Imagination wipes no hunter in the play. (Benoit photo)
With the victory, Imagination earned a reimbursement covering on the Breeders’ Cup Sprint
Santa Anita Press Box
Arcadia, making California-Het from his first start since the end of January, the imagination shocked the on-track crowd on Sunday in Santa Anita when he strives for champion, not a hunter in deep stretch and winning the degree II, $ 200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship. With the victory, Imagination earned a reimbursements for paid berth for the $ 2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint November 1 in Del Mar.
Straight No Chaser (3-5), the ruling champion Sprinter of North America, hung to the early lead with John Velazquez on board and completed an opening quarter in 22.02 seconds. The imagination (5-1), with Juan Hernandez up, broke in the middle of the field, but then soon fell back to the second to in favor.
Straight No Chaser reported half a mile in 44.71 seconds and then reached the eighth pool in 56.71 seconds with a clear advantage of 2 ½ length. But the disposal of a rally at the extreme outside was the imagination, which did not put a hunter in the last sixteenth of a mile and won with 1 ¾ lengths.
“When I asked him to pick it up, he waved outside and passed everyone,” said Hernandez, who previously worked on the map with Baffert to win the Gii Zenyatta with Cavalieri. “This horse has talent. Bob said that I had to ride this horse with great faith. He worked really well and he was right. He did it very easily.”
Dr. Venkman (4-1), winner of the Gii Pat O’Brien previous time-out for trainer Mark Glatt, also went straight ahead no Chaser in the lately under Umberto Rispoli.
Imagination, trained by Bob Baffert, won in a time of 1: 09.00.
“We gave him a lot of time,” Baffert said about the dismissal of Imagination. “He looks beautiful. He has filled it up and his work was just sensational recently. I thought, you know what, I’m just going to lead him in the sprint. There is less than three weeks a race for him. But this will put him on. He has always been a good horse. He’s a bit quirky but that’s his thing.”
Regarding the Straight No Chaser, which is being trained by Dan Blacker for owner My Renpaard, he made his first start since April 5 in Dubai.
“I thought he was going well,” said Velazquez. “It was a long time ago. Hopefully he will be ready for the Breeders’ Cup.”
The imagination had not started since January 25 when he finished fourth in the Gii San Pasqual who went 1 1/8 miles in Santa Anita. His only earlier effort last year had the Gii San Felipe from last year 1 1/16 miles in Santa Anita.
Imagination is a 4-year-old foal through in disaster from the magical feeling of the Mare Mare from the Empire maker. He was purchased for $ 1,050,000 at the yearling sale of September September September September. Imagination is campaigned by an extensive partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket stables. With the victory, he improved to 13: 3-5-2 with $ 600,700 in income.
Imagination paid $ 13.20, $ 5.00 and $ 2.80. Dr. Venkman returned $ 4.20 and $ 2.40. Straight No Chaser paid $ 2.40.
Live racing resumes on Friday in Santa Anita with a map of nine races from 1 p.m. The program has a robust transfer of $ 104,929 in the $ 1 superhigh offered on the ninth and last race.
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