Churchill Downs Thanksgiving Update: Winchell, Asmussen Return to Clark With 3-Year-Old Magnitude

Nov 27, 2025

It’s been nearly a decade since Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Gun Runner delivered a front-running victory in the 2016 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade I) to cap his 3-year-old season and ignite his eventual Horse of the Year campaign. Now, Winchell and trainer Steve Asmussen will return to the Clark on Friday with Magnitude, who has the chance to become the first 3-year-old to win the race since Gun Runner.

Magnitude, a talented son of Not This Time, burst onto the Road to the Kentucky Derby picture in February when he dazzled in the Risen Star (GII) at Fair Grounds. However, he didn’t get the opportunity to compete in the Kentucky Derby like Gun Runner because he underwent surgery to remove a bone chip in his left front ankle. Following the procedure, Magnitude returned in early July and dominated the Iowa Derby (Listed) by 9 ¼ lengths. He then finished third in the Travers (GI), 20 lengths behind Kentucky Derby 151 winner Sovereignty, before finishing runner-up to Baeza in the Pennsylvania Derby (GI).

Like Magnitude, Gun Runner entered the Clark as a late-season 3-year-old looking to finish the year on a high note.

Gun Runner’s path to the Clark followed a similar route. Prior to his 2 ¾-length victory in the race under jockey Florent Geroux, Gun Runner finished third to Nyquist in Kentucky Derby 142 and later finished second in the Pennsylvania Derby. His win in the Clark marked Asmussen’s first and only victory in the race, which was a Grade I at the time.

“He deserved it,” Asmussen said following the 2016 Clark. “With all the Grade I winners he has beaten and for this to be his first Grade I, I feel very confident it will not be his last.”

That proved true.

Gun Runner rose to national stardom after the Clark with victories in the Stephen Foster (GI), Whitney (GI), Woodward (GI), Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) and Pegasus World Cup (GI). He retired with a record of 19-12-3-2 and more than $15.9 million in purse earnings. He was crowned 2017 Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2024.

Magnitude will now try to follow the same seasonal pattern – using the Clark as a springboard into his 4-year-old campaign, just as Gun Runner did.

Run at 1 1/8 miles, the 151st running of the Grade II, $600,000 Clark will go to post at 5:54 p.m. (all times Eastern) as Race 11 on Friday’s 12-race Thanksgiving Week program. The card also includes the 34th running of the $300,000 Mrs. Revere (GIII) for 3-year-old fillies on turf in Race 10 at 5:25 p.m. First post is 1 p.m.

The field for the Clark from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Cooke Creek (Francisco Arrieta, Mike Maker, 12-1)
First Mission (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox, 5-1)
Hit Show (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brad Cox, 3-1)
Gosger (Luis Saez, Brendan Walsh, 4-1)
Chunk of Gold (Junior Alvarado, Ethan West, 10-1)
Rattle N Roll (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 7-2)
Who Dey (Luan Machado, Tommy Drury Jr., 30-1)
Willy D’s (Tyler Gaffalione, Mike Maker, 12-1)
Magnitude (Jose Ortiz, Asmussen, 9-2)
Run since 1875, the Clark has a storied history of producing top horses including champions Blame, Silver Charm, Surfside, Will Take Charge and Wise Dan. For the first 78 runnings, the Clark was staged in the Spring Meet and included many winners of the Kentucky Derby such as Exterminator, Hindoo, Old Rosebud and Whirlaway. The race was run as a Grade I from 2010-22 but was downgraded to a Grade II in 2023.

Fans can watch and wager on the Clark and every race from Churchill Downs on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering platform of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

DERBY CITY 6 JACKPOT CLIMBS TO $373,345 FOR THURSDAY’S CARD – Thursday’s Derby City 6 Jackpot will give horseplayers a chance to score a massive payday with the carryover standing at $373,345 for the 12-race card.

The Derby City 6 Jackpot, which challenges bettors to have the only winning combination to take down the jackpot, has a 20-cent denomination with a low 15 percent takeout. If there are multiple winning combinations, 90 percent of the daily pool will be paid out with the remaining 10 percent going to the carryover.

Thursday’s sequence: (with scratches as of 9 a.m. ET)

Race 7 (2:18 p.m.): Alw 148000b, 3&up, 5 ½ F (T) (10 runners)
Race 8 (2:47 p.m.): Mdn 120k, f&m, 1 M (10 runners)
Race 9 (3:16 p.m.): OC 100000n3x, f&m, 6 F (eight runners)
Race 10 (3:45 p.m.): $400,000 Falls City (GIII), f&m, 1 1/8 M (eight runners)
Race 11 (4:14 p.m.): $300,000 Cardinal presented by Resolute Racing (Listed), f&m, 1 1/8 M (12 runners)
Race 12 (4:43 p.m.): Alw 127000n1x, 3&up, 6 F (10 runners)
The main track was listed as “fast” and turf labeled as “firm” with the temporary rail set at 24 feet.

BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FAVORITE TABBED AT 6-1 IN POOL 2 OF DERBY FUTURE WAGER – Fans will have their second of six opportunities to bet on the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) Thursday-Sunday with Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager where Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Ted Noffey was made the 6-1 individual favorite and “All Others Foaled in 2023” as the overall 9-5 favorite.

Running concurrently with Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is the lone Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager where fans can wager on sires of Derby prospects. Top stallion Into Mischief, who is the sire of Ted Noffey, was made the 4-1 favorite.

The four-day pools, featuring $2 Win and Exacta wagering, opens Thursday at noon (all times Eastern) and will close Sunday at 6 p.m.

The complete field for Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (with trainer, sire and odds):

#1 Blackout Time (Kenny McPeek, Not This Time, 20-1)

#2 Boyd (Bob Baffert, Violence, 40-1)

#3 Brant (Bob Baffert, Gun Runner, 10-1)

#4 Buetane (Bob Baffert, Tiz the Law, 80-1)

#5 Cherokee Nation (Bob Baffert, Not This Time, 80-1)

#6 Chip Honcho (Steve Asmussen, Connect, 99-1)

#7 Commandment (Brad Cox, Into Mischief, 99-1)

#8 Confessional (Brad Cox, Essential Quality, 60-1)

#9 Courting (Todd Pletcher, Curlin, 60-1)

#10 Desert Gate (Bob Baffert, Omaha Beach, 60-1)

#11 Dr. Kapur (Saffie Joseph Jr., McKinzie, 50-1)

#12 Englishman (Cherie DeVaux, Maxfield, 40-1)

#13 Ewing (Mark Casse, Knicks Go, 40-1)

#14 Further Ado (Brad Cox, Gun Runner, 20-1)

#15 Gallivant (Ben Colebrook, Into Mischief, 99-1)

#16 Golden Tornado (Danny Gargan, McKinzie, 40-1)

#17 Incredibolt (Riley Mott, Bolt d'Oro, 40-1)

#18 Infiltrate (Brendan Walsh, Oscar Performance, 99-1)

#19 Into the Beast (Dale Romans, Into Mischief, 99-1)

#20 Intrepido (Jeff Mullins, Maximus Mischief, 80-1)

#21 It’s Our Time (Tom Amoss, Not This Time, 50-1)

#22 Litmus Test (Bob Baffert, Nyquist, 99-1)

#23 Local Knowledge (Todd Pletcher, Yaupon, 99-1)

#24 Mesquite (Cherie DeVaux, Union Rags, 99-1)

#25 Mob (Brian Lynch, Gun Runner, 80-1)

#26 Mr. A. P. (Vladimir Cerin, American Pharoah, 30-1)

#27 My World (Brad Cox, Essential Quality, 30-1)

#28 Napoleon Solo (Chad Summers, Liam's Map, 30-1)

#29 Paladin (Chad Brown, Gun Runner, 40-1)

#30 Provenance (Bob Baffert, Into Mischief, 99-1)

#31 Rancho Santa Fe (Brad Cox, Tapit, 80-1)

#32 Rebel Instinct (Chad Brown, Into Mischief, 75-1)

#33 Renegade (Todd Pletcher, Into Mischief, 50-1)

#34 Soldier N Diplomat (Steve Asmussen, Army Mule, 99-1)

#35 Spice Runner (Steve Asmussen, Gun Runner, 99-1)

#36 Talkin (Danny Gargan, Good Magic, 60-1)

#37 Ted Noffey (Todd Pletcher, Into Mischief, 6-1)

#38 Universe (Kenny McPeek, Global Campaign, 99-1)

#39 White Tiger (Brad Cox, Constitution, 99-1)

#40 All Others Foaled in 2023 (9-5)

Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager (with morning line odds):

#1 American Pharoah (30-1)

#2 Army Mule (99-1)

#3 Blame (80-1)

#4 Bolt d’Oro (30-1)

#5 Candy Ride (ARG) (80-1)

#6 Charlatan (99-1)

#7 City of Light (80-1)

#8 Constitution (75-1)

#9 Curlin (50-1)

#10 Essential Quality (50-1)

#11 Goldencents (99-1)

#12 Good Magic (40-1)

#13 Gun Runner (8-1)

#14 Hard Spun (99-1)

#15 Independence Hall (99-1)

#16 Into Mischief (4-1)

#17 Justify (60-1)

#18 Knicks Go (40-1)

#19 Liam’s Map (25-1)

#20 Maxfield (40-1)

#21 Maximus Mischief (40-1)

#22 McKinzie (40-1)

#23 Medaglia d’Oro (99-1)

#24 Munnings (99-1)

#25 Not This Time (6-1)

#26 Nyquist (40-1)

#27 Omaha Beach (60-1)

#28 Oscar Performance (99-1)

#29 Practical Joke (99-1)

#30 Quality Road (99-1)

#31 Street Sense (80-1)

#32 Tapit (80-1)

#33 Tiz the Law (80-1)

#34 Twirling Candy (80-1)

#35 Uncle Mo (80-1)

#36 Union Rags (99-1)

#37 Vekoma (99-1)

#38 Violence (40-1)

#39 Yaupon (75-1)

#40 All Other Sires (8-1)

In last year’s second Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool and Sire Future Wager, eventual Kentucky Derby 151 winner Sovereignty closed at 19-1 and his sire, Into Mischief, closed at 5-1.

There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager or Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager. If Churchill Downs officials determine during the duration of this week’s pools that one of the wagering interests experiences an injury, illness, or other circumstance that would prevent the horse from participating in the May 2 Kentucky Derby, betting on the individual horse will be suspended immediately.

Other Future Wager dates are set for Jan. 16-18 (Pool 3); Feb. 13-15 (Pool 4); March 13-15 (Pool 5); and April 2-4 (Pool 6). Pool 5 will include the Longines Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.

More information, Brisnet.com past performances and real-time odds on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be available before the pools open Thursday at KentuckyDerby.com.

DOWN THE STRETCH – On-track guests can pick up a free 2026 Churchill Downs Calendar presented by Humana on Friday on the second floor of the Clubhouse while supplies last. … Kentucky native Grayson Reynolds will be at the Churchill Downs Store on Friday between 2-4 p.m. to sign prints of her official art of the 2026 Kentucky Derby. … Trainer Greg Foley was one win away from 500-career victories at Churchill Downs. He had two entries in Races 2 and 7 on Thursday. … Trainer Bob Baffert has scratched 7-5 favorite Explora from Saturday’s $400,000 Golden Rod (GII). … Trainer Kent Sweezy stated he’ll keep several horses in Kentucky throughout the winter to compete at Turfway Park. He’ll also operate a barn in South Florida at Palm Meadows. … For the latest information about the Churchill Downs Fall Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com.