Sire Ghostzapper left his mark on Kentucky Derby

Ghostzapper, Horse of the Year in 2004, lost his chance to be represented as a sire in the Kentucky Derby several weeks ago when son Runaway Ghost was declared from the classic with an injury. But the Adena Springs stallion was still represented as the broodmare sire of unbeaten Derby favorite Justify – who delivered in a big way to key a stellar weekend for the stallion.

Justify is out of Ghostzapper’s Grade 3-placed daughter Stage Magic, who raced as a homebred for Glennwood, which bred Justify. The mare is the dam of three winners from as many starters, also including Grade 2-placed The Lieutenant. Coming next in the pipeline, Stage Magic has a 2-year-old Pioneerof the Nile filly named Egyptian Storm, who sold for $230,000 to R.S. Evans and West Point Thoroughbreds at last fall’s Keeneland September yearling sale. She also has a yearling colt by Will Take Charge and delivered a Pioneerof the Nile colt on April 19.

Ghostzapper also was represented on the Kentucky Derby undercard as the broodmare sire of American Gal, who earned her second career Grade 1 victory in the Humana Distaff. Overall, Ghostzapper is the broodmare sire of six stakes winners, led by Eclipse Award champion Drefong.

Ghostzapper also recorded two graded stakes winners as a sire Saturday, with Proctor’s Ledge winning the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard and Canadian champion Holy Helena winning the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay Stakes at Belmont. With her victory, Holy Helena became the eighth millionaire for Ghostzapper, whose list in that regard also is led by an Eclipse champion, Judy the Beauty.

Ghostzapper, who stands alongside his sire, Awesome Again, at Adena Springs, was known for brilliant performances both sprinting and routing. His stakes-record performance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 128. The stallion ranks in the top 25 on Daily Racing Form’s exclusive Sire List by runners to earn benchmark Beyers of 90 or higher.