Imagining retains Red Smith trophy for Phipps, McGaughey

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.

"(Joel) let him settle in and get to the outside, which is where he wanted to

be," McGaughey said. "I was glad to see that; I said to myself when they were

going down the backside, 'I hope he punches from here' because it would be

something different for him. It was a pretty good bunch of horses; I think we're

moving on up."

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.

"There's a race out in California in about a month (the December 14 Hollywood

Turf Cup), or we may wait until Florida to run him," McGaughey said.

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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