Imagination Rallies From Near-Last to Win G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint for Baffert

Imagination, a 5-year-old son of Into Mischief trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and ridden by Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat, came from near-last to capture the $2,000,000 Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Feb. 14, clocking an official time of 1:12.002 and defeating Just Beat the Odds by three-quarters of a length to secure a Win and You’re In berth to the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland. The victory pushed Imagination’s career bankroll to $2,143,700 and was earned while carrying 126 pounds from post 9.

The race unfolded as a dramatic wide rally. Imagination missed the break, was hampered at the start and sat near the tail of the field with 11 horses in front of him through the first 750 meters, then began to make up ground about three furlongs out. He launched his bid at the 450-meter mark, tipped out seven-wide into the stretch and found his best stride in the final furlong, blowing past long-time leader Just Beat the Odds and Saudi favorite Muqtahem (Ire) inside the last 100 yards to edge clear at the finish in 1:12.002 on a fast dirt track.

The margin of victory carries a minor reporting discrepancy: the race-chart and multiple outlets list Imagination’s winning margin as three-quarters of a length, while a Bob Baffert release includes a passage that describes a half-length margin. Chart-supported sources and the Paulick Report time favor the three-quarters figure, which is used here as the primary outcome. American Stage and other front-runners were picked off as Imagination closed wide in the deep stretch.

Imagination’s résumé and bloodlines underline the commercial stakes of the performance. Purchased for $1.05 million from Bridie Harrison at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the bay is out of Magical Feeling (by Empire Maker), a GSW and GISP who earned $554,532. Imagination is now a four-time winner from 15 starts and has been a Grade 2 winner at ages 3, 4 and 5, adding to a resume that included a runner-up effort in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar. His sire, Into Mischief, is a seven-time leading general sire in North America and is listed this breeding season at a $250,000 stud fee at Spendthrift Farm.

The victory also reinforced a U.S. presence on Saudi Cup night. Bloodhorse noted Americans won two $2 million stakes on the Feb. 14 card with Imagination in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint and Reef Runner in the 1351 Turf Sprint (G2T), while Forever Young took the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1). SaudiCup.Racing amplified Imagination’s win on social media, where a post showed 85,000 views, 1,900 reactions and 72 comments, illustrating the international reach and commercial visibility that owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert E. Masterson and others receive on the Riyadh stage.

Baffert, marking his second Saudi Cup night winner after Pinehurst in the 2022 Saudi Derby, emphasized the difficulty of the venue and praised Prat’s ride. “Usually when they hit the 100-meter mark, my horses start gassing out, but he was just getting going. Brilliant ride by Prat. You have to have a really good horse to win here and they have to show up on this big night,” Baffert said, adding later, “For the first time, that last 100 meters was kind to me.” With the automatic Breeders’ Cup berth secured, Imagination’s connections now have a high-value decision to make about fall plans, a choice that will carry both sporting and commercial implications given the horse’s purchase price, pedigree and the ongoing market clout of Into Mischief.