Betting With, and Against, Magnitude in the Razorback Handicap

A fine field of seven will travel 1 1/16 miles over the Oaklawn Park dirt surface in Saturday’s lucrative, $500,000 Razorback H. (G3). Multiple Grade 2 victor #5 Magnitude (9-5) will make his four-year-old debut in the event and is the one to beat for conditioner Steve Asmussen. 

Magnitude – With

• $6 trifecta key 5 with 1,4,7 ($36)

Magnitude – Against

• $9 trifecta 4 with 5 with 1,7 ($18)
• $1 trifecta 1,4,7 with 1,4,5,7 with 1,4,5,7 ($18)

Campaigned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, the bay colt was a solid prospect early in his career but flipped the proverbial switch last season when dominating the 2025 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds by more than nine lengths. He followed that score with an equally impressive Iowa Derby victory, and he also concluded his sophomore season with two of his best efforts to date. 

Magnitude was a very good runner-up in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), which preceded his game tally in the Clark (G2) over his elders to cap off the year. What impressed me as much as anything in both of those efforts was the way he proved that he can run so well without securing the early lead in his races. The son of Not This Time seems poised for a big 2026 and will have Jose Ortiz in the irons. 

#4 Nu What’s New (2-1) has elevated his game to new heights since stretching out to route races in a pair of runs at the meeting. The Jimmy DiVito pupil is taking a big class rise coming off a 12-length first-level allowance waltz, but he has earned hefty Brisnet Speed ratings in two straight and is hard to ignore with his current form run. The Munnings gelding possesses very good early foot and could be up to his first real class test if the favorite fails to fire his best shot. Rafael Bejarano inherits the mount. 

Reigning Arkansas Derby (G1) star #7 Sandman (5-1) didn’t prosper in his initial run of the season in a local allowance heat, but the Mark Casse trainee surely needed the outing in his first appearance since August and will undoubtedly improve in this one. The Tapit colt has appeal for the surface and a fine turn of foot, and while I don’t love his winning chances, I do acknowledge that the classic-placed four-year-old is capable of big results when things go his way. Christian Torres will ride. 

The ever-consistent #1 Tap Into This (4-1) has never finished out of the top three in his 10-race career and captured the inaugural The Coach S. on the surface last time out. The Asmussen pupil is well-positioned on the rail in the tilt and comes in fresh with four solid morning drills in advance of the race. The Tapit four-year-old has earned triple-digit Brisnet Late Pace ratings in a trio of races in succession and is quite logical for the vertical wagers with Erik Asmussen on board.