Jerkens reflects on retired Shaman Ghost

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jimmy Jerkens only trained Shaman Ghost for half of his racing career, but he did win four graded stakes with him, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap earlier this year. It was announced earlier this week that Shaman Ghost, owned by Frank Stronach, would be retired and will stand at stud in California.

Jerkens was given Shaman Ghost during the winter of 2016 and in nine starts for him, Shaman Ghost won four races including the Grade 1 Woodward and Grade 2 Suburban in 2016, and the Grade 3 Pimlico Special and Santa Anita Handicap this year. He also finished second to Arrogate in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup last January.

“It took a long time to get him to the races as a 4-year-old, but once he got there he was awful good,” Jerkens said.

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Shaman Ghost had to skip the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Classic because he wasn’t eating after shipping to Southern California from New York. Jerkens said the decision to skip that race paid dividends in 2017.

“If he runs there, he’s not going to run any good and he’s probably dead for the next six months,” Jerkens said. “This way we’re able not to run, and then he had a productive season and a career after that.”

Shaman Ghost missed the second half of this year due to a throat problem for which he underwent surgery.

Shaman Ghost, who won the Queens Plate when in the barn of Brian Lynch, retired with 8 wins from 17 starts and earnings of $3,859,311.