Two Ghosts 'scary good' in Grey Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Two Ghosts was scary-good in Saturday’s Grade 3 Grey Stakes at Woodbine, scoring with a strong late bid at 6-1 under a patient ride from Justin Stein.

Favored Piper’s Factor led the way in the 1 1/16-mile route for 2-year-olds while Two Ghosts trailed down the backstretch in eighth, racing about five lengths off moderate fractions.

Two Ghosts split horses early in the stretch before Stein angled him widest for the final furlong. He kicked in nicely to prevail by a length over Piper’s Factor, who edged out Jayhawk for second.

A son of Ghostzapper, Two Ghosts completed the distance in 1:44.56, returning $14.90 to win.

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“It worked out well, obviously,” Stein said. “I was sitting in a spot where the horse was comfortable, running within himself. He just waited for the cue to run and he was carrying me along nicely until we hit the quarter pole. We worked out a trip through the field. When I asked him to run, he really accelerated and showed an extremely impressive turn of foot. The rest is history.”

Two Ghosts collected $90,000 of the $156,900 purse for Hoolie Racing Stable and trainer Barbara Minshall.

Witwatersand scores in Mazarine

Witwatersand ($10.30) notched her first stakes with relative ease in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Mazarine under Patrick Husbands.

Witwatersrand assumed an inside stalking trip in third along the backstretch in the 1 1/16-mile test for 2-year-old fillies.

Mystic Lake set honest fractions while being pressed by Uphill Dance, before the favored Tripolina loomed into contention on the outside on the far turn.

Husbands angled Witwatersrand off the rail in the stretch and she hit the front with about an eighth left before drawing clear for a 2 3/4-length tally, in a time of 1:43.72.

Tripolina, fresh off beating Two Ghosts in the Display Stakes, endured her first loss while beating out a tiring Mystic Lake for third. Simply in Front wound up fourth in the six-horse field.

A daughter of Connect, Witwatersrand earned $150,000 for owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse.

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