Next year sees a number of outstanding racehorses represented by their first runners in the US and arguably the most talented of all was Ghostzapper, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Horse of the Year in North America in 2004, Ghostzapper retired to stud after a chipped sesamoid was discovered in his near foreleg in 2005. He was trained by Bobby Frankel for his breeder Frank Stronarch and made just two starts as a juvenile, winning first time out by nine lengths. His next race, in which he finished fourth was the only time in his career that Ghostzapper finished out of the first three.
After winning a pair of allowance races, Ghostzapper made his stakes debut in the G1 King's Bishop Stakes. The three-year-old put up a stunning display when flying up late to get up to be third. He displayed his true ability when annihilating his opponents in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes on his next start. The colt thrashed multiple Stakes winner Aggadan by more than six lengths. Subsequent leading first-crop sire, Posse, was further back in third place. Behind him came the likes of Gr1 performers Gygistar, Voodoo and Peeping Tom.
A frustrating break of more than six mon ths ensued as quarter cracks hampered his preparation. Despite this, the colt made his next start, as a four-year-old, in the G2 Tom Fool Handicap, posting one of his finest performances. He guilt on this with a ten-length strike over a mile and an eighth in the Philip H Iselin Handicap, an effort which earned the highest Beyer Speed rating (128) ever over two turns. This race set him up for a crack at the Woodward Stakes, one of the most prestigious races run in North America, in which he beat future Horse of the Year, Saint Liam.
Come the Breeders' Cup meeting, his connections' confidence in Ghostzapper's chances in the Classic was duly justified. He powered away from a strong field to win by three lengths. Left toiling in his wake were the Dubai World Cup winners Roses In May and Pleasantly Perfect, whilst further back came Horse of the Year Azeri, Belmont Stakes victor Birdstone and Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide. This win in the Classic earned Ghostzapper Horse of the Year honours, over the brilliant three-year-old Smarty Jones. Ghostzapper was also named Champion Older Male of that year. Arguably, however, his greatest compliment came when he was rated the best horse in the world of 2004. The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) gave him a rating of 130.
Ghostzapper remained in training as a five-year-old but the injuries that had plagued his career got the better of him and he was retired after only one start. Seven months after winning the Breeders' Cup Classic, Ghostzapper came out to win the Metropolitan Handicap by six lengths. This spectacular win came despite the fact that Ghostzapper was conceding eight pounds to the runner-up, multiple G1 winner Silver Wagon.
In succeeding in the Classic, Ghostzapper was following in the footsteps of his esteemed sire, Awesome Again, who won nine of his 12 races. The Breeders' Cup Classic of 1998 is widely regarded as one of the finest fields ever assembled at the championships and Awesome Again defeated the likes of Silver Charm, Skip Away, Coronado's Quest and Swain to end his career on a high note. He retired to stud at Adena Springs Stud, and his ongoing success has seen his stud fee rise.
Currently standing for $150,000, he has sired four Breeders Cup winners to date, the others being Wilko, Ginger Punch and Round Pond, and is a half-brother to Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, Macho Uno.
Ghostzapper's dam Baby Zip has also made her mark on the breed. A Stakes winner herself, she is a daughter of leading sire and broodmare sire Relaunch. The winner of four of her 16 starts, Baby Zip's biggest win came in the Kattegat's Pride Stakes. In the paddocks, her success has been such that she was named Broodmare of the Year in 2005. Five of her foals have won, including Ghostzapper and his G1-winning half-brother City Zip, who is now a successful sire.
Baby Zip's daughter Catch The Ghost produced stakes winner Phantom Income while Ghostzapper's full-brother, Aristocrat, showed enough on the track for him to also be retired to stand at Adena Springs. Baby Zip's dam, Thirty Zip, won 13 races and was second in the Gr1 Ballerina Stakes. She is in turn a half-sister to the dam of Kentucky Derby winner Lil E Tee.
Ghostzapper arrived at Adena Springs following his Met win and began his stud career at a fee of $200,000. His fee was dropped to $150,000 in 2007 and will be reduced again, to $125,000, for 2009. Unsurprisingly, he proved popular in his first season at stud, covering 111 mares. His first yearlings sold in 2008 with the 34 sold averaging $288,765, making him leading first-crop sire at the yearling sales and the offspring of one of the great horses of the modern era will certainly be watched with interest on the track this year.
