John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock horse has landed his third seven-figure yearling at Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale, fetching $1.2 million for a horse Ghost Slayer The mare (Hip 147) was sent by Gainesway in the second session on August 6.
Payson Stud bred this mare from the Arch winner Seeking the Blue, who has won graded races. Janis Joplin (California Chrome ) and the winner gets to bet Red wine (Red wine ) from three foals participating in the race.
Stewart didn’t hesitate to jump in and buy at his first horse auction at Saratoga, spending $5,425,000 on five yearlings in the first auction.
Known for his speed in both short and long distances, Ghostzapper (Awesome Again) has earned $3.4 million for his wins in the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic, 2005 Metropolitan Handicap, 2004 Woodward Stakes and 2003 Vosburgh Stakes (all G1s). He is up for $75,000 in the 2024 breeding season at Hill ‘n’ Dale in Xalapa, Kentucky.
Stewart has built a massive racing stable in less than a year, acquiring more than 150 horses since last fall. He attended the auction and said there were half a dozen horses he was “definitely going to take home,” and this mare Ghostzapper was one of them.
“I want this horse 100 percent,” he said. “I went back to see him today and I told Brian (Graves, Gainesway’s general manager) he’s coming home with me.
“Especially when (Mike) Repole made a bid, I was going to go ahead. As soon as he made a bid, I went up another $200,000. I wanted that horse, and it was one of two horses I came here tonight to buy.”
Repole and Stewart have been locked in a rivalry online, and apparently on the auction floor, since Stewart joined the fray. Earlier this week, Repole joked that his goal in this auction was to be the underbidder on all of Stewart’s purchases.
However, even Stewart was surprised by the price at this auction.
“Yesterday I bid $1.7 million on a mare, and I had two more bidders. I was like, ‘What the hell is going on?'”
Although he has only been the owner for a short time, Stewart still plans to build a livestock operation and grow his family.
“We really liked Ghostzapper and how he fit into our breeding program,” he said. “She fit right in. We had Good night Olive (also by Ghostzapper) in foal with a Not this time colt, which is really exciting after what Not This Time has done here. It helps us build a family. And then, from a racing standpoint, we think that horse has speed and is physically good. We’ve got a number of trainers lined up for him. So we’re pretty excited.”
