Imperative charged down the center of the course, just getting up near the wire to win the G2 Charles Town Classic by a neck over Matt King Coal.
Not only was it Imperative’s second Stakes win of the year – he captured the $400,000 Poseidon Stakes in January – it was also the Bernardini gelding’s second time winning the Charles Town Classic. He also won the 2014 edition.
Settled in mid-pack through the early stages of the race, Imperative began closing on the leaders while moving six-wide on the far turn. Under a strong drive from jockey Javier Castellano, Imperative reeled in leader Matt King Coal late to post a hard-fought neck victory.
Bred in Kentucky by Glencrest Farm LLC & Darley, Imperative is out of the Stakes-winning mare Call Her, making him a half-brother to Graded Stakes winner and G1-placed Battle Won, Stakes winner Nadeshiko, and Stakes-placed Matched.
Bernardini is off to a strong this season with seven Stakes winners to his credit. In addition to Imperative, Bernardini is the sire of 2017 Graded Stakes winners Zanbagh, who captured the G2 Emancipation Stakes in Australia; Le Bernardin, winner of the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge-Round 1 in the UAE; Ruud Not Too, winner of the G2 Rich Hill Mile in NZ; and Watershed, winner of the G3 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland.
He is standing the 2017 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for $100,000 Stands and nurses.
