Eye of a Jedi finds first graded win in Ghostzapper Stakes

Eye of a Jedi took advantage of a perfect setup to get his and owner/trainer Steve Budhoo their first graded stakes victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Ghostzapper Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Under Javier Castellano, Eye of a Jedi sat fifth early behind a four-ply speed battle. As half of those four speeds dropped back following a half-mile in 46.63, Castellano moved Eye of a Jedi into third as the favorite Last Judgment and Superfecto kept going.

Turning for home, Last Judgment, under Jose Ortiz, had put away Superfecto, but Eye of a Jedi kept coming, forged to the front at the eighth pole and gradually drew away to win by 5 1/2 lengths.

Last Judgment finished second by 2 1/4 lengths over Superfecto. War Stopper was fourth, followed by Just Whistle, King Slew, and Violent City.

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Eye of a Jedi, a 6-year-old gelding by Eye of the Leopard, had gone winless in seven previous graded stakes tries. However, he was beaten only a neck by Performer in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper in January and was second to Tax in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday in December. He has won two runnings of the Sea of Tranquility Stakes, a summer listed stakes run at Gulfstream.

“I know he’s the local hero, that horse likes Gulfstream,” Budhoo said. “This is my first graded winner here, but in Jamaica I won a lot of stakes.”

Budhoo said he purchased Eye of a Jedi for a mere $1,500. The 6-year-old gelding by Eye of the Leopard improved to six wins from 32 starts and increased his purse earnings to $357,018.

Eye of a Jedi covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.83 and returned $10.40 as the third choice. He was given a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

Gray’s Fable wires Appleton

Better late than never.

Trainer Roger Attfield got his first win of the Gulfstream Park meet when Gray’s Fable, away since last September, went gate to wire under Junior Alvarado to win the Grade 3, $100,000 Appleton Stakes by two lengths.

Renaisance Frolic rallied to get second by 1 1/2 lengths over Ever Dangerous, who had chased Gray’s Fable from second for most of the race. Perfect Speighty, also trained by Attfield, finished fourth with Seismic Wave, the 2-1 favorite, checking in fifth.

Gray’s Fable and Perfect Speighty were the final two starters of the Gulfstream meet for Attfield, who had previously been 0 for 18.

Alvarado, who was riding Gray’s Fable for the first time, sensed in the post parade that his horse had run on his mind.

“In the post parade he was full of himself, showing that he’s an attitude kind of horse,” Alvarado said in an in-house post-race interview. “He wants to do it his way, he doesn’t want you to get in his way. When he left the gate he broke very good. I smooched to him a little bit and let him do his own thing. I was pretty sure he knew what he was going to do.”

Gray’s Fable, breaking from the rail, quickly attained the lead and set fractions of 23.61 seconds for the quarter, 46.55 for the half, and 1:09.38 for six furlongs. Though Ever Dangerous drew within a half-length at that point, Gray’s Fable had plenty left with which to finish and got the job done.

Gray’s Fable, a 6-year-old gelding by Gio Ponti, covered the mile over firm turf in 1:32.64 and returned $16.80 to win, and was given a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

Gray’s Fable won for the fourth time in 11 starts for Attfield and owners Steve Goldfine, Karen Provost, and Jeff Zlonis.