By Alan Carasso
Mark Dobbin's Imaginationthelady (Not This Time) was pulled out to deliver her challenge entering the final furlong of Friday's $600,000 GII Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs and came with a stinging rally three off the inside to prove best in a four-way photo.
Sent off the 12-5 favorite to improve for a narrow defeat at the hooves of the re-opposing Storm's Wake (Oscar Performance) in Keeneland's GII Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 4, Imaginationthelady was taken in hand by Tyler Gaffalione and settled three back on the fence as Sanibel Island Stakes winner Tam Tam (Medaglia d'Oro) set modest fractions in advance of Lion Lake (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), beaten only a neck into third in the Appalachian. The well-bet Just Aloof (Justify), a neck behind Lion Lake at Keeneland four weeks ago, drafted in just behind the leading group.
Imaginationthelady continued to saved every inch at the rail, pinched good ground at the fence as they raced into the final 2 1/2 furlongs and was produced in the three path passing the midstretch marker, with Tam Tam and Lion Lake still trading punches up front. Gaffalione kept after Imaginationthelady and shoved her across the line first just ahead of Tam Tam. Lion Lake settled for third and Just Aloof, furthest away from the inside, finished fourth while not beaten far for all of it.
A maiden winner at first asking going a mile across the undulations at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 4, Imaginationthelady belied odds of 10-1 to take the Jessamine and was a sound fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar Oct. 31. Drawn nine of 10 in the Appalachian, Imaginationthelady sat a wide trip and came running late, only to fall just short.
Pedigree Notes:
The Lyster Family's Ashview Farm was the name on the docket when Romanticism, a daughter of seven-time Grade I winner Sightseek, sold for $280,000 in foal to Kantharos at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. Their asset soon appreciated in value when the mare's foal of 2019, Benissimo (Pioneerof the Nile), picked up black-type in the 2022 Riley Allison Derby, while Imaginationthelady's year-younger half-brother Juris Doctor (Constitution) closed out 2025 with a runner-up effort in the Woodchopper Stakes at the Fair Grounds.
The dam of GSP Raison d'Etat (Distant View), Sightseek–winner of the 2003 GI Humana Distaff–is a half-sister to four other winners out of the French MSW & GSP Viviana, including dual elite-level scorer Tates Creek (Rahy), herself the dam of Australian MGSW Spirit Ridge (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}); Flourish (Distorted Humor), whose son Fulsome (Into Mischief) made this track's GIII Matt Winn Stakes one of his four graded successes; and the dam of French Classic winner Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy).
Romanticism two most recent offspring are a 2-year-old colt by Liam's Map and a filly by Muth foaled Mar. 10.
IMAGINATIONTHELADY and jockey @Tyler_Gaff weave through traffic to bring in the 42nd running of the G2 Edgewood Stakes for trainer @brenpwalsh!#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/ZuF9Gs0rIx
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 1, 2026
Friday, Churchill Downs
EDGEWOOD S. PRESENTED BY ACCENTURE-GII, $589,500, Churchill Downs, 5-1, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.92, fm.
1–IMAGINATIONTHELADY, 120, f, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Romanticism, by War Front
2nd Dam: Sightseek, by Distant View
3rd Dam: Viviana, by Nureyev
($300,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Mark Dobbin; B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $355,120. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $830,270. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Tam Tam, 118, f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Princess Julia, by Distorted Humor. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($975,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG). O-Rigney Racing LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer. $115,200.
3–Lion Lake (Ire), 120, f, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Urjuwaan (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire). (€150,000 Ylg '24 GOFORY). O-Emcee Stable LLC; B-Camas Park, Lynch Bages & Summerhill (IRE); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $47,600.
Margins: HD, HD, HD. Odds: 2.44, 20.36, 5.30.
Also Ran: Just Aloof, Storm's Wake, Indigo Woods (Ire), Time to Dream, Dandona, Connect the Stars, Bohemian, To a Flame, Lorelei Lee, Taken by the Wind. Scratched: Lovely Grey.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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