Imagination

This past season, Eclipse Award voters were forced to choose between the season-long body of work assembled by Atlantic Six Racing's Book'em Danno (g, 5, Bucchero--Adorabella, by Ghostzapper) and the brilliance shown in a pair of big-figure victories achieved by Bentornato (Valiant Minister), capped by success in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. That contest was purposely given a pass by the Book'em Danno team. Book'em Danno prevailed in one of the closest battles on Eclipse evening, and on Saturday afternoon at Saratoga, the argument was settled--belatedly--on the racetrack, as Book'em...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - When it's a big race day, you'll find Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Saturday is a big race day at Saratoga Race Course. Seven graded stakes--six of them Grade Is worth $5.9 million. Of course, Baffert is going to be here. He doesn't have a horse in the $2-million GI Belmont Stakes, but he has an impressive trio--Nysos (Nyquist), Crude Velocity (Beau Liam) and Imagination (Into Mischief)--running on the undercard. Nysos and Crude Velocity are both 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard.' "It's a big...

With a smashing five-length victory in the G3 Capella Stakes at Nakayama in December, Tomoya Ozasa's T O Elvis (Volatile) earned a place in the field for the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in February. Connections elected to take a pass on that 1200-meter test--won by Imagination (Good Magic)--to give the colt more time to prepare for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at the back end of March. But owing to the ongoing hostilities in the region, T O Elvis's trip to Meydan was called off at the 11th hour and...

An additional quartet of Grade I contests and a Grade I-quality renewal of the GII Pat Day Mile highlight Saturday's Kentucky Derby undercard races at Churchill Downs. Knightsbridge Rates Top Billing In Churchill Downs S. A field of 11 comes together for yet another compelling renewal of the $1-million GI Churchill Downs Stakes, a seven-furlong contest in which Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Knightsbridge (Nyquist) goes in search of a maiden top-level success while looking to extend his current winning streak to five. A half-brother to Grade I-winning...

Shortly after Journalism (Curlin) worked five furlongs in company at Santa Anita Sunday, trainer Michael McCarthy said he is looking at three potential races to kick off the colt's 4-year-old campaign. Last season's GI Preakness winner could return in either the GII Oaklawn Handicap or GIII Ben Ali at Keeneland, both on Apr. 18, or wait for the GII Alysheba at Churchill Downs on May 1. "All three of those races are in play," McCarthy said. Both the Oaklawn Handicap and Ben Ali are 1 1/8 miles. The Alysheba is...

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert sent out a talented fleet of workers Saturday morning at Santa Anita Park, led by G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint victor Imagination (Into Mischief), while multiple Grade I winner Journalism (Curlin) continued his march toward a return with his own five-panel move. In addition to Imagination, who worked three furlongs in :37.60 (8/10) for the first time since his win in Saudi Arabia, the Baffert brigade included Cherokee Nation (Not This Time); 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Cornucopian (Into Mischief); and Desert Gate (Omaha Beach)....

by Christina Bossinakis & Patrycja Szpyra Cherokee Nation (Not This Time) took six starts to break his maiden, but he'd been facing quality rivals in the lead up to his graduation party last Friday. Now, his connections report that elite contests are in the colt's future with their eyes specifically turned toward the GI Santa Anita Derby. "When the kids go to school, they have fancy Friday and [last] Friday was a fancy Friday for us," said co-owner Tom Ryan. "We're typically looking at Saturday afternoon, but we were very...

In the week leading up to the Saudi Cup meeting, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert lamented to anyone who would listen about just how taxing those final 100 meters at King Abdulaziz Racecourse can be on the equine athletes. And he's certainly got the right to take that position, given that the likes of Mucho Gusto and Charlatan couldn't quite see it out in the G1 Saudi Cup, while Havnameltdown was just tagged after a long stretch duel in the G3 Saudi Derby a few years back. Pinehurst did...

At an unspecified date in the future Saudi Arabia will have a brand new racecourse at Qiddiya City, which will eventually host the Saudi Cup, according to an announcement made earlier this week. But for now the world's richest race belongs in Riyadh. Development has continued apace at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, which has now been in operation for 24 years. Much has changed, even in the short history of the Saudi Cup, both to the infrastructure at the racecourse and in the status of some of the contests. The Saudi...

RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA -- Bob Baffert may have won two Triple Crowns, six Kentucky Derbys, 21 Breeders' Cup races, and four Dubai World Cups but there is an itch that still needs to be scratched: the Saudi Cup. "We've gotten pretty close," he said Thursday morning from King Abdulaziz Racecourse, and he's not wrong. Baffert has been represented in five of the six runnings of the world's richest race and has finished second twice, with Charlatan (Speightstown) then Country Grammer (Tonalist). Last year was his sole omission, and...

DEL MAR, Calif. - Bentornato (Valiant Minister) avenged his too-good-to-lose second at last year's Championships with a powerful, front-running performance in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar. Imagination (Into Mischief) just held off Dr. Venkman (Ghostzapper) for second. Last year's Sprint winner Straight No Chaser (Speightster) tired to seventh. The 8-5 favorite provided back-to-back Breeders' Cup winners for trainer Jose D'Angelo and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who also teamed up for a popular win with 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Shisospicy (Mitole) one race earlier on the...

Imagination (Into Mischief) showed an electric turn-of-foot in the lane to overhaul the defending champion and claim his automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup by way of the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes. Back at the six furlong distance for the first time since his debut two years ago at Del Mar, the Bob Baffert trainee had predominantly been a two-turn horse in his career and had two elite-level placings last year to his credit--once in the spring in the GI Santa Anita Derby when he came a neck...