Magnitude brings a heightened level of intrigue to the 3-year-old division on Saturday night, when he makes his much-anticipated return in the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows.
The 1 1/16-mile race is one of four stakes on the final night of the Iowa Festival of Racing. The stakes are worth a cumulative $875,000 and include the Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap.
Magnitude burst onto the Triple Crown trail in February, when he won the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds by 9 3/4 lengths. But he was forced to miss the classics after being sidelined by a bone chip in an ankle that was removed. Magnitude has been prepping for his return at Churchill Downs for Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen.
“We think it’s the right spot to start him back,” Asmussen said. “Obviously, we’ve been pretty excited about getting him back to the races. He’s been training really well and it’s time to go.”
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Magnitude is part of a field of seven, but Big Truzz will run instead in the Indiana Derby, according to trainer Brian Lynch. The Iowa Derby field also includes Itsmybirthday, runner-up in the Texas Derby; Mister Omaha, a four-time stakes winner; and Mickswagger, winner of the local prep, the Prairie Mile.
Magnitude’s win in the Risen Star was powerful. He broke from post 12, set a demanding pace, and went on to defeat a field that included Chunk of Gold, who went on to run second in both the Louisiana Derby and Ohio Derby; American Promise, who returned in his next start to win the Virginia Derby; and East Avenue, who came back to run second in the Blue Grass and eventually win the Matt Winn.
“Some pretty accomplished horses have come out of the race, and he literally ran them off their feet,” Asmussen said. “It was an extremely impressive race, and he got a 108 Beyer” Speed Figure.
The number is the second-highest Beyer among all 3-year-old males in 2025, tied with Journalism’s number from the San Felipe. Sovereignty owns a 109 Beyer, for his win in the Belmont Stakes.
Ben Curtis, who was aboard Magnitude in the Risen Star, has the mount from post 4. Asmussen said he is pleased with where the horse is at coming into his return race.
“He looks wonderful,” he said. “I’m obviously very happy with him. The rehab and getting back to this spot, it’s gone very smoothly. He’s training great.”
Itsmybirthday could start as the second choice. He was beaten a length in the Texas Derby by Instant Replay, who is entered in the Indiana Derby. Itsmybirthday earned a career-high Beyer of 92.
“I really hope, and think, he’s going to take another step forward and he’s going to need [one] to be competitive, or to win, this race,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said. “His works since the Texas Derby have been very, very good. I’m pretty exited to see him run.”
Francisco Arrieta has the mount on Itsmybirthday from post 3.
“He’ll be very close to the lead,” Diodoro said. “He’ll be right with them. He’ll be very close.”
Mister Omaha, who was fourth in the Texas Derby, has had success both from on and off the pace. Luis Quinonez has the mount for trainer Joe Offolter.
Mickswagger was flattered last weekend when Sushi Man, who he defeated in a local maiden race May 18, returned to win the Canterbury Park Derby. Mickswagger is a son of Volatile and the Grade 1-winning mare Malibu Prayer.
Cornhusker Handicap
Heroic Move will be making his third appearance in the Iowa Festival when he starts in the Cornhusker, which is for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles.
He’s part of a field of seven that includes probable favorite and 120-pound highweight Dragoon Guard and defending winner Red Route One.
Heroic Move arrived back at Prairie Meadows from his Lone Star Park base on Wednesday.
“He’s got two races over the track in the last two years,” Diodoro said. “As a 3-year-old, he just got beat in the Iowa Derby.”
Last year, Heroic Move was sixth in the Cornhusker. Since that race, he’s romped by eight lengths in the $200,000 Sunland Park Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on April 6. He will be returning to the distance off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star. The latter race was run in the slop May 26.
“There is the chance of a little bit of rain, but hopefully we get him back on a dry track,” Diodoro said. “I thought he ran well last time, but I just think a dry track is going to be more in his favor.”
Harry Hernandez has the mount on Heroic Move from post 5.
“His works have been a little more aggressive,” Diodoro said, “and I think he’ll be fairly forwardly placed.”
Dragoon Guard is moving back to the distance of his win in last year’s West Virginia Derby. Florent Geroux has the mount for trainer Brad Cox.
Iowa Oaks
Quickick will be looking to recapture her best form when she starts as a notable contender in the $225,000 Iowa Oaks.
The 1 1/16-mile race drew a field of 10, but Heavenly Sunset is scheduled to run in the Indiana Oaks, according to Cox.
Quickick established herself as a runner of note last year, when second in the Alcibiades and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She’s looking to rebound off a pair of off-the-board finishes in the Kentucky Oaks and Acorn, the first two times she has run on wet tracks.
“She’s got to step up,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “I can make an excuse for just about every one of her races, but, having said that, she has not run as well as she did last year. We need to get back to that.”
Amoss is hopeful Quickick will on Saturday.
“She’s trained really well for us,” he said. “This is a little bit of a relief in class. So, were excited about the opportunity.”
Quickick, who breaks from post 3 under Brian Hernandez Jr., will remove blinkers.
It’s “just something to try to get her out of the gate a shade quicker,” Amoss said. “She broke really sharp last time, but she has not been consistent in breaking sharp and so the idea here is just to kind of get her going out of the gate – just so we’re not giving the field a huge advantage.
“Make no mistake, we’re not going to be a horse that’s going to be on the front end. But at the same time, we don’t want to give up 15 lengths, which we’ve done before. Assuming the pace is legitimate, she’s going to be eight to 10 lengths off the early lead and that’s okay. There looks to be a good amount of speed in the race. I think the race allows us to have a bit of a setup, if it runs true to form.”
Amoss prefers a fast track for Quickick.
◗ A field of eight is set for the Prairie Gold Juvenile.
– additional reporting by Marcus Hersh
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