Imagining retains Red Smith trophy for Phipps, McGaughey

Phipps Stable and trainer Shug McGaughey won the Grade 3, $250,000

Red

Smith Handicap for a third consecutive year on Saturday, this time with

Imagining, a five-year-old Giant's Causeway horse who was winning for the first

time in graded company.

Breaking from post 2 in the 1 3/8-mile turf fixture at Aqueduct, Imagining

was taken back and then worked his way to the outside and in the clear under

Joel Rosario. Up front, Mission Approved carved out fractions of :25, :50 4/5,

1:16 4/5 and 1:41 3/5 while being chased by Nutello.

In mid-pack passing the stands for the first time, Imagining advanced to

third entering the second of three turns while continuing to rate well off the

rail. When the tempo began to quicken after a mile, Imagining was well poised to

make a solid bid outside the tiring leaders.

Seizing control from a weakening Mission Approved just inside the eighth

pole, Imagining dug in gamely and held off the late, wide rallies of both 23-1

chance Hangover Kid and the filly Tannery to win by a half-length in a time of

2:18 2/5.

The 3-1 second choice, Imagining paid $8.30, $4.70 and $4.10.

Hangover Kid edged Tannery by a nose for second, with 94-1 longshot Slip and

Drive 1 3/4 lengths farther back in fourth. Completing the order of finish were

Sky Blazer, Artic North, Howe Great, 3-2 favorite Hyper, Mission Approved,

Exclusive Strike, Sandyinthesun, and Nutello. Scratched from the field were

Quick Casablanca and the main-track-only Percussion.

Imagining follows in the hoofsteps of former stablemate Boisterous, who

landed the 2011 and 2012 renewals of the Red Smith. Boisterous was sold by his

connections for $350,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on

November 5.

A maiden-winning veteran of only three starts when a close second in the 2011

Hollywood Derby, Imagining was subsequently unplaced in graded stakes outings

like the 2012 Nijinsky at Woodbine and the Dixie at Pimlico this past May, both

of which he started as the favorite.

On either side of a sixth-place effort in the September 28 Joe Hirsch Turf

Classic Invitational, Imagining recorded wins in a pair of overnight stakes: the

$100,000 Idle Rich at Saratoga in late August and the $100,000 Bowl Game at

Belmont last month. His record now stands at 14-7-3-0, $513,114.

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 traces back to 1971 champion juvenile filly Numbered Account, whose

descendants also include noted sire Private Account, Grade 1 queen Dance Number,

and 1989 champion juvenile colt Rhythm.

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