Stronach Stables' Ontario-bred Shaman Ghost, the 2015 Queen's Plate winner, dove to victory in a four-horse photo Sept. 3 and beat Mubtaahij by a head to steal the $600,000 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 3 at Saratoga Race Course. Video: Woodward S. (G1)
Dual grade I winner Frosted , favored at 2-5 in the field of nine, broke poorly and was all-out at the end. He finished third by a head.
Shaman Ghost picked up his first grade I win. The 4-year-old son of Ghostzapper took the June 11 Brooklyn Invitational (gr. II) at Belmont Park, but came down with an illness and was a flat fifth in Belmont's July 9 Suburban Handicap (gr. II), his start before the Woodward.
"The last race was a little disappointing," trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. "After the Brooklyn, he came down with a little bit of a nagging cough. It took him a while to get over it. It looked like he was training good up to it, and then was a little flat in the Suburban. The rail was pretty deep that day and he was stuck on it all the way around. I think a combination of the two, he got beat six lengths.
"We didn't do a lot with him until we got up here. He seemed to perk up in Saratoga, which some of them do."
After tracking fifth behind a pace set by Stephen Foster (gr. I) winner Bradester , who went a quarter in :24.38, a half in :48.43, and three-quarters in 1:11.97, Shaman Ghost made the turn five wide and was set down for the drive by jockey Javier Castellano. When Frosted drifted inward making his rally, Castellano shifted to the three path and his mount dove over gamely to find running room.
"(In the stretch, Javier) didn't want to break his momentum," Jerkens said. "He would have had to take hold of him to take him to the outside. He said, 'I knew I had the horse, so I just went for it.' He said he wanted to beat Frosted to the punch, and the only way to get the head on him was to duck down to the inside. He saw daylight and he took off."
Jockey Joel Rosario said his decision to not put Frosted under the whip in the stretch was based on prior experience.
"Every time I've ridden him, when I hit him with the whip, he didn't like it too much," he said. "When I turned (into the stretch) I thought he was going home free. Just the last 20 yards, it looked like he tired a little.
"He was comfortable where he was. He normally comes off the pace and improves his position. He didn't break sharp. When I've ridden him before, he liked to take his time. He made a nice run. He got a little bit wide but he seemed good. He just got a little tired at the end."
Final time for the 1 1/8-mile test was 1:48.92. The Oct. 8 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) could be next for the winner.
Off at odds of 9-1, Shaman Ghost returned $20, $8.50, and $3.10. Mubtaahij was worth $6.20 and $2.80 at 5-1, and Frosted brought $2.10. Completing the order of finish were Breaking Lucky, Tapin Mojo, Catholic Cowboy, Tale of Verve, Bradester, and Samraat.
Castellano called the effort from his mount "very impressive."
"I am very happy and satisfied the way my horse ran today," he said. "He cut the corners, saved ground on the first turn, and I could see how the race was developing on the backside. When I saw Frosted moving on the outside, I decided to go on the inside and split horses. The way (Shaman Ghost) did it, he was very impressive today."
Shaman Ghost improved his record to 6-1-1 from 12 starts for earnings of $1,291,811. He was bred by Adena Springs out of the stakes-placed Gilded Time mare Getback Time, and is her only stakes winner.
