Imperial Hint shows his heart in Vosburgh repeat

ELMONT, N.Y. – It wasn’t the cakewalk many figured to be, but perhaps in five weeks the connections of Imperial Hint will look back and be glad their little horse had to work hard to win Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park.

Passed by Firenze Fire – himself a Grade 1 winner over this track – in midstretch, Imperial Hint battled back along the inside and won a bob over that foe to take the Vosburgh by a nose. It was 9 3/4 lengths back to Brown Buckeye in third. American Power finished fourth.

Promises Fulfilled and Call Paul were scratched.

Each of the past two years, Imperial Hint went into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint off of easy victories in his start prior to that race. That included last year, when he won this race by 1 1/4 lengths under wraps. So far, Imperial Hint is 0 for 2 in the Breeders’ Cup.

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Saturday, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. took Firenze Fire out of his typical off-the-pace style to put him within 1 1/2 lengths of the pacesetting Imperial Hint through a quarter in 22.11 seconds and a half-mile in 44.65 seconds.

Turning for home, Imperial Hint appeared to be moving easily under Javier Castellano, but Firenze Fire was on the attack. Firenze Fire put a head in front at the eighth pole and it looked like he would pull off the upset.

But Imperial Hint, on the rail, battled back and with the colts' heads bobbing toward the wire, Imperial Hint’s was on the wire first.

Imperial Hint, a 6-year-old son of Imperialism owned by Raymond Mamone and trained by Luis Carvajal Jr., covered the six furlongs in 1:08.35 and returned $2.50 as the 1-4 favorite. He improved his record to 14 wins in 23 starts and won his 11th stakes, fourth Grade 1.

“He can win by 10 or he can win by a nose,” Castellano said. “He showed me today he’s a fighter. [Firenze Fire] surprised him a little bit and he hesitated a little bit. He got his stride back, got his momentum, and he came back again. That makes a special horse.”

Ortiz said because there was no one else to run with Imperial Hint he had to take Firenze Fire out of his comfort zone.

“There’s no speed in the race and that’s the horse to beat, so I had to go for it,” Ortiz said. “I take my horse out of his [style], he probably he doesn’t want to do that.”

Carvajal said he was worried in midstretch when Firenze Fire passed Imperial Hint but he expected his horse would fight back.

“I knew this horse always had heart,” Carvajal said. “He seemed like he was way too comfortable and he was going to make it look easy and Firenze Fire came back on the outside and he got surprised by that horse. I know he’s small, but you can see he has heart.”

Imperial Hint was scheduled to leave Belmont by van Saturday night back to his home base at Monmouth Park before he ships to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 2 in mid-to-late October. He earned an expenses paid trip to the Breeders’ Cup as the Vosburgh was part of the Win and You’re In program.

“You don’t have to do much now after this race or if you had more time or had an easy race,” Carvajal said. “This will be enough.”

Imperial Hint became the fifth horse to win back-to-back runnings of the Vosburgh. He joined a list that includes Joe Schenck (1940-41), Dr. Fager (1967-68), Sewickley (1989-90), and Private Zone (2013-14).