Imagining Takes the Win at the Red Smith Handicap

Imagining Takes the Win at the Red Smith Handicap

Jockey Joel Rosario and Graded Stakes Winner, Imagining, took the win and the $250,000 purse beating out the competition at a close ½ length margin at this year’s 2013 Red Smith Handicap race. The race was for three-year-olds and up and was set at 1 3/8 mile on a firm turf course at the Aqueduct Race Track.

In second, was Hangover Kid, who had a big late push and was just a nose margin ahead of Tannery in 3rd place at a margin of 1 ¾. The favorite for this race, Hyper, never challenged and came in at 8th place. Imagining took the lead in midstretch and was able to turn that into a win. He settled midpack and then picked up a speed with only about a furlong of the race left.

Five-year-old Imagining broke slowly at the beginning of the race, and jockey Joel Rosario reported to Horse Racing Nation, “I thought he’d be racing on the lead or in second, but he broke a little slowly and I had to race behind horses…They weren’t going all that fast, and we were able to move up. I asked him turning for home, and he gave it to me.”

This makes it the third consecutive win of the Red Smith Handicap for Shug McGaughey, the Hall of Fame trainer who currently works with Imagining, though it is the first win for 5 year old Imagining, who is 3-4 for his past four starts.

2013 Red Smith Handicap Results & Payouts:
2 Imagining Joel Rosario 8.30 4.70 4.10
8 Hangover Kid Irad Ortiz, Jr. 16.20 9.70
6 Tannery (IRE) Alex O. Solis 4.30
Also ran: 4 – Slip and Drive , 5 – Sky Blazer , 1 – Artic North , 9 – Howe Great , 11 – Hyper , 10 – Mission Approved , 3 – Exclusive Strike , 7 – Sandyinthesun , 12 – Nutello
Scratched horses: Quick Casablanca, Percussion

Red Smith Handicap 2013 Replay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za9PccTRcoU