2026.06.30 Oaklawn Racing Update

Racing Updates
Compiled by Robert Yates

Contact: Chris Ho Vice President of Marketing

cho@oaklawn.com, 501-623-4411 ext. 4201

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

An Oaklawn stakes winner is now a front-runner for Horse of the Year.

Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Magnitude remained unbeaten in three 2026 starts with a wire-to-wire 1 ¼-length triumph in the $2 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) for older horses Saturday at Churchill Downs. The Stephen Foster was a “Win and You’re In” for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Magnitude ($7.16) toppled, among others, 2025 Horse of the Year Sovereignty and 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio. White Abarrio and Sovereignty finished 1-2, respectively, in the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 18.

Magnitude was making his first start since the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) March 28 in the United Arab Emirates. In his 4-year-old debut, Magnitude was a sharp 3 ¾-length winner of the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) Feb. 28 at Oaklawn for Steve Asmussen, the track’s all-time leading trainer.

Under regular rider Jose Ortiz, Magnitude stretched his winning streak to four by holding off millionaire Grade 1 winner Baeza in the Stephen Foster. It was another four lengths farther back to third-place finisher and odds-on favorite Sovereignty, with White Abarrio tiring to run fourth. All starters carried 124 pounds.

Magnitude ran 1 1/8 miles over a sloppy, sealed surface in 1:48.03.

The victory was Magnitude’s eighth in 14 lifetime starts and raised his earnings to $9,782,365. Magnitude, who is by Not This Time, beat 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young in the Dubai World Cup. Forever Young was North America’s champion older dirt male last year.

Nu What’s New Scores Again

Nu What’s New, one of the stars of the 2025-2026 Oaklawn meeting, was a front-running 1 ½-length winner of the $300,000 Hanshin Stakes (G3) for older horses Sunday at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Luis Saez – Oaklawn’s co-seventh-leading rider this season – Nu What’s New ($19.90) covered the one-mile distance over a fast track in 1:34.06.

A 4-year-old Munnings gelding for trainer Jimmy DiVito, Nu What’s New won three races this season at Oaklawn, including the $500,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) March 28.

Nu What’s New won his first two starts at the meet by a combined 19 ½ front-running lengths before finishing second to Magnitude in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) Feb. 28.

Overall, Nu What’s New has a 4-2-2 record from 11 starts and earnings of $763,494. The Hanshin was his second career stakes victory.

Nu What’s New races for Richard Templer’s Doubledown Stables.

Millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Battle finished fourth in the Hanshin, which marked the final race for jockey Corey Lanerie. He retired with 5,152 career North American victories, including 34 at Oaklawn, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.

Finish Lines

Favored Oaklawn maiden special weight graduate Caldera ($3) set a one-mile track record (1:33.27) Thursday at Colonial Downs. Caldera, racing over a fast track, won the allowance race by three lengths for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Caldera ran three times at the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting for the late Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. … Jockey H. Luke Hoskins recorded his first career victory aboard heavily favored Beautiful Twice ($3.20) in Friday’s seventh race at Belterra Park. It was the eighth career mount for Hoskins, an exercise rider for Oaklawn regular John Ortiz, who trains Beautiful Twice. Hoskins made his riding debut May 2 at Oaklawn, finishing 10th aboard the Ortiz-co-owned/trained Onyx Outlaw. Ortiz claimed Beautiful Twice for $30,000 out of a runner-up finish in an April 30 allowance/optional claimer at Oaklawn. … Favored Oaklawn-raced Lets Shakeit Sugar ($3.60) won the $75,0000 Bob Bryant Stakes for 3-year-old Iowa-bred fillies at six furlongs Friday at Prairie Meadows. … Favored Oaklawn debut and allowance winner Hymn ($5.40) captured the six-furlong $175,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes Saturday at Laurel. … Favored Oaklawn debut winner Usually Wrong ($3.20) won the $125,000 Grand Prairie Turf Sprint Stakes Saturday at Lone Star Park. … Oaklawn-raced Regaled finished second in the $500,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) Saturday at Churchill Downs.… Oaklawn maiden special graduate American Man finished second in the $250,0000 Maxfield Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds Sunday at Churchill Downs. … Oaklawn allowance winner Indy Bay finished second in the $100,000 Musical Romance Handicap Saturday at Gulfstream Park. … Oaklawn maiden winner G T Five Hundred dead-heated for third in the $200,000 Highlander Stakes (G2) Saturday at Woodbine.