Photo:

Ben Breland / Eclipse Sportswire

Magnitude not only led the whole way Saturday at Fair
Grounds, but the 43-1 long shot who drew widest in the field of 12 pulled away
for a 9 3/4-length upset in the Grade 2, $500,000 Risen Star Stakes, a virtual
win-and-you’re-in qualifier for Kentucky Derby 2025.

Ridden by Ben Curtis for trainer Steve Asmussen, the Not
This Time colt led huge exotic payoffs with Chunk of Gold, also 43-1, finishing
second. A winning $2 exacta bet was worth $2,629.40.

Click here for Fair Grounds entries and results.

Built (3-1) was caught late and settled for third, Vassimo (7-1)
fourth and American Promise (12-1) fifth in the race worth 50-25-15-10-5 Derby
qualifying points for the top five finishers. Post-time favorite East Avenue
(4-5) withered late and finished in a dead heat for 10th.

Adding five points he already earned, Magnitude has 55 qualifying points for an almost-certain berth in the May 3 running of the Kentucky Derby. He is second only to Citizen Bull, who has 60 points.

The winning time of 1:48.85 for the 1 1/8 miles
on the fast main track followed Magnitude’s pace-setting fractions of 23.42, 46.92,
1:10.95 and 1:36.13.

Magnitude paid $88.40, $33.00 and $14.80; Chunk of Gold $32.20 and $12.80; and Built $4.00. The $1 trifecta returned $6,850.90, and the $1 superfecta was worth $53,988.50.

It was the biggest Risen Star upset since I’ve Struck a Nerve won at 135-1 in 2013.

A $450,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September yearling
sale, Magnitude is owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and had won maiden and allowance
races as a 2-year-old. In stakes races, he finished seventh in the Iroquois
(G3) at Churchill Downs, second in the Gun Runner at Fair Grounds and sixth
last month in the Lecomte (G3), also at the New Orleans track.

This story will be updated by Ed DeRosa’s report from Fair
Grounds.