Imagination dazzling in Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2)

Imagination roared past last year’s sprint champion Straight No Chaser in deep stretch to win the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) on Sept. 28.

The victory in the Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ race earned the 4-year-old Bob Baffert trainee an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), which will be held Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Away from the races since January, Imagination was unhurried while Straight No Chaser set the early pace. With no choice but to go four-wide on the turn, Imagination turned for home about four lengths off the lead. He was bumped by a foe in upper stretch, but was full of run the rest of the way and blew past the field to win under a hand ride.

“We freshened him up. He needed a freshening,” said Baffert. “We gave him a lot of time. He looks beautiful, he has filled out and his work was just sensational the other day. I just thought, ‘you know what, I am just going to run him in the Sprint’. There is not a race for him for another three weeks, but this will set him up. He’s always been a good horse. He’s a little quirky but that is his thing.”

Imagination, who is now 3-5-2 in 13 starts and has earned $603,700, is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Masterson, Robert E., Waves Edge Capital LLC, C Donovan and T Ryan.