Front-running local hope Midnight Storm dug deep, but East Coast invader Shaman Ghost simply wouldn't quit, and wore down that foe late to provide racetrack owner Frank Stronach with his third Big 'Cap. Toting co-highweight of 122 lbs. with the aforementioned streaking GI Shoemaker Mile S. and GII San Pasqual S. winner, Shaman Ghost showed a bit more speed than usual from the gate before being squeezed out slightly in the scramble into the first bend. Champion pilot Javier Castellano maneuvered the favorite into a pocket spot, and he drafted in Midnight Storm's slipstream through splits of :23.54, :47.52 and 1:11.76 before coming under a somewhat inauspicious ride around the home turn. The leader tried to slip away at the quarter pole, but Shaman Ghost called on his deep stamina reserves, and ground out the victory despite drifting out a bit.
“I knew there wasn't a lot of speed in the race, so I just wanted to focus on the horse on the lead, Midnight Storm, and keep track of him,” said Castellano. “[Shaman Ghost] was comfortable the whole way… I knew I had it won at the eighth pole. I asked him for full speed at the eighth pole, and he gave it to me, right away. I said 'Yes!'”
Jerkens added, “It didn't look on paper like there was much pace, so it didn't surprise me that he was placed where he was. He's been showing up in all of his races, so I think he should get some [respect] now.”
Jerkens trainee Effinex (Mineshaft) was third in last year's Big 'Cap. Click for recent feature Jerkens Back at Santa Anita with Shaman Ghost.
A winner of the 2015 Queen's Plate under the tutelage of Brian Lynch, Shaman Ghost annexed the 12-panel GII Brooklyn Invitational S. at Belmont for this barn last June, but failed to fire when fifth in that venue's GII Suburban H. in July. He upended Frosted (Tapit) in the Spa's GI Woodward S. in September, and checked in third behind Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in Churchill's GI Clark H. Nov. 25 after being scratched from the GI Breeders' Cup Classic due to a fever. The 5-year-old had last been seen running a good second in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park, another The Stronach Group property.
“This is my third win in the Big 'Cap,” noted Stronach, who also took back-to-back runnings in 2002 and 2003 with Milwaukee Brew. “Of course any time you win a Grade I it is a thrill, especially this race… I was kind of sitting there quiet [watching the race]. He's had a lot of bad racing luck and he's better than what he has shown. Today it all worked out.”
Pedigree Notes:
Claimed for $40,000 by trainer Rafael Becerra on behalf of Phil DeRenzis and Peter Vanderham here in 2006, Shaman Ghost's dam Getback Time proved a useful Cal-bred stakes horse over the next year-plus, but never quite broke through with a blacktype victory, having been DQ'd from first to second in an added-money event over the Hollywood synthetic the following year. Adena Springs acquired her privately some time after she was retired, and Shaman Ghost was her fourth foal. She produced an Awesome Again colt in 2014 named Royal Insignia who has been working at Palm Meadows. Getback Time was sold to Arindel Farm for $42,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November sale, and the Point of Entry colt she was carrying at the time is consigned to next week's OBS March sale as hip 557 by McKathan Bros., Agent I. The colt covered a furlong in :10 1/5 at Saturday's breeze show. Getback Time produced a Brethren filly in 2016, and recently revisited Ghostzapper.
Saturday, Santa Anita Park
SANTA ANITA H. PRESENTED BY SAN MANUEL INDIAN BINGO AND CASINO-GI, $751,035, SA, 3-11, 4yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:01.57, ft.
1–SHAMAN GHOST, 122, h, 5, by Ghostzapper">Ghostzapper
1st Dam: Getback Time {MSP, $384,050}, by Gilded Time
2nd Dam: Shay, by Incinderator
3rd Dam: Lookin Like a Lady, by Skywalker
O-Stronach Stables; B-Adena Springs (ON); T-James A. Jerkens;
J-Javier Castellano. $450,000. Lifetime Record: Ch.
3yo-Colt-Can, 15-7-2-2, $3,539,311. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”mckathan-bros-sales-bullet-hip-no-557″][bullet ad=”adena-bred-and-raised”][bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]2–Midnight Storm, 122, h, 6, Pioneerof the Nile–My Tina, by
Bertrando. ($38,000 RNA Ylg '12 KEESEP). O-A Venneri Racing,
Inc. & Little Red Feather Racing; B-Alex Venneri & Marjorie
Post Dye (KY); T-Philip D'Amato. $145,000.[bullet ad=”blackwood-graduate-2″][bullet ad=”vinery-sales-grad”]3–Follow Me Crev, 118, g, 5, Quality Road–Vicki Vallencourt, by
Regal Classic. ($27,000 RNA Ylg '13 FTKJUL; $30,000 Ylg '13
FTKOCT; $75,000 2yo '14 OBSOPN). O-Holly & David Wilson;
B-Lynn B. Schiff (KY); T-Vladimir Cerin. $85,000.[bullet ad=”all-in-line-broken-trained”]
Margins: 3/4, 4HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.30, 1.40, 18.90.
Also Ran: Hi Happy (Arg), Isotherm, Hard Aces, Twentytwentyvision, Gangster, Imperative.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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