Imagination (USA) gets the better of Just Beat The Odds (USA) in the Group 2 USD$2 Million Riyadh Dirt Sprint presented by Saudi National Bank. Credit: JCSA // Mathea Kelley
Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
The Group 2 USD$2m Riyadh Dirt Sprint presented by Saudi National Bank once again went to a highly regarded American interloper, this time trained by Bob Baffert Imagination (US)a 5-year-old son of Into Mischief in the colors of Starlight Racing.
They co-own the horse with SF Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan.
Bay broke relatively slowly under Flavien Prat from post 9 and was at the tail of the field for the first 750 meters of the 1200 meter test before launching his bid on the 450 meters before turning home seven wide and then steadily picking up the leaders. Just Beat the Odds (USA), American stage (USA) And Muqtahem (IRE).
At the line, the now four-time winner of 15 starts and runner-up of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint in his final start won by three-quarters of a length from Just Beat The Odds, who was a further three-quarters in favor of Muqtahem.
Imagination finished in 1:12.002 to become Bob Baffert’s second winner of the Saudi Cup night, after 2022 Saudi Derby winner Pinehurst (USA), who wore the same colours.
Quotes
Bob Baffert, trainer, Imagination, 1st: “Now we can afford to go home! We got a good one there. He missed the break. He’s not a good gate horse and we were concerned about that. We thought he would like this job.”
“He’s a miler and you need about a miler to get to six furlongs[1200metershereyouneedahorsedateandmilesonequartercangotogoheremilesoneeighthThishorsewehavebeenveryhighuponhimHecamesecondendBreeders’CupbuthewillbecomethedsbetterIhadafewanxiousmomentstherebecausehegotdirtybutoncehewenthomeIknewhehadagoodchanceofbeingabletogetzenbutyouneverknow[1200mhereandyouneedahorsewhocangoamileandaquartertogoamileandaneighthhereThishorsewehavebeenveryhighonhimHeransecondintheBreeders’Cupbuthe’sgettingbetterandbetterIhadsomeanxiousmomentsbacktherebecausehewasgettingdirtbutonceheturnedforhomeIknewhehadagoodchanceandwouldbeabletorunthemdownbutstillyouneverknow[1200meterhierenjehebteenpaardnodigdateenmijleneenkwartkangaanomhiereenmijleneenachtstetegaanDitpaardwezijnerghoogophemgeweestHijwerdtweedeindeBreeders’CupmaarhijwordtsteedsbeterIkhebdaareenpaarangstigemomentengehadomdathijvuilwerdmaartoenhijeenmaalnaarhuisgingwistikdathijeengoedekanshadeninstaatzouzijnomzeneertehalenmaartochweetjehetnooit[1200mhereandyouneedahorsewhocangoamileandaquartertogoamileandaneighthhereThishorsewehavebeenveryhighonhimHeransecondintheBreeders’Cupbuthe’sgettingbetterandbetterIhadsomeanxiousmomentsbacktherebecausehewasgettingdirtbutonceheturnedforhomeIknewhehadagoodchanceandwouldbeabletorunthemdownbutstillyouneverknow
“Usually I hate the stretch here but today I liked it. Normally my horses start to give up when they reach 100 meters but he just got going. Brilliant ride from Prat. You have to have a really good horse to win here and they have to show up on this big night. I’m just happy for the whole crew, the ‘Avenger Crew’, the winning owner. Shout out to my wife Jill who is watching at home and I’m a grandfather now, so shout out out to Porter, my new grandson. It’s all very exciting.’
Flavien Prat, jockey, Imagination: “He broke a step slowly and then I was put under pressure, but I had a lot of confidence when we made the turn. He rode very well and pedaled well. I think he will keep getting better. Bob has always loved him, it took him some time to figure it out, but with time he just gets better and better.”
Irad Ortiz Jr, jockey, Just Beat The Odds, 2nd: “Yes, I ran big. He tried to the end. He was fighting, before I went home I had a horse around me and he jumped on the bit and I thought I had a horse. I waited a few more jumps and then I started to go but got stuck on the wire. He ran big, I’m happy with him.”
Muhammad Aldaham, jockey, Muqtahem, 3rd: “It was a tough race, there were strong horses from America and Japan. I’m happy, we will try to win the next race.”
Jerry Chau, jockey, Self Improvement, 11th: “He just got cut off after the jump. He couldn’t pick up after that.”
Mirai Iwata, jockey Yamanin Cerchi, 12th: “I was able to take a good place, but he didn’t show a different acceleration than I expected. I thought he could run better. I was disappointed with the result.”
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