Imagination and Muth (inside) work in company. (Benoit Photo)
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
BALTIMORE, Md. – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s candidates for the 149th Preakness (G1) May 18 at Pimlico Race Course, Muth and Imagination, had their final timed workouts in preparation for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, covering six furlongs in tandem in 1:11.80 Friday morning at Santa Anita Park.
“They went five-eighths, and they went out three quarters and they look good,” Baffert said. “They stayed together like last week. It was a nice, workmanlike work and I was happy with it.”
Muth, owned by Zedan Racing Stables, secured his second Grade 1 victory in the March 30 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. Imagination competes for the partnership of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan. In his most recent race, he was second by a neck to Stronghold in the April 6 Santa Anita Derby (G1).
Baffert is the most successful trainer in Preakness history with eight victories in 26 starts. Five of those wins came with horses that won the Kentucky Derby and continued on to Baltimore. However, Baffert said he frequently did move on to the Preakness with runners that did not do well at Churchill Downs in the opener of the Triple Crown series.
American Pharoah winning the Preakness for Baffert on his way to the Triple Crown. (Maryland Jockey Club photo)
“There’s some horses that didn’t get a chance to run in the Derby that it took a week for them to bounce out of it,” Baffert said. “If they’re doing well, run them in the Preakness. I’ve been lucky and horses that didn’t run well, they got wiped out or something, and they came back. It’s sort of, like, to prove that ‘Look, he was the best horse in the Derby,’ and that’s your chance to validate it. It happened with Point Given. It happened with Lookin At Lucky. Those two horses validated that they were the best of their crop.”
Last year, National Treasure was Baffert’s first Preakness winner that did not run in the Derby. Muth and Imagination are new shooters in the Preakness, too, because Churchill Downs did not allow Baffert to enter horses in the Derby.
Muth and Imagination are scheduled to ship to Pimlico Race Course on Tuesday. Juan Hernandez, Muth’s regular rider, will have the mount in the Preakness. International star Frankie Dettori will ride Imagination in the third-consecutive race.
Join the Coach at the Alibi Breakfast Thursday, May 16 to ‘Boast, Toast and Roast!’
The Alibi Breakfast features an annual gathering of horsemen and media to celebrate the Preakness and to solicit interesting race predications. It has also become an opportunity for the Maryland Jockey Club to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the racing industry. Click for tickets.
