Shaman Ghost retired, will stand in California

Shaman Ghost, a Grade 1 winner and Canadian champion, has been retired from racing and will stand at a farm to be determined in California for the 2018 breeding season at an advertised fee of $10,000.

The 5-year-old Ghostzapper horse finished his on-track career with eight wins in 17 starts for earnings of $3,859,311, making him the second-highest-earning Canadian-bred of all time behind his paternal grandsire Awesome Again at $4,374,590. Jimmy Jerkens trained Shaman Ghost for owner/breeder Stronach Stables.

The retirement was confirmed Monday by Jerkens on his Twitter account after Frank Stronach revealed the horse’s stud plans and fee to the BloodHorse.

Shaman Ghost scored victories in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and Woodward Stakes, the Grade 2 Brooklyn Invitational Stakes, and Grade 3 Pimlico Special Handicap. He ran second to Arrogate in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes earlier this year, and also finished in the money in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap and Grade 2 Suburban Handicap.

He was named Canada’s champion 3-year-old male in 2015 on the strength of a campaign that included wins in the Queen’s Plate and the Grade 3 Marine Stakes, and a runner-up effort in the Prince of Wales Stakes.

Bred at Stronach’s Adena Springs North base in Ontario, Shaman Ghost is out of the stakes-placed Gilded Time mare Getback Time, who is the dam of two winners from three runners. His extended family includes Grade 3 winner Deputy G and stakes winners Shay, Lookin Like a Lady, and Bestdressed.

Shaman Ghost is the biggest stallion piece yet in Stronach’s plan to expand his interests in California, a state in which he owns two tracks: Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields.

While Shaman Ghost’s destination is still to be determined, he will be joined in the state by two former residents of Adena Springs’ Kentucky base who will stand at EF1 Farms in Hemet, Calif., formerly known as Brazeau Thoroughbred Farms. North Light, a 16-year-old son of Danehill, will be advertised at $5,000, while City Wolf, a 10-year-old Giant’s Causeway horse, will be advertised at $2,500.