Imagination punches Breeders’ Cup Sprint ticket with SA Sprint Championship

ARCADIA, Calif. - Imagination was supplemented to Sunday’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship for $4,000 when entries were taken last Tuesday, three days after he zipped five furlongs from the gate in 1:00.

Impressed by the workout, trainer Bob Baffert thought the entry was worth a gamble with a colt who was a seven-figure yearling purchase. Imagination proved Baffert correct, rallying wide in the $201,500 Santa Anita Sprint Championship to end a seven-race losing streak in his first start since January.

With the win, Imagination earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

Dr. Venkman, who holds a fees-paid berth to the BC Dirt Mile, ran second, beaten 1 3/4 lengths. Dr. Venkman finished a half-length in front of Straight No Chaser, the 2024 champion male sprinter who was racing for the first time since April.

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Imagination ($13.20) won despite a wide trip that was not to the liking of jockey Juan Hernandez. Starting from the outside in a field of eight, Imagination was five wide on the backstretch, around the turn and entering the stretch.

“I was trying to get him down” inside, Hernandez said. “I was really wide and didn’t want to be that wide. I had no choice.”

Imagination was fifth on the backstretch, following 7-10 favorite Straight No Chaser, who set early fractions of 22.02 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.71 for a half-mile.

Imagination advanced to third with a furlong remaining, but still trailed Straight No Chaser, who had a two-length advantage over Dr. Venkman at that point. Straight No Chaser faded from contention late, while Imagination went by Dr. Venkman to reach the front in the final sixteenth.

Imagination ran six furlongs in 1:09 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97.

“He swung out and passed everybody,” Hernandez said. “Bob told me to ride him with a lot of confidence.”

Smooth Cruisein finished fourth, followed by Awesome Rhythm, Wound Up, Mbagnick and Speed Boat Beach.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship was the first start in the United States for Straight No Chaser since he won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar last November.

Earlier this year, Straight No Chaser ran in two $2 million races in the Middle East, winning the Group 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia in February, and finishing eighth of 11 in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai on April 5.

Jockey John Velazquez said after Sunday’s race that he is eager to ride Straight No Chaser in the same race this fall.

“I think he ran good,” Velazquez said. “Hopefully, it will make him ready for the Breeders’ Cup.”

Imagination, by Into Mischief, has won 3 of 13 starts and earned $603,700. Purchased for $1.05 million as a yearling, Imagination won the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes in March 2024 and was later second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. After losing his next six starts, including a seventh in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes in May 2024 and a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita last January, Baffert called a timeout on Imagination’s career.

“He needed freshening and we gave him a lot of time,” Baffert said.

“His work was sensational and I said, ‘I’ll run him in the Sprint.’ He’s more of a miler, but the freshening really helped him.”

Imagination is owned by a large partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and Stonestreet Stables.

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