Preakness Stakes News | Imagination "Should Run Well"

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert made his first appearance at the Pimlico Stakes Barn Friday morning and he liked what he saw in Imagination, who will represent the Baffert barn in the 149^th running of the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) on Saturday.

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Imagination, owned by SF Racing LLC and partners, galloped 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Humberto Gomez.

“He looks fine, I really don’t have any excuses for him,” Baffert said of Imagination, the 3-1 second choice on the Preakness morning line behind Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan (8-5). “He should run well.”

Imagination has two wins and two seconds in four starts this year. In his last race, he was second in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), beaten a neck by Stronghold, who went onto finish seventh in the Kentucky Derby.

The son of Into Mischief will be ridden by Frankie Dettori in the Preakness. Baffert has not come out and said that Imagination will be on the lead in the Preakness. He has been close to it in all six of his career starts. He has four seconds, three of them being losses by a neck.

“If he gets out there by himself, I don’t know what he would do and how he would react,” Baffert said. “I am going to leave it up to Frankie. He’s on his own.”

Early in the year, Baffert had Triple Crown prospects like Nysos and Maymun and Muth leading his 3-year-old division. With all of them on the sidelines, Imagination has become the top active 3-year-old in the barn for now.

“His races have been good, but he needs to separate himself,” Baffert said. “He has not done it in his last races. He just hangs in there with them. Off his last work (six furlongs in 1:11.80 on May 10 at Santa Anita) I was very encouraged the way he is starting to realize that it’s OK to take off. He likes to get with a horse and then stays with them.”

Baffert owns the record for most Preakness wins with eight. He had a strong hand heading into this one as he also had Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Muth pointed to the Preakness, but he was declared out of the race on Wednesday after spiking a temperature of 103.

If Baffert is going to get No. 9, he needs Imagination to run the race of his life.

“He is going to have to step it up a level to be there with them,” Baffert said. “I am hoping this will be his coming out party race. We need him now with Muth out. We really, really need him badly.”

Baffert did say that Muth, who was the original morning-line favorite for the Preakness before being scratched, is doing better after the illness KO’d him from the race.

“He is sick,” Baffert said. “The blood work definitely said he has an infection going on, but the blood work was better today, so he is going in the right direction.”

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Horsemen will be offered $7.5 million in bonus opportunities as well as two qualifiers for races at Newmarket and Deauville come Preakness Day May 18 at legendary Pimlico Race Course.

In addition to their respective purses, a $5 million bonus awaits the owner or owners of the horse who wins the $2 million Preakness (G1), the $1 million California Crown (G1) Sept. 28 at Santa Anita, and the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in 2025.

Meanwhile, a $2.5 million bonus awaits the owner or owners of the horse who wins Pimlico’s $500,000 Dinner Party (G3), the $750,000 California Crown John Henry Turf (G2), and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

In addition, the winner of the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint will receive an automatic entry and travel incentive to run in the July Cup Stakes (G1) at Newmarket on July 13, while the winner of the Gallorette Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares on the turf will receive an automatic entry and travel incentive to run in the Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet (G1) at Deauville Aug. 18.

The Maryland Jockey Club will also offer bonus money totaling $100,000 bonus to trainers who run a minimum of five horses in the stakes races during Preakness weekend, and another $50,000 bonus for trainers with the most points in non-stakes during the weekend.