Imprimis to have another throat surgery
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Joe Orseno’s goal all season was to get Imprimis back to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint after he lost all chance a year ago in the race due to a very unlucky trip at Keeneland. But those plans have been shelved, with Imprimis back in Ocala where he was scheduled to undergo another throat surgery Monday.
Imprimis, who had to steady very sharply in traffic near the eighth pole before falling back to finish 13th in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, started just five times this season. He won his 2021 debut, the Janus Stakes, here on New Year’s Day. His best performance this season came in the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland when beaten a nose by Bound for Nowhere despite having broken through the gate prior to the start.
“He had tie-back surgery once before, but sometimes they fail,” Orseno said. “He’s as happy as he’s been in two years and training fantastic but it’s the Breeders’ Cup and you have to be at your best for those races.
“We’d have to ship to California and pay $50,000 to get him in, so we’ve decided to try fixing his throat again, give him a nice quiet campaign next season with the Breeders’ Cup on our schedule at the end of the year. He’s going to be 8 next year, but he didn’t make his first start until he was 4 and has only run 21 times, so soundness is not the issue.”