Imagining Gets the Edge in Pan American
Millionaire Imagining ended a five-race drought with determined victory in the $150,000 Pan American Stakes (G3). Sent off as the 5-2 second choice to even-money chalk Twilight Eclipse, the 7-year-old horse engaged the favorite on the final turn, and the two warriors waged battle for a furlong before Imagining asserted himself late to secure victory by three-quarters of a length. He was timed in 2:26.32 for the 12-furlong Pan American.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Imagining broke from post three and secured a ground-saving trip in fourth as longshot Change of Command showed the way from Twilight Eclipse through soft fractions. Ortiz guided Imagining to the outside after the opening six furlongs were completed in 1:14.33, and the duo ranged up into contention with a three-wide move on the last turn. Twilight Eclipse fought back gamely, but Imagining would not be denied, and redeemed himself after a pair of unplaced efforts for trainer Shug McGaughey.
“It was a good trip," Ortiz offered. "I was on the inside, saving ground, and on the backside, I brought him outside and he just dragged me. He finished good, he was ready.”
Pyrite Mountain rallied belatedly to edge Twilight Eclipse for runner-up honors.
Campaigned by breeders Phipps Stable, Imagining earned his first graded victory in the 2013 running of the Red Smith Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct. He opened 2014 with a second in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) before wiring the field in the Man O' War Stakes (G1) at Belmont in May. A son of Giant's Causeway, Imagining was second by a head to champion Main Sequence in the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. He ran third to that star in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (G1), but could only manage seventh in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), and never lifted a hoof under regular rider Joel Rosario in the February 7 running of the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1).
"I'm very pleased," McGaughey said. "It had been a little while since he'd won. I could maybe attribute a little bit of that to the Sword Dancer last summer, when he ran against Main Sequence. I think he left it all out there that day. I liked the way he got on his toes in the paddock today, and I thought Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] rode a terrific race on him. I thought maybe if he broke good, he might be stalking the horse that was on the lead, but Twilight Eclipse and some of them wanted to go to, so [Ortiz] just kind of got him and left him down in there, and he got relaxed with him, and then he swung him to the outside, and it was a great race from the 3/8ths-pole to the wire. It was two very, very good horses running together, so I was very pleased."
Imagining has now won nine of his 22 career starts, with five second-place finishes and a third. His earnings stand at $1,095,394. He is a son of leading sire Giant's Causeway and the A.P. Indy mare Daydreaming.
"This was just sort of the next logical spot for him (after running in seven straight Grade 1 races)," McGaughey added. "We're just tickled to death with his efforts. Sometimes, when they get to be 7 years old, you get to wondering, 'Are they still there?' But he showed me today that he still was.
"As a trainer, you always wonder, and I was wondering today, 'Well, does he really want to run 1 1/2 mile? Maybe I have to back him up a little bit.' But he still does. We'll keep him in the longer races and just try to have some fun with him this summer."