Kentucky Ghost takes the long road in Cliff Hanger
Kentucky Ghost took light bumping from both sides at the start of the $100,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park and quickly fell back to last. The leaders in this older-horse turf route hit the first turn and Kentucky Ghost already trailed by about a dozen lengths. It was perfect.
A sustained speed duel set up the Cliff Hanger for a deep closer and Kentucky Ghost fit the bill. With the requisite quality to make him an obvious contender in the Cliff Hanger and scorching fractions flattering his running style, it was no surprise Kentucky Ghost got up by a half-length under jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. But it was very surprising how hard he had to work to pass Winfromwithin, who battled through fractions of 22.52, 45.86, and 1:09.97 and still nearly pulled off a 13-1 upset.
Analyze It bid up the rail but lacked true late spark in finishing third by a nose over Yes This Time. Carpenter’s Call, tepidly favored at 3-1, faded off the pace to finish sixth, while the capable Mid Day Image checked in last after dueling with Winfromwithin. Two horses entered for the main track were scratched as was Hawkish. Kentucky Ghost clocked 1:40.44 over a course rated “good” and paid $14.20 to win.
Trainer Victoria Oliver, who trains Kentucky Ghost for BBN Racing, shipped the 4-year-old from Kentucky this week just hoping she’d get a chance to run. Heavy rain was forecast Friday night with thunderstorms expected Saturday afternoon; neither came, and Oliver didn’t have to turn to Plan B, an allowance race next week at Belmont.
Kentucky Ghost hadn’t won a stakes race before Saturday but had finished second in two of them last year, and he obviously had far stronger form than he’d shown in his lone 2022 start, the Grade 1 Turf Classic, where Kentucky Ghost struggled over Churchill’s new grass course, finished last, and was vanned off the course as a precautionary measure. Nothing was amiss with Kentucky Ghost in Kentucky - as he demonstrated in New Jersey.
“We got the early pace he needs,” Oliver said. “He has such a big turn of foot and such a big heart.”
A 5-year-old gelding, Kentucky Ghost won for the fourth time in 21 starts. Bred by Blue Devil Racing, the gelding is a son of Ghostzapper and the After Market mare, Closing Range.
*** The filly Her World, such an impressive 2-year-old debut winner last summer at Monmouth, where she thumped male rivals in the Tyro Stakes, was beaten a half-length by 28-1 shot Lady Zeta in Saturday’s eighth race, a first-level turf-sprint allowance race. Her World had finished an encouraging third, beaten one length, in a tough renewal of the Limestone Stakes last month at Keeneland, her 3-year-old debut, but took a step in the wrong direction losing as the 2-5 favorite Saturday.