HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Raymond Mamone’s Imperial Hint continues to please trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. with his preparation for a return to action in Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
The 6-year-old son of Imperialism breezed five furlongs in 59 seconds Sunday morning at Tampa Bay Downs under assistant trainer Alejandro Contreras.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad or so-so work. Usually, he puts effort in the work, even though he’s settling and doing everything himself,” Carvajal said. “That was a good work this morning.”
Sunday morning’s move was the third bullet workout in a row since the ‘Little Rocket’ was scratched on the morning of his scheduled run in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Nov. 2.
“He’s been very sound. He had a small issue with his foot, but it’s not a concern,” Carvajal said. “It was a mild thing.”
Imperial Hint will seek his third straight graded-stakes win in the Mr. Prospector, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up. The Carvajal trainee, who captured the 2017 Smile Sprint (G3) in his only start at Gulfstream, captured the Sept. 28 Vosburgh (G1) at Belmont Park after shattering a Saratoga track record in the July 27 Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1), in which he ran six furlongs in 1:07.92.
Imperial Hint is on course for clash with X Y Jet in the Mr. Prospector. Prior to his back-to-back Grade 1 victories, Imperial Hint finished third behind X Y Jet in the $2.5 million Golden Shaheen (G1) on the March 30 Dubai World Cup (G1) undercard at Meydan.
X Y Jet, who hasn’t raced since his Golden Shaheen win, is scheduled to breeze at Palm Meadows Training Center for a final Mr. Prospector tune-up.
“These workouts now are just to keep him happy,” trainer Jorge Navarro said.
Owned by Rockingham Ranch and Gelfenstein Farm, X Y Jet has breezed five times at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, for his highly anticipated return to action.
Via Gulfstream Park Press Release
