Hot List Graded Stakes Review: Man o’ War Stakes
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Imagining led from start to finish in the Man o’ War Stakes on Sunday at Belmont Park. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
By Bill Cloutier
There are horses for courses and trainers with the magic touch. Sunday’s Man o’ War Stakes was a study of both.
Imagining led from start to finish to win the 1 3/8-mile, Grade 1 event at Belmont Park, giving trainer Shug McGaughey his third straight victory in the Man o’ War. It was also the fifth win in eight starts at Belmont for Imagining who paid $8.50 to his backers.
Imagining appeared to pale a bit in class compared with the rest of the field that was reduced to six after France’s Lucayan scratched. But, despite having never won a Grade 1 race, he was still our Hot List choice as we banked on McGaughey’s expert handling and Imagining’s success on the strip. McGaughey won the race with Point of Entry in 2012 and Boisterous in 2013.
It was the sixth time in Imagining’s his 16-race career that Imagining was given at least two months rest between races and he’s now won five of those starts and finished second the other time. Ridden by Joel Rosario, the 6-year-old held off a stretch challenge from Real Solution to complete the hat trick for Phipps Stable and McGaughey. Real Solution was second and European invader Grandeur was third.
On turf rated as good, Imagining controlled the pace. Grandeur was content to run along the hedges alongside race favorite Amira's Prince. Frac Daddy tried make a run at Imagining at the mile marker but was quickly repelled leaving Real Solution as the lone threat, but Imagining showed plenty of grit in the final 200 yards to win by three-quarters of a length.
Imagining earned a Hot List grade of B for his effort as we feel that he fits best in just the conditions that he won on Sunday. He’ll need a lengthy event and plenty of rest to return to the winner’s circle next time out and is ticketed for the Manhattan. No other horse earned a Hot List recommendation.