Ghostzapper: The Horse That Blazed a Brilliant Path in a Brief, But Potent Racing Career

Ghostzapper was not precisely a workhorse.

He by no means raced greater than 4 occasions in any of his 4 seasons.

But within the comparatively transient time he spent on the racetrack, Ghostzapper had few – if any – friends.

In 2004, when he was named Horse of the Yr, he was an undefeated graded stakes winner, versatile sufficient to win at seven furlongs, 1 1/8 miles, and 1 ¼ miles whereas registering blazing quick occasions in every of them.

“He dealt with any type of racetrack, and also you couldn’t take a race away from him,” Ghostzapper’s coach, the late Bobby Frankel, stated to the Related Press on the time of the colt’s retirement in 2005. “In the event that they wished to go too quick, he may come from final. In the event that they had been going sluggish, he’d go proper to the lead. How do you beat a horse like that?”

They didn’t. At the least not that usually. In 11 begins, he received 9 occasions and earned $3,446,120 in a profession that was rewarded in 2012 with a spot within the Nationwide Museum of Racing and Corridor of Fame.

A homebred son of Superior Once more, Ghostzapper raced underneath the banner of proprietor Frank Stronach’s Stronach Stables and made his profession debut as a 2-year-old at Hollywood Park on Nov. 16, 2002, notching a nine-length victory at 11-1 odds for Frankel.

Despatched off as a 3-10 favourite in his second begin, an allowance race at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, Ghostzapper was squeezed again at first and completed a disappointing fourth.

Given ample time to relaxation and develop, Ghostzapper returned at 3 only a few weeks after the Triple Crown ended with Humorous Cide denied a sweep by Frankel’s Empire Maker within the Belmont Stakes. He began his 3-year-old marketing campaign with a powerful 3 1/4-length victory in a June 20 allowance race at Belmont Park.

A half-length victory in an allowance race at Saratoga adopted, however then within the Grade 1 King’s Bishop, Ghostzapper dropped again to tenth within the subject of 13 and needed to rally six huge. The bottom loss got here again to hang-out him as he wound up third, denied by a pair of heads from claiming his first stakes win.

Ghostzapper returned in September and tackled older horses within the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes. In a sign of what was to return in 2004, he romped to a 6 ½-length triumph because the 3-1 second selection.

Minor foot accidents ended his season and prevented him from working within the Breeders’ Cup, however when he lastly brushed these illnesses apart and resumed racing in July of 2004, he was higher than ever.

He began with a 4 ¼-length win within the Grade 2 Tom Idiot Handicap, protecting the seven furlongs in 1:20.42, solely lacking the monitor file by .46 seconds.

Although Ghostzapper appeared destined to be the 12 months’s champion sprinter, Frankel had a lot larger plans for him – particularly the Breeders’ Cup Traditional.

Given his first likelihood at two turns, Ghostzapper responded with a monstrous 10 ¾-length victory within the Grade 3 Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park, falling in need of a monitor file by .86 seconds with a last time of 1:47.66 for the mile and an eighth.

A tough-fought victory by a neck over Saint Liam (who would win the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Traditional) within the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes vaulted Ghostzapper to the highest of the older male division.

Frankel, who handed away in 2009, focused the Breeders’ Cup Traditional at Lone Star Park subsequent, and a few questioned if the mile-and-a-quarter distance could be too demanding for a horse with such an excellent flip of pace.

The sphere included 2003 Breeders’ Cup Traditional winner Pleasantly Good and each he and Ghostzapper had been despatched off as co-favorites at 5-2.

It turned out to be a mismatch.

Taking the lead at first underneath jockey Javier Castellano, Ghostzapper cruised alongside on the entrance finish after which pulled away within the stretch to win by three lengths over Roses in Might, with Pleasantly Good one other 4 lengths again in third.

“I instructed everybody, this was one of the best horse I ever skilled,” Frankel stated. “I do know he needed to exit and present it. In my coronary heart, I all the time felt that approach.”

The ultimate time was 1:59.02, which nonetheless stands as a file for the Breeders’ Cup Traditional.

“Ghostzapper is an excellent horse,” stated Dale Romans, who skilled Roses in Might. “He could also be one of the best horse we have seen in a very long time. We picked a nasty 12 months to have a prime horse for the Traditional.”

After securing simply his third Breeders’ Cup win in 63 tries, Frankel was sure Ghostzapper had accomplished sufficient to be named Horse of the Yr, although earlier within the 12 months Smarty Jones had received the Kentucky Derby and Preakness earlier than ending second within the Belmont Stakes.

Apart from profitable all 4 of his 2004 races by a mixed 18 ¼ lengths, Ghostzapper additionally notched amazingly fast Beyer Velocity Figures of 120, 128, 114, and 124.

“Breeders’ Cup day hasn’t been an awesome day for me, however this time the dream got here true. I feel [Horse of the Year] is a no brainer,” Frankel stated. “[Ghostzapper] may be very versatile. He can go six furlongs with one of the best of them, and he can come from 15 or 20 lengths out of it or win on the lead. He can win going lengthy on the lead. He loves mud, and he would not must take his racetrack with him.

“He is a dream horse, and presumably an excellent horse.”

When the Eclipse Awards had been introduced, the Corridor of Fame coach was confirmed right as Ghostzapper was named Horse of the Yr and the champion older male.

Frankel introduced Ghostzapper again to the races at 5 and the son of Superior Once more romped by 6 1/4 lengths within the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap in a last time of 1:33.29 for the mile.

Sadly, Ghostzapper suffered an ankle damage within the Met Mile and Stronach and Frankel determined to retire their champion.

“He went out the fitting approach, in a great way,” Frankel instructed the Related Press. “He did run that one good race this 12 months, and if something it gave him extra respect.”

It was respect as the most effective horses of his period. Ghostzapper might not have had the longest profession, however few put their time on the racetrack to make use of as brilliantly as he did.

Be aware: This story initially was printed in September 2015 and has been up to date.

Enjoyable Information

• Superior Once more (1998) and Ghostzapper (2004) had been the primary sire and son to win the Breeders’ Cup Traditional. Curlin (2007) and Vino Rosso (2019) duplicated that feat.
• The victory aboard Ghostzapper within the Traditional was the primary for jockey Javier Castellano within the Breeders’ Cup.
• Ghostzapper is the sire greater than 600 winners, of 51 graded stakes winners and 11 millionaires by way of Oct. 28, 2021, together with Eclipse Award champion and Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Dash winner Judy the Magnificence.