Shaman Ghost

Shaman Ghost
Shaman Ghost winning the Queen's Plate
Sire	Ghostzapper
Grandsire	Awesome Again
Dam	Getback Time
Damsire	Gilded Time
Sex	Colt
Foaled	May 5, 2012
Country	Canada
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Adena Springs
Owner	Stronach Stables
Trainer	Brian Lynch (2014–2015) Jimmy Jerkens (2016)
Record	12: 6-1-1
Earnings	US$1,291,811[1]
Major wins
Marine Stakes (2015) Brooklyn Invitational (2016) Woodward Stakes (2016) Canadian Triple Crown wins: Queen's Plate (2015)
Awards
Canadian Champion Three-Year-Old Colt
Last updated on September 7, 2016

Shaman Ghost (foaled May 5, 2012 in Ontario) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2015 Queen's Plate and was named Canadian Champion Three-Year-Old Colt. In 2016, he has won two graded stakes races in the United States, including the prestigious Woodward Stakes.

Background

Shaman Ghost was bred by Frank Stronach's Adena Springs and races as a homebred for Stronach Stables. His sire Ghostzapper and grandsire Awesome Again also ran for Stronach, winning the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2003 and 1998 respectively.^[2] Ghostzapper was a "freakishly talented" racehorse whose career as a stallion has been somewhat hampered by the fact that his best runners tend to develop late.^[3] Shaman Ghost was the third foal and first winner out of Getback Time, a stakes-placed mare by Gilded Time.^[4]

Racing career

Shaman Ghost raced only twice as a two-year-old, finishing out of the money both times.^[1] "He was never a precocious two-year-old. He was a slow learner," his trainer Brian Lynch said later. "I always thought he was talented, it just took him a few starts to get it together."^[5]

His three-year-old campaign started the same way, with a fourth place finish in a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park on January 3, 2015.^[1] After losses on Polytrack, dirt and turf, Lynch decided to change things up by removing the blinkers the horse had previously worn.^[6] On March 14 at Gulfstream Park, Shaman Ghost won his first race, following up with an allowance race win on April 9 at Keeneland.^[1] On May 16, he was shipped to Woodbine Racetrack for the Grade III Marine Stakes at a distance of  1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles. In spite of his two-race winning streak, he was a longshot in the nine-horse field at 13-1. Shaman Ghost raced near the back of the field for most of the race, then started his move on the far turn. He made up ground quickly but then ran into traffic, checked and moved to the outside. Once in the clear, he regained his stride and pulled away to win by half a length.^[6]

On July 5, Shaman Ghost entered the Queen's Plate, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown and run over Woodbine's Polytrack surface at a distance of  1 ¹⁄₄ miles. He was the 3-1 co-favorite with Danish Dynaformer, the winner of the Plate Trial Stakes. The two raced behind a fast early pace, then Danish Dynaformer made his move on the far turn, hitting the lead in mid-stretch. At that point, Shaman Ghost was in fourth, but started closing ground on the outside, pulling into the lead in the final strides to win by  1 ¹⁄₄ lengths. "He (Danish Dynaformer) made a move too early, I let him pass me," said jockey Rafael Manuel Hernandez. "I know my horse always got a kick... and we got them back."^[7] It was the first Queen's Plate win for both Hernandez and Lynch, and the third for Stronach.^[5]

Shaman Ghost's next start was the Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, held at Fort Erie racetrack on July 28. He was the 3-2 favorite but lost by a neck to longshot Breaking Lucky after a less than ideal trip. "I was inside down the backside and had to stay where I was and make one run," said Hernandez. "It looked like we were done down the lane, but he came back again and almost got there."^[8][9]

Shaman Ghost did not enter the Breeders' Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, and missed the rest of the year after undergoing surgery on his ankle.^[10] Finishing the year with four wins and a second in six races, he received the Sovereign Award for Canadian Champion Three-Year-Old Colt.^[11]

In December 2015, Shaman Ghost was switched to the stable of Jimmy Jerkens, who gave the colt time to recover from the ankle surgery, then entered him an allowance optional claiming race at Belmont Park on May 21, 2016.^[10] He finished third but Jerkens felt the race was "a lot better than it looks on paper." Shaman Ghost's next start was on June 7 in the Grade II Brooklyn Invitational at Belmont Park. He raced behind a slow early pace in the  1 ¹⁄₂-mile race, then accelerated past the field in the stretch to win by  4 ¹⁄₄ lengths. "Everything pretty much went as planned," said jockey Joel Rosario. "He was very comfortable, and relaxed and finished strong."^[12]

On July 9, Shaman Ghost finished fifth behind stablemate Effinex in the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park. He came down with a nagging cough, but recovered when Jerkens moved his barn to Saratoga for the summer. On September 3, Shaman Ghost was entered in the Grade I Woodward Stakes, in which Frosted was the 2-5 favorite after two impressive wins in the Metropolitan Handicap and Whitney Stakes. Shaman Ghost raced close to the pace in fourth for most of the race, then moved wide around the far turn to start passing the early leaders. In the stretch though, he was overtaken by Mubtaahij on the inside and Frosted on the outside. Frosted reached the lead mid-stretch, then drifted in front of Shaman Ghost. Shaman Ghost switched paths to the gap between the two leaders and started to close ground. At the wire, the three horses were separated by a head, with Shaman Ghost in first and Frosted in third. "I almost decided to go around the horses," said jockey Javier Castellano. "But when I see Frosted he went out wide, I thought the only chance I could beat him was cut the corner, split horses, and go from there."^[13][14]

Pedigree

Shaman's Ghost is inbred 3S x 5D to Relaunch, meaning Relaunch appears in the 3rd generation of the sire's side of the pedigree and in the 5th generation of the dam's side. Shaman's Ghost is also inbred 5S x 4D to Northern Dancer.

References