Imaginationthelady takes the Edgewood in a 4-way photo, Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire
Churchill Downs Press
LOUISVILLE, KY – Mark Dobbin’s Imaginationthelady surged late to catch Tam Tam to prevail by a head in winning the 42nd running of the $600,000 Edgewood (GII) presented by Accenture for 3-year-old fillies Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Brendan Walsh and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Imaginationthelady completed the mile and a sixteenth on a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in a stakes-record 1:40.92. It is the second victory for Walsh in the race with the previous score coming in 2022 with New Year’s Eve.
Tam Tam led the field through fractions of :23.17 and :47.78 with Lion Lake (IRE) pressing just to her outside and Just Aloof just in behind the leaders on the rail.
At the top of the stretch, Tam Tam and Lion Lake reached even terms with Just Aloof making a three-wide move with Imaginationthelady moving right behind her.
At the sixteenth pole, there were four fillies across the track with Lion Lake holding a narrow edge over Tam Tam with Imaginationthelady driving in between runners to get the final advantage over a game Tam Tam in the shadow of the wire.
Now a winner of three of five starts and a two-time Grade II winner, Imaginationtheleady is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Not This Time out of the War Front mare Romanticism.
Imaginationthelady returned $6.88, $4.44 and $3.12. Tam Tam, ridden by Junior Alvarado, returned $16.54 and $9.54 and finished a head in front of Lion Lake who paid $4.10 to show under John Velazquez.
It was another head back to Just Aloof who was followed in order by Storm’s Wake, Indigo Woods, Time to Dream, Dandona, Connect the Stars, Bohemian, To a Flame, Lorilei Lee and Taken by the Wind.
EDGEWOOD QUOTES
Tyler Gaffalione (Jockey, Imaginationthelady, winner) – “I wanted to get position out of the gate and she responded to me well. They slowed it down a little bit down the backstretch and I lost a little ground there. She never hesitated when I put her through the spot and she finished off really well.”
Brendan Walsh (Trainer, Imaginationthelady, winner) – “I didn’t have any instructions for my rider (Tyler Gaffalione). He rides for me all the time and he knows what we want. This is a tribute to my whole team. They all work hard and this is the sort of thing that everyone enjoys. I’m not sure what’s next for her, but I’ve got a feeling she’s just going to get better.
“It was tight at the end. Tyler rode a great race. She was a little farther back than planned, but it worked out. We always thought she was a nice filly as a 2-year-old, and she’s only gotten better with age. I think her best races are still ahead of her.”
Junior Alvarado (Jockey, Tam Tam, second) – “It was a very good trip. She broke very sharp and put herself on the lead. I wasn’t going to take anything away that comes easy. She fought very hard until the end.”
John Velazquez (Jockey, Lion Lake (IRE), third) – “We had a good trip. I wish she would’ve relaxed a little bit better today, but she still put in a good effort.”
Flavien Prat (Jockey, Just Aloof, fourth) – “She put herself in the race. I was going to go to the lead and then some others to the outside were faster. I thought we were traveling well turning for home. We just couldn’t quite get there.”
