Imprimis looks like old self in work

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Joe Orseno already had a notion to toss Imprimis’s last two starts, and he felt even more inclined to do it after watching his turf-sprint specialist breeze five furlongs in 47.55 seconds over the Gulfstream Park grass course Sunday.

With regular exercise rider Jay Glass aboard, Imprimis cruised around the wide dogs, completing his opening quarter in 25.02 before finishing full of run under light urging down the stretch and galloping out full of energy around the clubhouse turn.

Imprimis was an easy winner of the Silks Run Stakes here in March and the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland four weeks later. He has started twice since, finishing sixth in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and fourth earlier this month as the tepid favorite in the Grade 3 Runhappy Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs.

“My opinion is to draw a line through those last two races,” Orseno said. “He had to run straight up the hill at Ascot and over that up-and-down course at Kentucky Downs. When he hit the turf out here Sunday, he must have been thinking ‘Thank you guys, keep me on this and we’ll be fine.’

“I told Jay to let him break off easy, get himself together, then let him pick it up through the lane, and he finished strong and galloped out great.”

Imprimis will leave here next week for Keeneland, where he’ll have his final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in the 5 1/2-furlong Woodford Stakes on Oct. 5. Orseno said Paco Lopez, who has been aboard Imprimis in three of his last four starts, excluding the King’s Stand, will retain the mount.

“Paco had calls on horses in a few other places that day and made the decision to stick with us,” Orseno said.

Sunday was a big day for Glass. After working Imprimis in the morning, he headed to his afternoon job as a valet in the jockeys’ room. There, he watched his daughter Derby, an aspiring jockey, win a race for amateur riders at Parx Racing aboard the 9-2 Glenn’s Caper for trainer James Lawrence.

“Derby has had aspirations of being a jockey and went to New York earlier this year where she works for John Kimmel, who I think has helped her tremendously,” Orseno said. “She looked a little like a green bug girl in the race, but she jump-started her career and got a real taste of it. And by winning her first race, I’m sure she’ll be hooked for life. I wasn’t in the jocks’ room, but they tell me they were all rooting and cheering in there like it was the Kentucky Derby when she won.”

Orseno said that while Jay Glass opted to remain home to work Imprimis on Sunday, his wife, Stacey, who also rides for Orseno in the mornings, took the day off and traveled to Parx to watch their daughter ride.