Imagination

Imagination, a son of top sire Into Mischief, was purchased for $1.05 million as a yearling by a large ownership group and made his first career start for trainer Bob Baffert on Nov. 11, 2023, finishing second in a six-furlong sprint at Del Mar.

The bay colt nearly won his next start when stretching out at Del Mar, losing a one-mile race by a nose on Dec. 2, and then graduated in career start number three, taking a one-mile event at Santa Anita Park by 1 ¾ lengths in his 3-year-old debut on Jan. 1, 2024.

Imagination next lost a one-mile allowance optional claiming race by a neck to stablemate Maymun on Feb. 11 but was still elevated in class for a start in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes March 3 at Santa Anita Park. He dueled with stablemate Wine Me Up through the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe and prevailed by a head under Frankie Dettori.

Imagination went to the $750,000 Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and was sent off as the favorite in an eight-horse field for his next start on April 6. Imagination battled gamely in the stretch in the Santa Anita Derby and suffered a close loss to Stronghold when forced to settle for second.

Imagination is out of the Grade 2-winning Empire Maker mare Magical Feeling and is a full brother (same sire [father] and dam [mother]) to Grade 3 winner Occult. He is also a half-brother (different sire [father], same dam [mother]) to two other stakes winners.