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2004 Breeders' Cup Classic Winner!
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Ghostzapper
Bay colt by Awesome Again-Baby Zip by Relaunch
Owner: Adena Springs (Frank Stronach)
Trainer: Bobby Frankel
Last Race: Met Mile (G1), May 30, 2005
Next Race: Suburban (G1), July 2, 2005
Horsehat.com FastFact: Ghostzapper is the
first Breeders Cup Classic winner to be sired by a Breeders
Cup Classic winner. His sire, Awesome Again, won the 1998
Classic at Churchill Downs.
At 3
WON Vosburgh G1
3rd King’s Bishop G1
At 4
Eclipse Champion Horse of the Year
Eclipse Champion Older/Handicap Male
WON Breeders’ Cup Classic G1
WON Woodward G1
WON Tom Fool G2
WON Philip Iselin G3
At 5
WON Metropolitan G1
Ghostzapper
Returns With Easy Met Mile Win
Reigning Horse of the Year Ghostzapper made a triumphant
return to the races Monday, cruising to the lead entering
the turn and easily winning the $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap
(gr. I) at Belmont Park.
Although he needed a few extra minutes to be loaded into
the gate for his first start in seven months, once the race
began Ghostzapper ran like a champion.
Ridden by Javier Castellano for trainer Bobby Frankel,
the 5-year-old son of Awesome Again was third behind Love
of Money and Forest Danger early. When the field hit the
turn, Ghostzapper moved between horses and took command
at the top of the stretch and won by 6 1/4 lengths over
longshot Silver Wagon.
The victory extended Ghostzapper's win streak to six in
a row over three years, with his ninth victory in 11 career
starts. Now 5-for-5 at Belmont, Ghostzapper earned $450,000
and boosted his bankroll to $3,446,120 for owner-breeder
Frank Stronach.
With the victory, Ghostzapper became just the fifth reigning
Horse of the Year in 20 years to return to the races for
a 5-year-old season. The others were Cigar, Ferdinand and
two fillies, Azeri and Lady's Secret. Only Cigar went on
to repeat as Horse of the Year.
Ghostzapper's seasonal debut was delayed a month after
the horse developed a sinus problem before the Oaklawn Handicap.
The winning time for the race, also known as the Met Mile,
was 1:33.29, just off the stakes record of 1:32.80 set by
Honour and Glory in 1996. Ghostzapper paid $3.30, $2.50,
and $2.10. Silver Wagon returned $9.90 and $2.60, and Sir
Shackleton paid $2.50 to show.
Pomeroy was fourth, followed by Forest Danger, and Love
of Money.
"I know you dream of winning the Kentucky Derby, but
the best dream is to know you have the best horse,"
Frankel said. "I'm very emotional right now. He's a
great horse, let's just put it that way," Frankel said.
"He's an amazing horse. He's probably the best sprinter
in the country, and I think he can win going a mile and
a half on the turf -- I really do. (Castellano) never moved
on him. He just took a hold of him in the stretch."
The versatile Ghostzapper won all four of his starts last
year at distances ranging from seven furlongs to 1 1/4 miles.
The son of Awesome Again took the seven-furlong Tom Fool
Handicap (gr. II) by 4 1/4 lengths on July 4, then won the
1 1/8-mile Iselin Breeders' Cup Handicap(gr. III) by 10
3/4 lengths on Aug. 21, the 1 1/8-mile Woodward Stakes (gr.
I) by a neck on Sept. 11 and clinched Horse of the Year
honors with a three-length win in the 1 1/4 -mile Breeders'
Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I) on Oct. 30.
- Bloodhorse.com
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