Magnitude Withdrawn From $20 Million Saudi Cup After Illness

Magnitude, the 4-year-old Not This Time colt trained at Fair Grounds by Steve Asmussen, will not run in the $20-million Saudi Cup on Feb. 14 after developing an illness. Trainer Steve Asmussen said the colt “spiked a fever” and “will not be making the trip from his Fair Grounds base to Florida, where horses are scheduled to ship to Saudi Arabia Monday morning.”

Magnitude had been a marquee U.S. entry after closing his 2025 campaign with a half-length victory in the Clark (G2) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28. The colt had returned to training with a strong morning work, breezing five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.40 on Jan. 29 at Fair Grounds, and connections had pointed him to the Saudi Cup following the Clark score.

Magnitude’s résumé includes a breakthrough Risen Star (G2) win at Fair Grounds as a 3-year-old, where he won by nearly 9 3/4 lengths, a July victory in the Iowa Derby (L) at Prairie Meadows, a third in the Travers (G1) at Saratoga in August, and a runner-up finish in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx in September. The colt’s withdrawal removes a multiple graded-stakes winner whose late-season form made him a legitimate international contender.

The Saudi Cup field announced by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia on Jan. 30 remains strong despite the scratch. Defending champion Forever Young, fresh off a Nov. 1 victory in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar and an Eclipse Award as champion older dirt male for 2025, headlines the Americans bound for Riyadh. Other U.S. horses expected to ship include Hit Show, described as last year’s Dubai World Cup (G1) winner and runner-up in the Clark; Nysos, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner; Nevada Beach, the Goodwood Stakes winner from Bob Baffert’s barn; Banishing, sixth in the recent Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes; Bishops Bay, winner of December’s Cigar Mile Handicap who was purchased for $1.3 million at the Keeneland sale by Pedro Lanz as agent for King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Sons and will race in KAS Stables’ colors; and Rattle N Roll, who returns for trainer Kenny McPeek after finishing fifth in 2025.

Magnitude’s late withdrawal highlights the fragility of international shipping plans and the logistical complexity behind the sport’s richest event. For owners, trainers, and commercial stakeholders, the Saudi Cup’s $20-million purse drives transcontinental campaigns and high-stakes inventory decisions; when a graded-stakes horse like Magnitude falls ill, it impacts travel manifests, wagering pools, and promotional narratives that the race market builds on elite matchups.

For fans and bettors, Magnitude’s absence alters race dynamics and thins American depth, but it also concentrates attention on Forever Young and other established stars. The immediate next steps are medical follow-up from connections and a final confirmation of the Saudi Cup entries; Steve Asmussen has not provided a recovery timeline. Watch for updated declarations and any revised shipping plans as trainers finalize their travel to Florida and onward to Saudi Arabia.