Imagining gives Phipps, McGaughey third straight Man o' War

Imagining soon put Frac Daddy away, only to find Real Solution looming into

contention at the top of the lane. First drifting out toward Real Solution

before ambling back in, Imagining kept finding more in resolute fashion. Real

Solution's bid stalled in deep stretch, as has become a tendency for him, and

Imagining edged three-quarters of a length clear. After negotiating 1 3/8 miles

in 2:14 1/5, Imagining furnished an $8.50 win mutuel.

"Shug told me there wasn't probably going to be a lot of speed in the race,"

Rosario said, "and he was coming off a couple of months off, so he'd probably

show some speed and he did. He's a game horse. Every time a horse came to him,

he's a fighter. I was really happy with him today."

Real Solution's rider, Javier Castellano, wished that more pace had been on

tap for his late runner.

"It wasn't a very quick race; I wish there would have been more pace. He's a

come from behind horse, unfortunately the pace was too slow; they were walking

in front. I tried to save some ground and come from behind, but it cost me the

race."

Trainer Chad Brown cited an additional factor in Real Solution's defeat.

"Javier was frustrated he got shuffled out of position," Brown said. "The

plan was to follow Amira's Prince the whole way, and when that horse just didn't

fire he sort of backed up into him and put him in a bad spot. He thought he had

to use him too much to get to (Imagining's) throatlatch in the stretch, and it

might have took a little bit out of him. He was high weight today as well. I'm

glad to see this horse round back into form. I was confident he would fire

today. If all is well, I'll bring him back in the Manhattan (Grade 1 on June

7)."

Grandeur, who gamely boxed on every step of the way on the inside, was just

another half-length astern in third. There was a gap of 2 3/4 lengths back to

Frac Daddy in fourth, followed by Vertiformer and the subpar Amira's Prince.

Lucayan was scratched.

Amira's Prince's non-effort left Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott wondering

whether something might have been amiss.

"He was having a good trip -- he just didn't run," Mott said. "We'll just

have to see if something shows up back at the barn. As far as the trip went, I

can't blame that."

"This was only his second race since November; he was sharp in the paddock

and he was training sharp so we felt like if he broke well, he'd probably be

right up there. He was able to hold off a couple of pretty nice horses running

at him and Joel did a great job of riding him. I thought it all worked out

really well.

"Hopefully we can run him in the Manhattan on Belmont Day."

A homebred foaled in Kentucky, Imagining was reared by the Grade 2-winning

Daydreaming, an A.P. Indy mare also responsible for the stakes-placed

Reflecting. Daydreaming is herself a full sister to Grade 1 winner Girolamo and

Grade 3 victor Accelerator. All were produced by Grade 3 winner Get Lucky, the

ancestress of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Grade 1 winner and Kentucky

Derby runner-up Bluegrass Cat.

Imagining's third dam is Grade 1 queen Dance Number, dam of 1989 champion

juvenile colt Rhythm. His fourth dam is 1971 champion juvenile filly Numbered

Account, who produced noted sire Private Account.

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