Imperative targeting Gold Cup, Breeders' Cup Classic

ARCADIA, Calif. – Imperative, the upset winner of the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in West Virginia last month, will skip Saturday’s $200,000 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita, trainer George Papaprodromou said.

Imperative will be pointed for the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 28, the trainer said. The long-range goal is the Breeders’ Cup Classic here Nov. 1.

“We’ll go for the Gold Cup, and we’ll take it step by step,” Papaprodromou said. “Hopefully, we can get to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Papaprodromou said Imperative could run in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 24. Owned by Kenji Morinaga, Imperative, a 4-year-old gelding, has won 3 of 15 starts and $1,134,620.

Imperative was claimed for $50,000 by Morinaga last December at Hollywood Park. Imperative has earned $1,079,450 this year. Prior to the Charles Town Classic, Imperative was second in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes in February and seventh behind Game On Dude in the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 8.

Imperative outfinished Game On Dude in the Charles Town Classic, winning by 1 1/2 lengths.

Game On Dude is nominated for the Californian but is being pointed for the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert said. Game On Dude won the Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park in 2012 and 2013. The race was transferred to Santa Anita this year following the closure of Hollywood Park last December.

The Grade 2 Californian is run over 1 1/8 miles. The list of probable starters is led by Fury Kapcori, who has won four consecutive starts, including the Grade 3 Precisionist Stakes over 1 1/16 miles here May 3. Other candidates are Clubhouse Ride, Handsome Mike, Sky Kingdom, and Storm Fighter.