Hardest Core in Man o' War vs. Imagining

One of the most unlikely grade I winners of 2014 will make his season debut May 9 at Belmont Park, with 2014 Arlington Million (gr. IT) winner Hardest Core running in the $400,000 Man o' War Stakes (gr. IT) against last year's Man o' War winner Imagining.

Hardest Core, a 5-year-old son of Hard Spun   trained by steeplechase conditioner Eddie Graham for Andrew Bentley Stables, upset multinational group- and grade I-winning invaders Magician   and Side Glance to land the Arlington Million at odds of 11-1 last August.

NOVAK: Hardest Core Makes Jump in Arlington Million

That victory capped a five-race win streak at distances from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/2 miles on the lawn and sent Hardest Core to the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), where he finished eighth after setting a rapid pace. Imagining was seventh, besting Hardest Core by half a length.

Off since that Nov. 1 event, and having been brought back into training by Graham after spending the winter turned out in Pennyslvania, the Arlington Million winner will step straight into the highest level of competition for his first start of the year.

"He's doing great," Graham said. "He's been in training since January, so he's right where we want him. He had a great winter. We jogged him on uphills for six weeks before he started galloping. His work was great the other day."

Hardest Core turned in his final drill for the Man o' War May 3, when traveling five furlongs in 1:02 2/5 over Fair Hill's Tapeta surface under Jody Petty. His only other work was a week prior, over the same track and distance and in identical time—by design, as the majority of Hardest Core's work happens at Graham's farm over its rolling hills.

"He's much stronger-looking this year than last year and his body looks much more mature," Graham remarked. "That's one of the reasons why I gave him a little time off. He's still growing. Everyone thought he was big last year, but I think he's even bigger now."

The very patient Graham is in no hurry to map out too much of a plan, but does have the 2015 Arlington Million in the back of his mind.

"We would love to go back (to the Million)," he said. "It was a great experience. For right now, I'm playing it race-by-race. We'd like to go back if at all possible. For now, we'll wait and see how this race goes."

Hardest Core will have to take down Imagining among seven runners entered for the Man o' War, run at 1 3/8 miles on the inner turf. Winner of last year's edition, the 7-year-old Giant's Causeway   homebred did not find victory again in five grade I races after taking the Man o' War, but finally won again in the 1 1/2-mile Pan American Stakes (gr. IIT) March 28 at Gulfstream Park, when dropped to a grade II last time out by Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

BOSSERT: Imagining Breaks Through for Pan Am Victory

West Point Thoroughbreds' multiple graded stakes winner Twilight Eclipse, who ran third in the Breeders' Cup Turf and was third in the Pan American in his most recent start for trainer Tom Albertrani, completes the field along with grade II winner War Dancer; grade II winner Hyper, making his first start since November of 2013; grade III winner Dynamic Sky; and allowance winner Comes the Dream.