By Alan Carasso
In 28 starts at places not named Charles Town, Imperative (Bernardini) has earned about 600-grand. Not bad. In two appearances in the bullring's GII Charles Town Classic, he has banked about twice that amount, has a third of his career victories and has a real chance to add to those totals in a meaningful way in the West Virginia track's richest event.
The well-bred gelding made the most of his first trans-continental trip in 2014, upsetting Game On Dude (Awesome Again) at 26-1 and outran odds of 31-1 to finish second to Moreno (Ghostzapper) last year, the race in which Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) was pulled up by Mike Smith and subsequently diagnosed with a fractured pelvis. Despite those two money grabs, Imperative is winless in 15 starts since taking this two years ago, but a repeat of runner-up efforts to subsequent G1 Dubai World Cup hero California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the Jan. 9 GII San Pasqual S. and to World Cup third Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) in the GII San Pasqual S. Feb. 6. Imperative exits an even fourth behind Melatonin (Kodiak Kowboy) in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 12.
Through his bloodstock advisor Dennis O'Neill, prominent California owner Paul Reddam paid $550,000 for Donworth (Tiznow) from the Regis Dispersal at Keeneland November last fall. The 4-year-old can pay that bill with a score here. The handsome dark bay overcame trouble to become a 'TDN Rising Star' at first asking last March and was runner-up in the GIII Lexington S. before taking Delaware's off-turf Stanton S. He made a favorable impression in his first run for the Doug O'Neill Barn, finishing a spot behind Imperative in the San Antonio, but clipped heels when going for an inside run in the Big 'Cap and faded out to seventh.
The blue-collar Page McKenney (Eavesdropper) also has form around the bullring, having finished a wide-trip third as a 33-1 chance in last year's renewal. Never out of the top three in seven tries at Saturday's nine-furlong distance, the Pennsylvania-bred showed his versatility in his latest, coming with a five-wide bid before getting up for a head success in the GIII General George S. going seven furlongs Feb. 15.
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