Breeders' Cup Memories: Ghostzapper

Ghostzapper wins the 2004 Classic.

Ghostzapper's Classic triumph of 2004 is more than deserving of a place on any Breeders' Cup memories list...

Ghostzapper was an outstanding performer, winning nine of his 11 starts and voted US Horse of the Year in 2004. It was in October of 2004 that Ghostzapper landed his Breeder's Cup Classic, putting up one of the most memorable performances in Breeders' Cup history and cementing his status with a Timeform performance rating of 137.

The 2004 Classic was an excellent renewal, featuring most of the top dirt horses in training in the US alongside one from Japan, and the form has a strong feel to it with the first two, Ghostzapper and Roses In May, having won all of their eight races in the year prior to that night. Ghostzapper ultimately prevailed by three lengths with a further four back to the third horse, Pleasantly Perfect, whilst defending champion Azeri could only muster a fifth-placed finish.

Ghostzapper settled comfortably in the lead under Javier Castellano, setting a relatively steady pace, but it was the injection of tempo on the home turn that burns brightly in the memory, Ghostzapper well and truly putting his rivals to the sword, and they had no response as he drew clear in the final furlong, still full of running as he crossed the line over a trip that was a furlong further than he had previously encountered.

Ghostzapper's success in the Classic is also of note for being legendary trainer Bobby Frankel's only triumph in the great race, and goes down as one of Frankel's five Breeders' Cup winners. Ghostzapper would go on to grace the track on just one more occasion, winning the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap with consummate ease, but he was subsequently retired due to a chipped sesamoid. His performance in the Classic has not been bettered since, Zenyatta perhaps the only one to get close in terms of style, but Ghostzapper's triumph will go down as one of the all-time greats.