Jerkens Duo Prep for Next Starts

Shaman Ghost | Sarah Andrew

Stronach Stables and trainer Jimmy Jerkens have two exciting prospects set to race at Gulfstream in Shaman Ghost (Ghostzapper), who is pointing for the $12-million GI Pegasus World Cup Jan. 28, and Delta Prince (Street Cry {Ire}), a half-brother to champion Royal Delta (Empire Maker) who will make his turf debut Monday.

Shaman Ghost, winner of this term's GI Woodward S., had his first breeze since a third place finish in the Nov. 25 GI Clark H. at Palm Meadows Sunday, covering a half-mile in :50.50 (14/29).

“The work was good,” Jerkens remarked. “I wasn't looking for anything more than that at this stage. I don't have his work schedule planned down to the minute, but we'll have him as ready as we can [for the Pegasus], that is for sure.”

As for his thoughts on Shaman Ghost's Clark performance, Jerkens said, “I thought it was better than it looked on paper. I thought the track was pretty speed-biased that day. He made a nice run around the turn, but he was losing ground and they weren't going fast enough up ahead of him to tire in front of him. When he saw that he got a little disappointed and it looked like he was going to fall out of it, but then he kept going to finish third and I thought that was great. It's always a good sign when they come back on like that.”

The regally-bred 3-year-old Delta Prince schooled in the Gulfstream paddock Thursday in preparation for his turf debut in the Hallandale oval's eighth race Monday.

“A dirt race in New York didn't go and this is the first maiden race for him since we got to Florida,” Jerkens commented. “His mother was turf and he worked nice on it. I just wanted to get him going. Too much time between starts makes it hard to develop a horse.”

The dark bay hit the board in his first two outing on the main track in New York, most recently finishing second in a Nov. 12 test at Aqueduct.

“He ran really green the first time,” Jerkens said. “I think the jockey may have tried to overdo it by rating him and then he spit the bit out all together and then he came on a little bit at the end. The next start he ran good; he just hung a little bit. The track was really slow that day. He looked like he was going to get there, but he stayed where he was. I thought he had a little license that day to get tired.”

Delta Prince will be receiving Lasix for the first time Monday and has drawn post 12.

“The post is terrible, but what are you going to do about it? You have to deal with it,” Jerkens remarked. “I don't want to gun him out of there because if you do that you give up ground anyway. We'll probably look to ease him back a little and tuck in.”

 

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