Imagining Looks to Repeat in Man o' War

Phipps Stable's Imagining will look to repeat in the Grade 1, $400,000 Man o' War on Saturday at Belmont Park, where he will be met by a formidable field of six other turf runners.

The 1 3/8-mile Man o' War will be joined by a trio of stakes on Saturday, including the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan, which will serve as a springboard to the Belmont Stakes on June 6; the Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian Handicap, led by Grade 1 winner Princess Violet; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay, which will feature the return of Discreet Marq.

Imagining, a 7-year-old son of Giant's Causeway, has raced twice in 2015, finishing eighth in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in his seasonal bow, and then winning the Grade 2, 1 ½-mile Pan American at Gulfstream over Twilight Eclipse, who he will face on Saturday.

"His two races this winter were both good," said Imagining's Hall of Fame trainer, Shug McGaughey. "In [the Gulfstream Park Turf] he didn't break good and got too far out of it, and when he made his run he kind of got blocked and was only beat a couple lengths. I thought his race in the Pan Am was as good a race as he can run."

In last year's Man o' War, Imagining broke on top and led the field gate to wire over a course labeled "good," earning his first Grade 1 victory in the process.

"[Whether or not he makes the lead again] depends on how the race comes up," said McGaughey. "He can be there, but I also think he likes a target. In both his races this year he's been [off the pace], so hopefully there'll be something in front of him."

Imagining will break from the rail with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. He is listed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite.

Hardest Core, upset winner of last year's Grade 1 Arlington Million, is slated to make his 2015 debut in the Man o' War. Trained by Edward Graham for Andrew Bentley Stables, Hardest Core was purchased by Bentley in late 2013 with the intent to convert him to a jump horse, but instead the dark bay or brown gelding found himself in the winner's circle of the Arlington Million after just three races with his new connections. Following his breakthrough victory, the 5-year-old son of Hard Spun made only one more start in 2014, an eighth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf.

"We were all surprised when he won the Arlington Million," said Graham. "We knew he was doing well, but winning a Grade 1 was surprising. The Breeders' Cup didn't set up for him. He was on the outside and didn't get a chance to get covered up; we knew right away he wasn't going to win."

"He seems good [right now]; he's been in training since January and is training well," Graham added. "We thought it would be good to start him off in the Man o' War since it's close to home, and then we can go from there."

Hardest Core, 4-1 on the morning line, will depart from post 6 with Luis Saez in the irons.

Trainer Tom Albertrani will send out the ultra-consistent turf marathoner Twilight Eclipse. A 6-year-old son of Purim, Twilight Eclipse has hit the board in his past six races - four of which were Grade 1 events - and was beaten less than a length in three consecutive Grade 1 races last year, all behind 2014 Champion Male Turf Horse Main Sequence.

In 2015, Twilight Eclipse began his year with a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream, again behind Main Sequence, and then followed up the performance with a third in the Pan American.

Twilight Eclipse, who is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, sits at 3-1 on the morning line. He will be ridden by Javier Castellano from post 4.

Last year's Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap winner, Dynamic Sky, will go out for trainer Mark Casse and John Oxley. The dark bay or brown horse placed in a pair of Grade 1's in 2014 at Woodbine - a second-place finish in the Northern Dancer and a third in the Canadian International - before going on to score in the Red Smith. This year, his best finish came in the Elkhorn, in which he was second by a neck.

Cornelio Velasquez will be aboard Dynamic Sky, 5-1 on the morning line, from outermost post 7.

Rounding out the field are Comes the Dream, from the barn of George Weaver; Hyper, who is coming off a 1 ½-year layoff; and War Dancer, who finished third in an allowance race in his first start with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Source: NYRA Communications