Ghostzapper

by Joel Politi I have been around horses since I was young and grew up with a 12-horse barn in our backyard. My Dad bred and raised almost all of the horses that he ran and I've been paying attention to breeding my whole life. I love this aspect of horse racing, have owned horses myself for more than 20 years and I bred our first mare in 2017. Currently have 12 broodmares, and Mark Taylor and Travis White with Taylor Made help me with all of my matings. We...

Sometimes, you might as well just buy the factory. It was the fall of 2023 and Glenn Bennett already had two of Adorabella (Ghostzapper)'s three foals, the oldest of which (Girl Trouble, by Fast Anna) was a stakes winner for him and partner Swilcan Stable at Parx, and the youngest of which he'd just bought as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic sale. He'd twice tried to make a deal for the third, the mare's then-2-year-old named Book'em Danno (Bucchero), who'd caught his eye after winning his first three starts at...

A major percentage of multiple graded winner Banishing (Ghostzapper) was purchased by Sharaf Alhariri and he will run in Saturday's $20-million G1 Saudi Cup in Alhariri's silks, according to agent Ron Anderson. Connections said in a statement, "We are pleased to announce the purchase of the horse Banishing for Mr. Sharaf Alhariri. Mr. Alhariri, who won the Saudi Cup 2024 with Senor Buscador, continues to make strategic moves in the racing world with this exciting new addition to his stable. "Banishing will be ridden by Saudi champion jockey Adel Alfouraidi,...

  Trainer Jonathan Thomas earned a graded stakes double at Santa Anita Sunday with Augustin Stable's Ambaya (Ghostzapper), winner of the GI American Oaks, and Bob LaPenta's Hiding in Honduras (Dialed In), victorious in the GII Mathis Mile. Thomas also saddled the third-place finisher in the American Oaks, Will Then (War of Will). According to Thomas, all three horses were doing well Monday morning. Ambaya got up to win the 10-furlong American Oaks by a half-length after a ground saving trip and then splitting horses under Kazushi Kimura, who rode...

Her owners made a special trip out to Santa Anita Park for the GI American Oaks and Ambaya (Ghostzapper) made sure they'd go home with the hardware. The chestnut held all potential challengers at bay late to score her first elite-level win in the nightcap of the record Classic Meet opening card. The Jonathan Thomas-trainee spent most of her season on the board, running second or third three times after breaking her maiden at first asking June 12 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Her placings included a third in the Christiana Stakes...

Not to be outdone by 6-year-old Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) in the GIII Harlan's Holiday one race prior, classy Woodslane Farm homebred Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper) went not one but two better, winning the GIII Ft. Lauderdale Stakes as a 7-year-old in record time. The Brian Lynch trainee, making his 32nd start Saturday, took over a year off following a run at Turfway Park in the GIII Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes in March of 2024. Remarkably, the gelded son of the great Ghostzapper returned as a 7-year-old in June of this year, winning...

Continuing the powerful run during Del Mar's closing weekend of racing, trainer Chad Brown and Juddmonte once again held the winning card in the day's feature, taking Sunday's GI Matriarch Stakes with Segesta (Ghostzapper), a half-sister to Saturday's GI Hollywood Derby winner, Salamis (Speightstown). In Our Time (Not This Time) and Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) went to the front early as 8-5 choice Segesta was allowed to settle in fourth through :23.65 and :48.06 initial splits. With the 25-1 still cruising along up front through a half in :48.06, the...

GSW Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper--Katherine, by Distorted Humor, has been retired to stud to stand his first year in 2026 at Clear Creek Stud in Folsom, Louisiana. Rhyme Schemes will enter stud for a fee of $3,500 LFSN or $3,000, if paid by Sept. 1. If a second mare by the same owner Is bred to Rhyme Schemes, there will be a 50% reduction in the second stud fee. Shares and breeding rights will also be available. The chestnut was purchased by Deuce Greathouse on behalf of Pura Vida Investments for...

Turf distaffers trained by Chad Brown had taken the seven most recent renewals of the GI First Lady Stakes at Keeneland, and the New York native looked to have a fair chance to extend that streak in the Bluegrass on Saturday afternoon. But it was Colebrook Farm's Simply in Front (Summer Front) split rivals inside the final eighth of a mile and found the line first to cause a 13-1 upset in a bunched finish and snap the Brown domination, however temporarily. The mount of Ben Curtis, the $115,000 Keeneland...

Imagination (Into Mischief) showed an electric turn-of-foot in the lane to overhaul the defending champion and claim his automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup by way of the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes. Back at the six furlong distance for the first time since his debut two years ago at Del Mar, the Bob Baffert trainee had predominantly been a two-turn horse in his career and had two elite-level placings last year to his credit--once in the spring in the GI Santa Anita Derby when he came a neck...

Editor's Note: the tables mentioned in the piece below have all been inserted into the article individually in alphabetical order. Please see those for reference. As an Englishman, I can assure my friends in the Bluegrass that America does not have a monopoly on political division. But in this rancorous age it is a comfort, either side of the water, that a mutual love of the horse can keep people not just talking, but outright friendly, who might otherwise only be yelling at each other. It is not too often...

Third in the GII Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes last year, Gal in a Rush (m, 6, Ghostzapper--Hudson River Gal, by Dynaformer) went one better in 2025, capturing the Friday evening feature with aplomb. Away from the winner's circle for the past 14 months despite adding several black-type placings to her CV, the Miguel Clement trainee emerged from Friday night's fray with a dramatic inside bid to capture her first win since the 2024 GIII Hendrie Stakes at Woodbine. A closing Ellen Jay (Constitution)--the stakes-winning daughter of Eclipse champion Covfefe...