Disqualified a month ago, Imprimis would not be denied in Turf Sprint

Imprimis was taken down from a victory last month in the Troy Stakes at Saratoga, but on Saturday at Kentucky Downs he took down a much bigger prize, the $700,000 Runhappy Turf Sprint.

Rallying at least eight paths off the fence in a mad dash to the finish, Imprimis got up by a head in the final couple strides under Irad Ortiz Jr. Bombard, who set the pace, finished in a dead heat for second with Front Run the Fed.

The six-furlong Turf Sprint was the last race on an all-turf card hit with persistent rain that turned the course from firm at the beginning of the day to soft. The going appeared to be a struggle for many participants, and Imprimis might not have loved it, either. In the 5 1/2-furlong Troy, Imprimis sat third before attacking and going on to an easy win, only to be disqualified to third for interference at the eighth pole, but Saturday, Imprimis raced from well behind Bombard’s pace, staying wide around the race’s one long turn.

Eight horses lined up across the track as the field hit the quarter pole and started their run for the wire, and Ortiz had no choice but to go around. Imprimis picked up momentum, collared the lead at the furlong grounds, and pushed gamely past to register a narrow victory. The win not only helped ease the sting of the Troy, but Imprimis had suffered through a tough trip when fourth in this race a year ago.

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Stubbins, who tried to rally inside, finished fourth, followed by Kanthaka, who raced from the tail of the field and struggled to gain traction on the soft going. So, too, did Totally Boss, who won the race’s 2019 renewal but ran flat through the stretch this time.

Bound for Nowhere, who would’ve been among the shorter prices, was an early scratch.

The Runhappy Turf Sprint is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and Imprimis earned automatic fees-paid entry into the BC Turf Sprint in November. He finished sixth in the 2019 BC Sprint at Santa Anita, only returning to action in the Troy, but this year’s Breeders’ Cup is at Keeneland, where Imprimis won the Shakertown in April 2019 and was a good third last fall in the Woodford.

Imprimis paid $8 to win as the favorite. Joe Orseno trains Imprimis, a 6-year-old gelding by Broken Vow out of Shoppers Return, by Put It Back, for Breeze Easy LLC. Breeze Easy also won the $500,000 Juvenile Turf Sprint on Saturday with Outadore.