As the 2022 edition of the Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) gets underway on March 26, last year’s race winner, Godolphin’s Mysterious Guide live in Keeneland prepare for a summer campaign.
Coach Michael Stidham said his purebred son Ghostzapper is galloping in Lexington under the care of Johnny Burke and will return to Stidham’s care in a few weeks when the coach arrives at the Kentucky racetrack for the spring meet.
Following year-end surgery to remove bone debris after finishing in second place at Suburban Stakes (G2) on July 7 in Belmont Park$7.5 million earner placed two works at Fair Grounds & Slots in December before he was withdrawn from training again.
“Mystic Guide is doing well,” says Stidham. “We started filming him but had to pause because we weren’t happy with the way he came out from those early works. So we sent him back to Kentucky, to Dr. Larry) Bramlage (at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital) gave him a thorough examination and he said he needed a little more time.”
Stidham estimates it will take two or three months for Mystic Guides to be ready for a race, putting the 5-year-old in a position to target the big stakes for the older horses at Racecourse SaratogaWhitney Stakes August 6 (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup September 3 (G1).
