By Tom LaMarra
The partners in Breeze Easy LLC appear to have a very good turf sprinter in their stable in Imprimis, who chased the early leader and blew by to win the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint May 18 at Pimlico Race Course.
The Jim McKay is the first of five races in the MATCH Series 3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Turf Division. And now that Imprimis is based at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, he could resurface in the series, his connections said.
Imprimis looked the part in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint May 18 at Pimlico Race Course/Jim McCue
Imprimis, now four-for-four lifetime, was trained by Timothy Hills his first two starts, and then purchased by Breeze Easy and transferred to trainer Joe Orseno, who said the 4-year-old Broken Vow gelding appeared to be a good candidate to compete in Florida-bred races but has earned a chance in open stakes.
“He has a really good turn of foot,” Orseno said. “He does what he has to do early and then turns it on. We bought him to face Florida-breds but he may stay in the MATCH Series, we’re just not really sure. To come back in 16 or 17 days (in the June 2 Pennsylvania’s Governor Cup) may not be too difficult since he had almost two months off. He could come back then, and if not, at (Parx Racing in the grade III Parx Dash).”
The Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course and the July 7 Parx Dash are the next two races in the MATCH division.
Heavy rain left the Pimlico turf course condition soft, and led half of the 10-horse field in the McKay to scratch. Rocket Heat grabbed the lead from the inside post in the five-furlong stakes with Imprimis not far behind and Oak Bluffs in third.
Imprimis took over in the stretch and pulled away to win by 5 ¼ lengths over Rocket Heat, with Oak Bluffs third. The winner paid $3.60 as the favorite and competed the five furlongs in 1:03.81 under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
Imprimis earned 10 MATCH Series points for his win, followed by Rocket Heat with 7, Oak Bluffs with 5, Field of Courage with 3 and Vici with 2.
The partners in Imprimis are Mike and Phyllis Hall and Sam and Susan Ross. Mike Hall said he got into the Thoroughbred business “to have a little fun,” so he purchased Imprimis from his friend, Craig Wheeler, who bred the gelding.
“We’re looking at the MATCH Series for him,” Hall said. “I think it’s a wonderful project.”