Imagining Takes First Graded-Stakes Win

Until Saturday, it had been almost two years since the once-promising Giant’s Causeway colt Imagining had had any graded-stakes racing success. After a solid-second place finish in November 2011 in the Grade I Hollywood Derby – over a field that included future graded-stakes winners such as Slumber and Willcox Inn – Imagining has traveled far and wide to find that first win. He tried Grade II company at Woodbine and Pimlico, and a Grade I event at Belmont, but could do no better than also-ran status in any of those.

Imagining times perfect move to the front

While he did pick up a couple of wins in ungraded stakes, it looked like that was going to be the best he would do, until Saturday, when he dug in for a determined drive to capture the Grade III Red Smith Handicap on the Aqueduct turf. Stalking the pace for the first mile of the 1 3/8 miles race, he emerged from the pack in mid-stretch under steady urging from jockey Joel Rosario, cleared the field and then hung on for a half-length score over longshot Hangover Kid.

Filly runs well and comes close to second

Third place in the race went to the only filly in the 12-horse field, the Irish-bred Tannery, who has been racing in North America since mid-2012. Coming in off a win in the Grade I EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, Tannery trailed the field throughout and looked to be well-beaten still nine-lengths off the lead coming out of the turn. As the field turned for home, she moved to the outside and swept past all but two of the others, coming up just a nose short of second place. The 3-2 race favorite, Hyper, ran evenly throughout and could do no better than eighth.