Mystic Guide

G1 Cazoo Derby hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) has joined dual French Classic winner and G1 Coral-Eclipse hero St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) on top of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings. Both are now rated 127 after the Godolphin silksbearer won the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), third behind St Mark's Basilica and Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) (121) in the Coral-Eclipse, moved up to a mark of 124 after running second to Adayar in the Goodwood feature. Palace Pier (GB)...

Leading Horse-of-the-Year candidate Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) is scheduled to have surgery to remove a chip in his knee, his owner, Godolphin LLC, announced Saturday morning. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Larry Bramlage at the Rood and Riddle Clinic. According to the Godolphin statement, Bramlage expects that the surgery will be straightforward and uncomplicated. It remains unclear whether or not the 4-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' will race again or head off to stud. Addressing that question, Godolphin President Jimmy Bell said: "Mystic Guide is in great hands with Dr....

Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), off since winning the G1 Dubai World Cup in March, makes his stateside return in the GII Suburban S. at Belmont Park Saturday. The Suburban, a 'Win and You're In' race for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, will feature a rematch between the handsome chestnut and Happy Saver (Super Saver), who bested him by 3/4 lengths in last year's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. In addition to his runner-up effort in the Gold Cup last October, Mystic Guide's 3-year-old campaign also included a win in...

A year that began with the loss of two of the most lavish, Prince Khaled Abdullah and Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, is aptly measuring the reinvigoration of the breed achieved by modern investors from the same deserts where it first took root. Godolphin owes Derby wins at both Epsom and the Curragh to colts by Prince Khaled's greatest bequest, Frankel (GB); while its U.S. division laid down a marker of continuity and vitality when Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) won the G1 Dubai World Cup just three days after its founder's brother...

Australian sprinter Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) has overtaken G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and Saudi Cup winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and G1 Dubai World Cup victor Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) as the highest-rated horse on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, having been assigned a mark of 123 for his victory in the G1 TJ Smith S. on Apr. 10. Mishriff and Mystic Guide now sit a joint second at 122. Just trailing in their wake on 121 are Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), Eduardo (Aus) (Host {Chi}) and Palace...

Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), who kick-started his career as a second-out 'TDN Rising Star' and most recently won the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup at the end of March, is preparing for a late summer and fall campaign. After having spent the last few weeks at trainer Michael Stidham's Keeneland barn, he will ship to Maryland's Fair Hill Training Center this week to resume serious training. "Since he's been back, I've been shocked and amazed with how well he's handled that whole experience, from all the traveling to the stress of...

On paper, the 25th running of the G1 Dubai World Cup looked a wide-open affair. At the end of a mile and a quarter on the Meydan dirt, however, it was the international favourite Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) who posted a straightforward and convincing victory for owner/breeder Godolphin and trainer Mike Stidham. It was a ninth win in the Dubai World Cup for Godolphin-and a first trained from the U.S.-and the 12th American-trained winner overall. The $12-million race with not without its drama, with two horses-Great Scot (GB) (Requinto {Ire}) and...

Saturday's $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup may lack the star power of past renewals, but with 14 runners signed on from six countries for the race's 25th renewal it is nonetheless a fascinating event that has the potential to crown a new headliner, the most obvious being Godolphin's American shipper Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper). Trained by Michael Stidham, Mystic Guide broke his maiden by five lengths at second asking last March, and despite the American Triple Crown being re-arranged by the Covid-19 pandemic connections took a patient approach. Mystic Guide picked...

The show must go on. After a year of pandemic, that turns out to be pretty much the default setting of our commendably resilient species. And you couldn't ask for a much better example than the staging of the G1 Dubai World Cup--just three days after the death of Sheikh Hamdan; behind closed doors, and behind closed faces. At the best of times, it's difficult for family and friends of public figures to grieve in a duly intimate register. Throw in the frigid constrictions of Covid, with no tactile consolation...

What do Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), and Knicks Go (Paynter) have in common? For one, they've cumulatively won three of the four most lucrative dirt races contested in North America so far this year. Hot Rod Charlie won the $1 million Gll Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds last weekend; Mystic Guide was first in the $600,000 Glll Razorback H. at Oaklawn Feb. 27; and Knicks Go took the $3 million Gl Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream Park Jan. 23. The other big-money race was the...

Godolphin's Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), the current favourite to give Sheikh Mohammed a tenth victory in the Dubai World Cup, has drawn gate six for Saturday's $12 million contest.  His trainer Michael Stidham, who his making his Dubai debut, was clearly delighted with his 4-year-old's starting position. He said at Wednesday's draw at Meydan, "It's perfect. I couldn't be happier." Mystic Guide is one of three runners for the owner each trained in different countries, with the Andre Fabre trainee Magny Cours (Medaglia d'Oro) having drawn 12 and Saeed Bin Suroor's representative...

Expected fields have been released for Meydan's $26.5-million Dubai World Cup card on Mar. 27, with 14 Group 1 winners set to line up on the night. The featured $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup is as ever an international affair. Godolphin brings three runners trained in three different countries, headed by homebred Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), winner last time of the GIII Razorback H. at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 27 for trainer Mike Stidham. Saeed bin Suroor sends out Gifts Of Gold (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who won the Red Sea...