Before they met their elders, 4-year-olds at Santa Anita Park used to compete in the full Strub Series of the Malibu, San Fernando, and Strub Stakes. Four-year-old Imagination must go from sprinting against his own age group to meeting his seniors at 1 1/8 miles in the Jan. 25 San Pasqual Stakes (G2) as there is just one grade 1 race left, the Malibu, which runs seven furlongs. The Bob Baffert trainee will not be facing more experienced runners for the first time. Two races ago, Imagination finished second to 7-year-old Tarantino, who has also been entered in the San Pasqual, in a 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claimer at Santa Anita.
Imagination is a $1,050,000 Keeneland yearling and the son of Into Mischief. He has won one stakes race, the 2024 San Felipe Stakes (G2). But he frequently comes close. He finished third to Muth and Indispensable in the Sept. 1 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, third in the Dec. 26 Malibu, and only a neck behind Stronghold in the 2024 Santa Anita Derby (G1). After riding Imagination once in the Shared Belief, Kazushi Kimura makes a comeback for the San Pasqual starting at post 5. A number of 4-year-olds, including Express Train in 2021, have won the San Pasqual since the Strub Series’ end. He might win the event a third time, which has never been done before. Express Train recorded consecutive runs in 2021–2022. He would follow Super Diamond in 1988 and Ancient Title in 1978 as the only 8-year-old winners.
In 1948, Olhaverry took it at the age of nine. In the Dec. 26 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes (G2), Express Train, trained by John Shirreffs and will be ridden by Hector Berrios from post 3, exits a fourth. Tarantino (second), American Admiral (third), and Katonah (sixth) are the other competitors in the San Pasqual field from that race. As a 2-year-old in 2020, Tarantino started in Baffert’s barn and made two starts for him, winning and placing second in the Zuma Beach Stakes. Tarantino has since gone through multiple stable changes, including two claims. Tarantino, who was purchased by current trainer Peter Eurton for $40,000 last summer, has won twice and placed second in two stakes in his four starts for Eurton. The rail was drawn by Tarantino in the San Pasqual and gets the services of Edwin Maldonado.
Baffert also started American Admiral, though Tim Yakteen has conditioned the 7-year-old gelding since mid-2021.
The American Admiral won the Mt. Diablo Stakes at Pleasanton two starts ago. Reylu Gutierrez has been selected by Yakteen to ride from position 6. Midnight Mammoth is another San Pasqual competitor who began with Baffert. He is currently being trained by Craig Dollase, and Armando Ayuso will ride from post 2. Midnight Mammoth led the 1 1/2-mile Cougar II Stakes (G3) at Del Mar this past summer, winning by 10 1/4 lengths. The field is completed by stakes winner Katonah (Tiago Pereira, post 4) and stakes-placed Don’t Fight the Fed (Mario Gutierrez, post 7).
