Fate and/or luck, take your choice, often spells the difference between great success and epic failure. In the case of Imagination , some silence at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale turned out to be quite fortunate for “The Avengers” and company. That silence came after the group put in a bid of $1,050,000 for a son of Into Mischief out of the Empire Maker mare Magical Feeling .
“Had someone bid again, we’d be at home Saturday,” said Tom Ryan of SF Racing and SF Bloodstock. “That was our final bid.”
The 2023 Preakness was surely a challenging test as $4.8 million earner National Treasure prevailed by a head over Blazing Sevens for trainer Bob Baffert and the ownership combo of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.
They return Saturday for the 149th Preakness with Imagination, the 3-1 second choice in the revised morning line.
Baffert, now a record eight-time Preakness winner, said Imagination has the potential to win a classic like the Preakness if he continues to move forward. “He’s going to have to bring his ‘A’ game and improve off the Santa Anita Derby,” Baffert said. “But he’s getting better. I’m bringing a nice horse there. I’m excited about it. It should be a good, competitive race.