Imperial Hint to have one more start before Breeders' Cup

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Luis Carvajal said he was “still on Cloud Nine” Sunday morning, one day after Imperial Hint gave him, owner Raymond Mamone, and the horse himself their first Grade 1 victory in Saturday’s $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes at Saratoga.

Imperial Hint, who won the Vanderbilt by 3 3/4 lengths, returned to Parx, where he is based. Carvajal said Imperial Hint would likely have one more start before the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs. Since Carvajal wants to keep Imperial Hint at six furlongs, the two likely options for him are the Grade 3, $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel on Sept. 15 or the Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh at Belmont Park on Sept. 29.

Carvajal said the timing of the De Francis is appealing because it will give him seven weeks between each of his next two starts. Imperial Hint won the Vanderbilt 50 days after he won the Grade 2 True North at Belmont Park.

However, the Vosburgh is a Grade 1 and offers a fees-paid berth in the Sprint as part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program.

“I’ll talk it over with Mr. Mamone, and then I’ll talk it over with Imperial Hint and see what he has to say about it,” Carvajal said. “He’ll have the final say.”

Carvajal said Imperial Hint came out of the Vanderbilt in good shape. Imperial Hint ran six furlongs in 1:08.98 while winning wrapped up under Javier Castellano.