Magnitude wins Stephen Foster Stakes wire-to-wire
Watch the full race of the 2026 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Video Transcript
They're in the gate, and they're off.
And Baiaza botched the break.
Baiaza off at the back of the pack.
Magnitude was ready to go today, and races out for the lead, and angles over toward the inside.
So Magnitude leads the way with a circuit to go.
Willie Dee's is just in behind, and White Abarrio is out of there third, and the Derby winner Sovereignty is three or four wide into the first turn fourth.
And Baiaza with some catching up to do is the trailer on the first turn.
The leader is Magnitude.
Magnitude leads by a little bit more than a length as they turn to the back stretch run.
Willie Dee's is tucked inside, a tracking second, and the unmistakable gray strides of White Abarrio alongside him third.
And Sovereignty is two lengths farther back in fourth, about four lengths off the lead with five furlongs to go.
Baiaza begins to pick it up from the back of the pack, but is still seven or eight lengths behind.
Magnitude managed an opening half mile in 47 and one-fifth seconds, and hits the half mile pole the one to catch as they move for the far turn.
White Abarrio is now coming after Magnitude.
Irad is coming after Jose.
They're one-two on the far turn.
Willie Dee's down inside third.
Sovereignty starts to pick it up.
So it's a World Cup winner, a Classic winner, and a Derby winner, one, two, three, with two furlongs to go.
And Magnitude is the one to catch off the turn, and he heads for home in front by two.
Sovereignty up into second, and Baiaza continues to rally.
Big effort from Baiaza, but in the meantime Magnitude has gone clear by three.
Baiaza second, three lengths behind now.
Two lengths behind now.
50 yards to catch Magnitude, but Magnitude to the top of the class.
Magnitude wire to wire, and what a year for Jose.
And what an effort from Baiaza, a big second, and Sovereignty, the Derby winner, checked in third.
White Abarrio fourth.
And with that, he stamps himself as the top older horse here in the US.
Magnitude with a decisive win, but some tense moments in the starting gate before the race.
This is unbelievable.
He broke through the starting gate before a race, which is I, I can't tell you how many horses, especially in a big race, break through the starting gate and actually go on to win.
Very, very, very rare.
But look at him striding out here.
They He ended up breaking in front, which we all thought Willie Dee's was gonna be the speed.
And you see he switches back to his left lead.
He does that in almost all of his races.
And when horses do that, normally they slow down and lose momentum.
He does the complete opposite.
He's able to keep his composure, not lose ground, and keep going.
Absolutely incredible.
