Imagining seeks second straight Grade 1 in Manhattan

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Shug McGaughey won the Manhattan last year with Point of Entry. But despite capturing the Grade 1 fixture for the third time, McGaughey still has mixed emotions when talking about the race.

“Good memories on Saturday afternoon, bad memories Sunday morning,” said McGaughey, referring to the discovery the morning after the race that Point of Entry had suffered a condylar fracture in his left hind cannon bone.

McGaughey is looking for some more good Manhattan memories on Saturday when he sends out the late-developing Imagining in quest of his second straight Grade 1 victory. The 1 1/4-mile Manhattan, whose purse was raised to $1 million this year, serves as the lead-in to the Belmont Stakes and drew a field of 10 that includes Grade 1 winners Seek Again and Real Solution.

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Imagining, 6, is from the same crop as Point of Entry. He was slowed by some nagging injuries early in his career but blossomed a year ago winning four of six starts, including the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap. Imagining has run twice this season, finishing second behind rail-skimming longshot Lochte in the 1 1/8-mile Gulfstream Park Handicap before becoming a Grade 1 winner for the first time when leading throughout to capture the 11-furlong Man o’ War here four weeks ago.

“I thought his last race was a good one coming off a long layoff over a soft course he probably won’t like as good as a firm one,” said McGaughey. “He’s always run well at Belmont, and hopefully we’ll get it firm on Saturday. He’s trained well and I’m looking forward to the race.”

McGaughey said Imagining is versatile enough to win with just about any kind of trip. He led throughout to capture the Man o’ War but came from eighth position to take the Red Smith.

“He can pretty much dictate what he wants to do,” said McGaughey. “He’s just a free-running horse. You have to leave him alone and keep him in the clear.”

McGaughey said it’s impossible to compare Imagining with Point of Entry.

“I think Point of Entry was as good a horse as I’ve ever had,” said McGaughey. “Imagining had a couple of little things wrong that cost him from being a good horse early on, but those are all behind him now.”

Seek Again is coming off a huge effort in defeat when extending Wise Dan through a furious stretch duel before dropping a frustrating head decision to the two-time Horse of the Year. The outing was the first for Seek Again, a Juddmonte Farms homebred, since being transferred to trainer Bill Mott’s barn and the second since he was sent to the U.S. in December to capture the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby.

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Real Solution has not won since he was placed first via the disqualification of The Apache in the 2013 Arlington Million. A homebred son of Kitten’s Joy owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Real Solution was beaten less than a length by Imagining in the Man o’ War despite a very eventful trip.

“It was unfortunate to get beat like that in the Man o’ War,” said trainer Chad Brown. “Our plan was to follow Amira’s Prince the whole way but then that one missed the break and spit the bit at the three-eighths, forcing us to go around him.”

Brown said Real Solution is too good a horse to not have crossed the finish line first in seven U.S. starts.

“I still like this horse a lot,” said Brown. “People say he’s a hanger and all that. He may have gotten into some battles where he hasn’t passed a horse in the lane but I think in some different situations, considering the excuses he’s had, he may have.”

Grandeur, who may have hung a bit himself when finishing third in the Man o’ War, will race on Lasix for the first time in the Manhattan and gets a new rider with Gary Stevens replacing Julien Leparoux.

Boisterous, third behind Wise Dan and Seek Again in the Turf Classic; The Grade 1-placed Kaigun; the hard-knocking and consistent Hey Leroy; the speedy Five Iron; Rookie Sensation and Chamois complete the well-matched lineup.