Champions of the highest calibre Prepare for an epic showdown as Imagination and Stronghold collide for the very first time. On Saturday, a vibrant group of eight contenders stepped onto the track for the highly anticipated 87th edition of the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, covering a challenging distance of 1 1/8 miles.
Imagination, who was guided by the esteemed Bob Baffert, recently emerged victorious in the highly competitive G2 San Felipe, conquering a distance of 1 1/16 miles at the renowned Santa Anita racecourse on March 3. With an impressive win, his record now stands at 2-3-0 after five starts, accumulating a substantial $256,800 in earnings for the esteemed owners of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, and others.
Imagination, a product of the brilliant mind of Into Mischief, found its new home at the prestigious 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, where it was acquired for an impressive $1.05 million. In just his third outing, he triumphed by winning his first race, a one-mile event at Santa Anita on January 1. In the previous race, the San Felipe, Imagination came in second place, narrowly losing to the highly regarded stablemate Maymun in a high-level allowance race at a mile on February 11 at Santa Anita.
Renowned jockey Frankie Dettori, who previously guided Imagination to victory in the San Felipe race, will once again be in the saddle on Saturday.