Imperial Hint breezes twice prepping for comeback
Imperial Hint, who came down with pneumonia after shipping to Dubai in March for the $2 million Golden Shaheen on World Cup Day, is back on the Parx Racing work tab for trainer Luis Carvajal Jr.
Imperial Hint worked a slow three furlongs in 37.58 seconds on May 27 and then picked up the pace last Saturday, going a half-mile in 48.32.
“He’s doing fantastic now,” Carvajal said. “I have three works left for him, and I think he will be ready to run.”
Carvajal and owner Ray Mamone have been discussing possible comeback spots for Imperial Hint, a winner of 6 of 10 starts and $349,000. Imperial Hint has won three stakes, including the Grade 3 General George at Laurel Park in February.
“We are about 80 percent sure we will be sending him to Gulfstream Park for the Smile Sprint,” Carvajal said.
The Grade 3 Smile Sprint has a purse of $250,000 and will be run at six furlongs July 1.
Carvajal, who has a small stable based at Parx, has won three races there recently. On May 23, he sent Malekith out for a $177.40 upset in a $5,000 claiming race. Dexter Haddock, a 10-pound apprentice, was aboard.
“The horse always cheats, so I put a bug boy up on him and told him to ride like the race was a quarter-mile,” Carvajal said.
Malekith’s victory was not the biggest upset of his career. In 2007 at Gulfstream Park, Carvajal won a $16,000 maiden-claiming race with Running Super Star, who paid $310.80.