Time to 'look ahead' with Imperial Hint, confirmed for Vanderbilt

Raymond Mamone's multiple graded stakes winner Imperial Hint is set to ship up to Saratoga this Thursday for a start in Saturday's Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt according to trainer Luis Carvajal, Jr.

The son of Imperialism worked a half-mile in 46.98 seconds at Parx Racing on Saturday, his first work since pulling a shoe in his prior work on July 7.

"He worked fantastic," Carvajal said. "He doesn't work well all the time, but he came out in really great condition and looks really good today, so now we can just look ahead and look forward to going up to Saratoga."

Imperial Hint will return after his neck victory over Whitmore in the Grade 2 True North at Belmont Park on June 8. The 5-year-old was perfect through four starts in his 4-year-old campaign before getting beat by a length by Roy H in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. 

Carvajal has endured a few bumps with his colt in the last few weeks leading up to the Vanderbilt, but an occasional stall mishap or loose shoe are all part of the job, he said.

"It's all the time," Carvajal noted. "A good horse is like that sometimes, they do things. It's a minor thing, but you always worry about it. It's always about timing. Something can always happen, but all is good. I'm really looking forward to his race. We'll ship up late Thursday, so the heat doesn't get to him. We'll jog him a few miles on Friday, and then on to the race."