Imperial Hint a Fortunate Impulse Buy for Connections

Owner Raymond Mamone likes to race a horse or two with trainer Luis Carvajal Jr., and if the 2-year-old filly he planned to race in late 2015 had been ready, Carvajal might not be at the Breeders' Cup with Florida-bred Imperial Hint.

Imperial Hint is scheduled to meet nine other speedsters in the six-furlong TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 4. Drawn on the outside, the 4-year-old colt is the 9-2 third choice on the morning line, behind favored and defending champion Drefong at 5-2 and Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G1) winner Roy H at 7-2.

"I was at Tampa Bay Downs one winter, and I went to look at Mr. Mamone's 2-year-old," Carvajal said. "She didn't look ready, so I told him to bring her back next year as a 3-year-old. But I saw this little tiny horse that looked really good on the track galloping. He had this attitude and that special look in his eyes."

That 2-year-old colt, Imperial Hint, is out of Royal Hint, a mare Mamone bred and raced to two wins in six starts in 2003. Mamone had given the mare to his friend Bert Pilcher Jr., who bred her to the Langfuhr  stallion Imperialism to get Imperial Hint.

"Why don't you just ask the guy how much he wants for the colt so that you have a horse to race?" Carvajal told Mamone.

The gift of the mare knocked down the price of the colt, and Mamone had a horse to race over the winter.

"He looked like he was going to be a runner from the first time I had him on the track," said Carvajal. "I never had a doubt that he was going to be a good horse."

Imperial Hint began his career at Tampa Bay Downs in early 2016, breaking his maiden by 4 1/4 lengths and then winning the Ocala Breeders' Sales Sophomore Stakes by 6 3/4 lengths. He is currently on a five-race winning streak that has garnered him stakes trophies at Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park, and Parx Racing. Each of his eight lifetime victories have been by daylight.

"He had a couple of issues in a couple of races when I went to Kentucky and Belmont," said Carvajal. "But we got over that. He's been proving himself. He is the horse I always thought he would be."

Carvajal is a former jockey who currently has eight horses in training. He has never saddled a horse in the Breeders' Cup and had never before been to Del Mar. He shipped Imperial Hint to Del Mar Oct. 24 to give the colt time to acclimate. Exercise rider Pedro Castillo and groom Rafael Barrera complete the team at Del Mar.

Carvajal has already reconnected with several former jockeys he rode against, such as Jerry Bailey and Richard Migliore.

"This is the horse who has been taking me a lot of places," he said. "Hopefully, this guy opens more opportunities for me. That's your dream, that you'll hopefully get that 2-year-old who will take you places like this."