Ghostzapper to Begin Stallion Career at $200,000

Ghostzapper, last year's Horse of the Year after winning the Breeders' Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I) in track-record time, will begin his stallion career for a fee of $200,000 at Frank Stronach's Adena Springs Farm near Midway, Ky.

The fee is believed to be a record for an incoming stallion in North America in recent years and eclipses the first-year fees of $150,000 for Fusaichi Pegasus in 2001 and $100,000 for Empire Maker, Mineshaft, and Smarty Jones also this decade.

Ghostzapper, bred by Adena Springs, is owned by Stronach and Jess Jackson. A newcomer to racing, Jackson bought a one-third interest in Ghostzapper several days before the May 30 Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park. Ghostzapper responded by winning the mile event by 6 1/4 lengths.

The Met Mile proved to be Ghostzapper's final start. The 5-year-old son of Adena Springs stallion Awesome Again was retired in early June following the detection of a small hairline fracture of the left front sesamoid.

Ghostzapper retired with nine wins from 11 starts and earnings of $3,446,120. In addition to winning the Classic and Met Mile, he also scored grade I wins in the 2003 Vosburgh Stakes and last year's Woodward Stakes.

Ghostzapper is a half-brother to grade I winner City Zip, who ranks third on this year's freshmen sires list by progeny earnings. Ghostzapper's first two dams, Baby Zip (by Relaunch) and Thirty Zip, are both stakes-winning, multiple stakes producers.