Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Features $500,000 Purse and Infield Opening

The Razorback Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park carries a $500,000 purse over 1 1/16 miles and draws seven older horses in Race 10 of the 11-race card on Saturday, Feb. 28, with a probable post time near 5:00 p.m. Central. Oaklawn will open its infield for the first time this season, weather permitting, and the race doubles as a local prep for the Oaklawn Handicap on April 18.

Magnitude, the program favorite at 9/5, starts from post 5 for trainer Steven M. Asmussen with Jose L. Ortiz aboard and will carry top weight of 123 pounds. Asmussen confirmed the decision to reroute after the colt developed a fever the week he was to ship to the Saudi Cup, saying, "It’s Plan B. We had planned on going to the Saudi Cup. He got a temperature right before he was scheduled to fly over there. Obviously, treated him and he got over it. Two solid works since and we’re excited to get his year started." Magnitude last raced Nov. 28, winning the Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs, and is being pointed toward the Dubai World Cup on March 28.

Nu What’s New, the 4-year-old bay by Munnings, is the early second choice at 2/1 and breaks from post 4 with Rafael Bejarano named to ride and 115 pounds assigned. Trained by James P. DiVito, Nu What’s New arrives off back-to-back Oaklawn victories - a Dec. 26 maiden score by 7 1/2 lengths and a Feb. 5 allowance romp by 12 1/2 lengths - with Equibase speed figures of 104 and 109 for those races. He carried 124 pounds in his most recent win and drops nine pounds for the Razorback, a move that Usracing flagged as making him "dangerous if the pace melts."

Sandman returns to Oaklawn in post 7 for Mark E. Casse with Cristian A. Torres up and 120 pounds. The 4-year-old gray by Tapit is one of two millionaire stakes winners in the field and captured the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn last March, but has not won since that race and has not finished in the top three since running third in the Preakness. Sandman has been back on Oaklawn's work tab since Dec. 12, logging a Dec. 19 five-furlong breeze in 1:00 4/5, a bullet five-furlong work in :59 3/5 on Dec. 27 with Torres aboard, and an easy five furlongs in 1:02 on Jan. 20. Casse noted that the presence of front-runners Nu What’s New and Magnitude could create a pace setup helpful to Sandman; Casse also leads the Oaklawn trainer standings through Feb. 23 with more than $2 million in purses, 18 wins from 45 starts and 31 top-three finishes.

Tap Into This is listed 4/1 from post 1 for trainer Steven M. Asmussen and jockey Erik Asmussen, Gould’s Gold is 8/1 from post 6 with Emmanuel Esquivel up for Kenneth G. McPeek, and longshots Woodcourt and Echo Again each show 15/1 on the morning line. The card opens at 12:20 p.m. Central and the Razorback presents a compact, quality field with clear implications for Dubai and the April Oaklawn Handicap.