Imperial Hint takes first step toward another BC Sprint appearance in Pelican Stakes

Luis Carvajal Jr. has waited more than three months for Imperial Hint to set things right. “The Little Rocket,” as Carvajal has nicknamed his stable star, didn’t put his best foot forward when finishing third as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Now the road to redemption begins with his first start since that letdown.

Imperial Hint, with Antonio Gallardo to ride, will make his 6-year-old debut as a heavy favorite Saturday in the $100,000 Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla. The six-furlong Pelican is designed as a prep for the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 30 in what Carvajal hopes will be a championship season.

“A trainer like myself, we’re always looking to find a horse like this one,” Carvajal said. “Our plan was to come here to Tampa for the winter and give him a race, and hopefully we’ll get to Dubai. I’m very excited.”

The Nov. 3 BC Sprint at Churchill Downs was difficult for Carvajal and owner Ray Mamone to swallow. Imperial Hint, the 8-5 choice, raced in midpack for much of the way and labored home five lengths behind the victorious Roy H. Carvajal said he thinks Imperial Hint “doesn’t like Churchill too much.” Still, he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 99, and now has posted Beyers of 99 or higher in 10 of his last 12 starts, putting him among the elite North American sprinters.

Imperial Hint’s first breeze since the Breeders’ Cup, four furlongs in a bullet 47.40 seconds on Jan. 3 at Tampa, assured Carvajal the horse was ready for another season.

“We are putting that behind us,” Carvajal said of the Breeders’ Cup. “Since we got down here, he’s been training super. I was waiting for that one work after the Breeders’ Cup to see if he still had the fire in him, and it was unbelievable.”

Imperial Hint has had four well-spaced workouts at Tampa ahead of the 35th Pelican, which goes as the seventh of 11 races on a Saturday card that starts at 12:43 p.m. Eastern. Post time for the Pelican is 3:46.

Imperial Hint should have no excuse. He breaks from the outside post versus five opponents. His most capable rival appears to be Tricks to Doo, who tuned up with an easy allowance score last month for trainer Arnaud Delacour. Tricks to Doo breaks from post 3 with Declan Cannon to ride. The rest of the field is Sweetontheladies, Hollis, Old Time Revival, and Killybegs Captain.

The purse for the Pelican is actually $75,000, with a $25,000 bonus available to the winner if he is a registered Florida-bred. Imperial Hint qualifies.

Well-matched Minaret field

Unlike the top-heavy Pelican, its filly and mare counterpart, the $50,000 Minaret (race 9, 4:50), has no clear-cut favorite among a field of nine.

Heavenly Score, working bullets for trainer John Terranova, looks like the class of the group, but the gray mare has been away more than six months and will need to overcome the tricky one-hole. She will be ridden by Pablo Morales.

Other logical contenders in the 38th Minaret include Abounding Joy, also entered off a lengthy layoff, and an uncoupled duo for leading trainer Gerald Bennett – Silly Factor, 11 for 24 lifetime, and Pink Mama, 16 for 33.

◗ Jockey Daniel Centeno was fortunate to escape serious injury Wednesday when he was thrown from his mount in the eighth race, R Baby Driver, who appeared to shy from the whip in deep stretch when seemingly on his way to victory. The race was won instead by Goforthegusto, a 113-1 shot, followed by Spin Boy at 69-1.