Imperial Hint officially booked for Dubai Golden Shaheen

Imperial Hint was part of an American contingent booked on an overseas flight this week to the March 30 Dubai World Cup program at Meydan after trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. pronounced the 6-year-old horse “ready to go” following a bullet five-furlong workout Friday at his Tampa base.

Imperial Hint was scheduled to ship Monday to Gulfstream Park before joining a handful of other Dubai-bound horses on a Tuesday flight out of Fort Lauderdale.

Imperial Hint has had two works since finishing third at Tampa in the Feb. 16 Pelican and being found to have soreness in his right front foot. But Carvajal said the foot is no longer a factor and he expects a far more representative effort in the $2.5 million Dubai Golden Shaheen at six furlongs.

Imperial Hint was named Horse of the Year for 2018 by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association at its annual awards dinner March 11 in Ocala.

◗ A $27,500 allowance for 3-year-olds will open a 10-race card as the nominal feature when another four-day week begins Wednesday at Tampa. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

The next major date at Tampa is March 31, Florida Cup Day, when six Florida-bred stakes worth $115,000 apiece will be run. Closing day of the main portion of the 2018-19 meet is May 5.