Imagination Rallies from the Back for a Stunning Victory in the Dirt Sprint
- Turf Diario
- hace 11 minutos
- 3 Min. de lectura
The Bob Baffert trainee made up significant ground in the stretch to secure the win and a "Win and You're In" berth for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special Correspondent for Turf Diario in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (From a special correspondent).– Dirt speed once again spoke with an American accent. The Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2), boasting a $2 million purse, fell once more into the hands of an elite raider: Imagination, the Bob Baffert trainee who confirmed his class on the grand stage of the Saudi Cup night.
Defending the colors of Starlight Racing and a powerful ownership consortium, the son of Into Mischief arrived with top-tier credentials: a runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) and an exceptionally high reputation within the California stable. However, the race did not start smoothly. Under the guidance of Flavien Prat, he broke somewhat flat from post 9 and sat near the rear of the field during the first 750 meters of the 1,200-meter contest.
While Just Beat The Odds (Munnings), American Stage (Into Mischief), and Muqtahem (Soldier's Call) set the early tempo, Imagination traveled behind a wall of kickback, biding his time. With 450 meters to go, Prat angled him out seven-wide to launch the attack. The closing kick was sustained and powerful.
One by one, Imagination picked off his rivals, eventually taking command at the wire to win by three-quarters of a length over Just Beat The Odds, who in turn held off Muqtahem for third by a similar margin. The winning time was 1:12.00.
This marked his fourth win in 15 starts and Baffert's second success on a Saudi Cup night, following Pinehurst’s (Twirling Candy) Saudi Derby win in 2022—also in the same silks.
“Now we can pay for the trip back,” Baffert joked, true to his style. “We knew we brought a good one. He’s not a great breaker and we were worried about that. We thought he would like this track.” He then added a technical insight into his confidence: “He’s a miler, and to run well over the 1,200m here, you need a miler. We’ve always held him in high regard. He’s improving all the time.”
The trainer admitted to some nerves while his horse was eating dirt at the back: “I had moments of anxiety back there, but when he turned into the stretch, I knew he had a chance. Still, you never know. Normally I hate this stretch because my horses empty out at the 100-meter mark. Today, instead, he was just getting started.”
Baffert also took a moment for personal reflection, thanking his team, his wife Jill, and celebrating his recent status as a grandfather. “It’s a very special night,” he summarized.
Prat explained the decisive maneuver: “He broke a step slow and I got squeezed, but when we turned, I felt very confident. He was traveling very well and responded strongly. Bob has always liked him a lot. It took him time to mature, but he’s getting better and better.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., second aboard Just Beat The Odds, was satisfied with the effort: “He ran huge. He fought until the end, but they caught us at the wire.” Muhammad Aldaham, third with Muqtahem, acknowledged the international quality: “It was a very tough race, with strong horses from America and Japan.”
