage, edging past Chunk of Gold while denying Hit Show, who got within a half-length. Hit Show finished just a head in front of Chunk of Gold. Magnitude's final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.69.
Rattle N Roll (Connect), the defending Clark winner, finished fifth, while GIII Lexington Stakes winner Gosger (Nyquist), second to Journalism (Curlin) in both the GI Preakness Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes, was a neck behind him in sixth. Multiple graded winner and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' First Mission (Street Sense) finished seventh.
“It's so great to win this race, especially with him showing a different dimension by sitting just off the lead,” said winning Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. “I think we've always been excited about his level of talent. For him to put it all together here and turn the corner, it's a good sign for next year.”
Asmussen and Winchell Thoroughbreds previously won the Clark in 2016 with Gun Runner, also the last 3-year-old winner of the race, who went on to a Horse of the Year campaign the following season. Hit Show's trainer Brad Cox, who won in 2018 with Leofric, finished second for the fourth straight year.
“It was a great trip today,” said Magnitude's rider Jose Ortiz. “We planned to sit about second or third if we couldn't get the lead. The entire race he was traveling great. He had to dig in late to get by but he was very game. He has a ton of talent and I think will get better into next year.”
A $450,000 Keeneland September yearling, Magnitude was last seen finishing second to Baeza (McKinzie) in the Sept. 20 GI Pennsylvania Derby, which followed a third in the GI Travers Stakes behind dual Classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief). He captured the Iowa Derby in July at Prairie Meadows by more than nine lengths after nearly five months on the sidelines. The bay had exited his 108 Beyer, 9 3/4-length tour de force in the Risen Star in February with a bone chip.
Magnitude, in the middle, fights to the wire | Renee Torbit/Coady Media
Pedigree Notes:
While no one is going to be able to stand in the way of six-time leading sire Into Mischief winning his seventh consecutive title when 2025 closes, Not This Time–who has only six crops to race–is proving a formidable foe. Second on the general sires list with more than $22.5 million on the year after adding Magnitude's Clark earnings, as well as 13 graded winners, Not This Time currently leads all North American-based sires by black-type winners for the year with 25. Overall, Magnitude is one of 31 graded winners and 62 black-type winners for Not This Time, a son of Giant's Causeway who stands at Taylor Made and is priced at $250,000 for 2026.
Ron Stolich bred Magnitude in Kentucky after buying his dam, the unplaced Rockadelic, for $140,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November sale with the Clark winner in utero. He sent the mare back through that same ring the next year, this time in foal to McKinzie, for $110,000 to Freddie Bloodstock and sold the weanling Magnitude at the same sale for $310,000 to FMQ Stables. The now 2-year-old McKinzie colt, Azam, finished first in his debut in June at Gulfstream for S B S Global and trainer Jose D'Angelo only to be disqualified and has not raced since. Rockadelic produced a Bolt d'Oro colt in 2024, who hammered for $110,000 to Jones/Everett at Keeneland September, and a 2025 colt by Jack Christopher, who brought $230,000 at Fasig-Tipton November. The mare has been bred back to Not This Time for 2026.
By perennial top broodmare sire Bernardini, Rockadelic is out of 2007 GI CCA Oaks and GI Mother Goose Stakes winner Octave (Unbridled's Song), who sold at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November sale for $4 million to John Ferguson on behalf of Godolphin. Magnitude is Not This Time's second graded winner of 2025 out of a Bernardini mare, including 2-year-old Final Score, winner of the GII Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes and GIII With Anticipation Stakes.
WHAT A FINISH! 👀🤩
The 3YO Magnitude wins the G2 Clark at @churchilldowns under @jose93_ortiz for trainer Steve Asmussen! 🏆
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/q4qkdIHwD8
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) November 28, 2025
Friday, Churchill Downs
CLARK S. PRESENTED BY NORTON HEALTHCARE-GII, $595,000, Churchill Downs, 11-28, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:48.69, ft.
1–MAGNITUDE, 118, c, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Rockadelic, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Octave, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Belle Nuit, by Dr. Carter
($310,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $450,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP).
O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Ron Stolich (KY); T-Steven
Asmussen; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $360,700. Lifetime Record:
MGISP, 11-5-2-1, $1,291,865. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Hit Show, 125, h, 5, Candy Ride (Arg)–Actress, by Tapit.
O-Wathnan Racing; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY);
T-Brad H. Cox. $117,000.
3–Chunk of Gold, 120, c, 3, Preservationist–Play for Gold,
by Cairo Prince. ($2,500 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-Terry L. Stephens;
B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Ethan W. West. $58,500.
Margins: HF, HD, 4 3/4. Odds: 2.18, 5.21, 13.51.
Also Ran: Who Dey, Rattle N Roll, Gosger, First Mission, Cooke Creek. Scratched: Willy D's. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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