Fearless back at two turns, gets class relief in Ghostzapper
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Fearless gets away from Speaker’s Corner and gets back to a two-turn race when he starts as the expected favorite in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Ghostzapper Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Fearless, a 6-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper, won the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday here going 1 1/16 miles around two turns Dec. 18. In his next two starts, both at a one-turn mile, Fearless finished second to Speaker’s Corner in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper and Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile. Speaker’s Corner likely starts as the favorite in next week’s Grade 1 Carter at Aqueduct.
“I think he’ll appreciate getting to go a mile and an eighth,” said Todd Pletcher, trainer of Fearless. “He likes Gulfstream, but I think he’s a little better at two turns. Both of those middle stakes are a mile, and Speaker’s Corner ran well.”
Fearless has a 4-3-0 record from seven starts at Gulfstream.
Going two turns, Fearless figures to be laying close to the pace, which is likely to be set by Laughing Boy, who was not on the original nomination sheet for this race but who very much looks like the lone speed. Laughing Boy, trained by Kenny McPeek, has not been out since Nov. 21 when he set the pace in a second-level allowance only to be run down by Commandeer, who also happens to be in this field.
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Commandeer came out of that allowance to run seventh in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup as the 106-1 longest shot on the board.
“His two efforts before the Pegasus were very good,” trainer Jimmy Toner said. “We had nothing to lose. We gave him some time to get over that, and he’s training really good coming into this.”
Greatest Honour was among the top 3-year-olds on this circuit last year, winning the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth before finishing third as the 4-5 favorite in the Florida Derby. He was off for almost a year before coming back to run sixth in the Grade 3 Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs three weeks ago.
“He’s the kind of horse that has to race himself into shape,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “It took him four times to break his maiden last year and then he won three in a row. He’s not an outstanding workhorse . . . I think racing is going to be his friend.”
Capocostello, Carlos L., and Twelve Volt Man complete the field.
Weyburn starts over
Weyburn, a 46-1 upset winner of last year’s Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct, makes his 4-year-old debut in the $100,000 Sir Shackleton Stakes going seven furlongs.
The Gotham also represents the last time Weyburn participated in a one-turn race. He has not run since a last-place finish in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 25.
Trained by Jimmy Jerkens then, Weyburn is now with Brendan Walsh, who said he has had the horse since November.
“He works like a serious horse,” Walsh said. “We got plenty of works in him with some good, solid work partners. He should be ready or as ready as he can without running.”
Collaborate also trains like a serious horse. He has disappointed trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. at times, most recently when seventh in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile. He had won an allowance race off a layoff on Jan. 7.
Joseph is adding blinkers to the son of Into Mischief for this race.
“I worked him in blinkers before he won the allowance on the comeback, I didn’t change at that point, then he won without them so obviously I left them off the next race,” Joseph said. “He always works well, just need him to show off. This is a realistic spot, he’s not running against anybody like Speaker’s Corner.”
Joseph also sends out Girolamo’s Attack, who finished fourth in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper.
Quick Tempo, Fortin Hill, and Where Paradise Lay ran one-two-three in a six-furlong allowance here March 4. Quick Tempo, who figures to set the pace, has never raced as far as seven furlongs and finished second in his lone try going 6 1/2 furlongs.
Shivaree, second in the 2020 Florida Derby, scratched out of a Florida-bred stakes Sunday at Tampa for this.
Rough Entry and Trophy Chaser complete the field.