Imagination Takes On Elders in San Pasqual

In earlier times at Santa Anita Park, 4-year-olds had the entire Strub Series of the Malibu, San Fernando, and Strub Stakes in which to compete before meeting their elders. The Malibu, a seven-furlong grade 1 event, is the only one remaining, and thus 4-year-old Imagination must go from a sprint against his own age group to meeting his elders at 1 1/8 miles in the Jan. 25 San Pasqual Stakes (G2).

It won’t be the first time against older runners for the Bob Baffert trainee. Two races back, in a 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claimer at Santa Anita, Imagination ran second by a head to 7-year-old Tarantino , who has also been entered back in the San Pasqual.

A son of Into Mischief and a $1,050,000 Keeneland yearling, Imagination has one stakes victory to his credit: the 2024 San Felipe Stakes (G2). But he gets close often. He was only a neck behind Stronghold in the 2024 Santa Anita Derby (G1), third to Muth and Indispensable in the Sept. 1 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, and third in the Dec. 26 Malibu. Kazushi Kimura, who has ridden Imagination once, in the Shared Belief, returns for the San Pasqual from post 5.

Since the demise of the Strub Series, several 4-year-olds have won the San Pasqual, including Express Train in 2021. He could accomplish something never done: win the race for a third time. Express Train captured back-to-back runnings in 2021-22. He would follow Super Diamond in 1988 and Ancient Title in 1978 as the only 8-year-old winners. Olhaverry took it at age 9 in 1948.

Express Train, trained by John Shirreffs and to be ridden by Hector Berrios from post 3, comes out of a fourth in the Dec. 26 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes (G2). Others in the San Pasqual field from that race are Tarantino (second), American Admiral (third), and Katonah (sixth).

Tarantino began in Baffert’s barn, starting twice for him with a win and a second in the Zuma Beach Stakes as a 2-year-old in 2020. Since then, Tarantino has changed stables several times, twice through claims. Current trainer Peter Eurton claimed Tarantino for $40,000 last summer, and in four starts for Eurton, Tarantino has won twice and finished second in two stakes. Tarantino drew the rail in the San Pasqual and gets the services of Edwin Maldonado.

Baffert also started American Admiral, though Tim Yakteen has conditioned the 7-year-old gelding since mid-2021. Two starts back, American Admiral captured the Mt. Diablo Stakes at Pleasanton. Yakteen has named Reylu Gutierrez to ride from post 6.

Another San Pasqual entrant who started with Baffert is Midnight Mammoth , now trained by Craig Dollase, with Armando Ayuso to ride from post 2. At Del Mar this past summer, Midnight Mammoth won the 1 1/2-mile Cougar II Stakes (G3) by 10 1/4 lengths, leading throughout.

Stakes winner Katonah (Tiago Pereira, post 4) and stakes-placed Dont Fight the Fed (Mario Gutierrez, post 7) round out the field.