RACING CAREER

Imagination has never finished worse than second in six career tries. However, he has four place finishes and two wins instead of the other way around. Imagination took three attempts to break maiden, first failing at Delmar in November at six furlongs on the dirt. His second try was at eight furlongs, this time a bit closer to the lead and only losing by a neck. 

At the same distance on New Year’s Day, Imagination was moved to Santa Anita, finally being the aggressor and taking control of the race from the jump. He would continue this running style next time out in an allowance try, but was caught late at the wire for another narrow loss.

In the mile and one sixteenth San Felipe, Imagination only faced three other runners, one of which was also trained by Bob Baffert in Wine Me Up. With the best resume entering that race, Imagination went off as the odds on favorite, hitting the top of the stretch with a marginal lead over Wine Me Up. He dug in to get his first close win after a few where he wasn’t able to find the wire with the lead. 

Bob Baffert then entered this colt into the Santa Anita Derby where it appeared he would be the winner. As the leading Stronghold took control entering the stretch, Imagination made a late charge, dueling for the last sixteenth but unable to pass. Going past nine furlongs may not be advantageous for Imagination, who has had a few tough beats so far in his career in winnable spots.

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BLOODLINES

Entering stud in 2009, Into Mischief has become one of the most prolific sires in racing over the last half decade, now a four time champion general sire. With a slew of grade I winning progeny, Into Mischief has already produced a few incredibly successful Baffert trainees in Laurel River, Authentic, and Life is Good. His most interesting connection to the Preakness is that he sired Goldencents, who then sired Mystik Dan, who will battle with Imagination this Saturday. 

Almost as impressive is the pedigree on the bottom for Imagination in Magical Feeling by Empire Maker. Magical Feeling has foaled seven horses that have raced, with Exulting in 2013 and Occult in 2020 both having earned more than Imagination. Occult is the full sister to Imagination, with $461,450 in career earnings and the winner of the Monmouth Oaks last summer. As a runner, Magical Feeling was a graded stakes winner.

Imagination’s broodmare sire Empire Maker needs no introduction, as the dominant winner of the 2003 Belmont after skipping the Preakness following a place in the Kentucky Derby. Empire Maker had a successful career as both a sire and broodmare sire, siring 476 dams of 2,081 named foals of racing age before his passing in 2020. With these bloodlines, it is no wonder why Imagination ended up being sold as a yearling for $1,050,000.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

A sharp Friday morning work at Santa Anita for Imagination and Muth drew good reviews from Baffert, who told Pimlico News “They went five-eighths and they went out three quarters and they look good. They stayed together like last week. It was a nice, workmanlike work and I was happy with it.” 

Going 1:11.80 for six furlongs in tandem with the likely Preakness favorite should lead to optimism for Imagination’s upcoming performance. He will need to stretch out in distance to get the extra sixteenth after failing to win at nine furlongs last time out in the Santa Anita Derby.