JANUARY 25, 2005
Stronach Stable’s homebred GHOSTZAPPER (Awesome Again) was named Horse of the
Year on Monday during the 34th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony at the Regent
Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California. The now five-year-old horse
followed in his sire’s hoofsteps in 2004, capping off an undefeated season with
a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), but also went one step further by
achieving championship status.
Also receiving the title of champion older horse, Ghostzapper needed only
four starts last year to prove his dominance. Trainer Bobby Frankel started the
Kentucky-bred bay off late in the year, waiting until the Tom Fool H. (G2) on
Independence Day to unveil the phenomenon that would overshadow all other
rivals. In that one, Ghostzapper proved that a nine-month layoff was no barrier
as he pulled away under a hand ride from regular jockey Javier Castellano to
post a 4 1/4-length victory in the seven-furlong test.
After the Tom Fool came the nine-furlong Philip H. Iselin Breeders’ Cup H.
(G3) and the skeptics immediately started downing the talented colt as not being
able to stretch out past sprint distances. The multitude of critics were
silenced, however, when Ghostzapper crossed under the line 10 3/4 lengths better
than his closest competitor.
Having proved himself more than capable of handling a route of ground, the
bay would face his toughest trial of the year when taking on the 1 1/8-mile
Woodward S. (G1) at Belmont Park. Challenging the pacesetting Saint Liam (Saint
Ballado) throughout, Ghostzapper found himself carried wide in the stretch and
then proceeded to trade bumps with the long-time leader in the duel to the wire.
Showing the true heart of a champion, he managed to dig down and pull off the
win by a neck.
Most of the Ghostzapper critics had turned into fans by the time the
Breeders’ Cup rolled around in late October. In what turned out to be an
exhibition, the then four-year-old took the early lead, held on under pressure
from Roses in May (Devil His Due) and proceeded to draw off for a three-length
win. He ended 2004 with a career record of eight wins and one third from 10
starts, and $2,996,120 in earnings.
Out of the Relaunch mare Baby Zip, who was a stakes winner at the shorter
distances, the Kentucky-bred Ghostzapper is a half-brother to Grade 1-winning
sprinter City Zip (Carson City). He’s perhaps bred to excel at sprint distances,
but his talent has shown no boundaries thus far. Ghostzapper is expected to
return to the races this spring, and we’ll see if he can extend his five-race
win streak in 2005.
AZERI (Jade Hunter) pulled off an amazing comeback last year to be named
champion older mare for a third straight time. The massive chestnut mare, who
was the 2002 Horse of the Year, earned her third consecutive Apple Blossom H.
(G1) victory while making her first start of the year for new trainer D. Wayne
Lukas. She just missed in the Humana Distaff H. (G1) by a head in her next one,
then took on the boys next out in the Met Mile (G1), but finished off the board
for the first time in her career. That race obviously took something out of the
then six-year-old racing veteran, as she ran last of four in the Ogden Phipps H.
(G1) in mid-June.
However, Azeri once again demonstrated what it means to be a champion as she
re-rallied from those disappointing efforts to score in the Go for Wand H. (G1),
finish second in the Personal Ensign H. (G1) and then capture the Spinster S.
(G1) in dominant fashion. She made her final career start in the Breeders’ Cup
Classic, where she finished fifth against a stellar group.
The classy mare retired with a 24-17-4-0 record and $4,079,820 in lifetime
earnings, enough to make her the leading North American distaffer in money
earned. She’s scheduled to be bred to Storm Cat.
After bringing national attention to his Triple Crown bid, SMARTY JONES
(Elusive Quality) was a shoo-in to earn champion three-year-old honors. Bred and
campaigned by Roy and Patricia Chapman of Someday Farm, the gutsy chestnut
overcame many hurdles in his undefeated run on the Triple Crown. Injured in a
starting gate accident as a juvenile, Smarty Jones nearly lost an eye but
recovered and captured his debut at Philadelphia Park by an easy 7 3/4 lengths.
He would race only one more time before his storied three-year-old season
started, but that, too, came in a dominating performance when he captured the
Pennsylvania Nursery S. by 15 lengths.
Smarty Jones ventured away from his home base in trainer John Servis’ barn at
Philadelphia Park when making his sophomore bow in the Count Fleet S. at
Aqueduct, but the change in venue proved to be no obstacle as he scored by five
lengths under regular jockey Stewart Elliott. Oaklawn Park would be his next
stop, and wins in the Southwest S., Rebel S. and Arkansas Derby (G2) followed.
In capturing the latter two races, Smarty Jones set himself up to win an
unprecedented bonus of $5 million from Oaklawn Park President Charles Cella to
celebrate that track’s 100th anniversary. All Smarty had to do to collect was
win the Kentucky Derby (G1).
No problem.
Not even a powerful thunderstorm turning Churchill Downs’ once fast track to
slop in minutes could stop Smarty Jones from taking the classic event. Tracking
in behind the pacesetting Lion Heart (Tale of the Cat), Smarty Jones launched
his bid turning for home and flew down the stretch to become the first
undefeated Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977. Smarty Fever instantly swept
the nation and the crowd went wild at the Preakness S. (G1) two weeks later when
he crossed the line a whopping 11 1/2-length victor, the largest winning margin
ever in the race’s history.
A Triple Crown victory was not to be though. On June 5, Smarty Jones started
down the stretch of the Belmont S. (G1) with the lead to the thunderous applause
of his many fans, but the cheers faded into stunned silence as the “people’s
horse” lost his first race in the final jumps before the wire. The Belmont would
prove to be his final race as Smarty Jones was retired later in the summer due
to bone bruises in all four of his cannon bones.
From small town America to the Big Apple — Smarty Jones’ journey earned him
the respect and admiration of both the diehard race fans and those who had never
watched a race before. Though he only started nine times, his eight magnificent
wins and one heartbreaking defeat were enough to earn the three-year-old
$7,613,155 and a place as the fourth-richest earner in North American racing
history. He now stands at Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Kentucky.
Though the “people’s horse” will never race again, his fans do have something
to look forward to. Smarty Jones’ dam, I’ll Get Along (Smile), sold in November
at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Selected Fall Mix Sale for $5 million while
carrying a full sibling to the Kentucky Derby winner.
Though she didn’t achieve quite as huge a following as Smarty Jones, ASHADO
(Saint Ballado) still made a name for herself over the past year and was honored
as champion three-year-old filly. The dark bay miss started her season off in
style, taking the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) by 3 3/4 lengths and finishing second
in the Ashland S. (G1) before an easy 1 1/4-length victory in the prestigious
Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Ashado continued her success during the rest of the
year, capturing the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Cotillion H. (G2) and
never finishing worse than third. Her biggest test came when she took on older
fillies and mares for the first time in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), but that
proved no real challenge as she pulled away to a 1 1/4-length win at Lone Star
Park under a hand ride from regular rider John Velazquez.
Owned by Aaron and Marie Jones, Ashado finished out the year with a record of
14-9-3-2 and $2,870,440 in lifetime earnings and is back in training in Florida
for a four-year-old campaign. She is out of the stakes-winning Goulash (Mari’s
Book) and has two stakes-placed full siblings.
Though Jay Em Ess Stable’s DECLAN’S MOON (Malibu Moon) didn’t compete in the
Breeders’ Cup, the dark bay gelding still proved best in his division and was
named champion two-year-old over Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Wilko
(Awesome Again). After breaking his maiden debut by five lengths, Declan’s Moon
went on to score in the Del Mar Futurity (G2) and Hollywood Prevue S. (G3) for
trainer Ron Ellis. He ended the year with a length victory in the Hollywood
Futurity (G1) to move his earnings to $507,300 and keep his record perfect in
four starts.
Declan’s Moon is the second registered foal out of the Grade 2-placed Vee Vee
Star (Norquestor) and has an unraced two-year-old half-brother named Dave’s Jet.
After an eventful run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Mr. & Mrs.
Martin J. Wygod’s homebred SWEET CATOMINE (Storm Cat) was named champion
juvenile filly on Monday. The bay miss dropped her first start at the beginning
of 2004, but proved that to be a fluke as she went on to win her next two races
en route to victory in the Breeders’ Cup in late October. Racing in midpack that
day, Sweet Catomine made her move in between horses leaving the far turn, but
suddenly found herself with no place to go and had to steady sharply. Swinging
to the outside, the game lass re-rallied in the stretch and overtook her rivals
before drawing away to score by 3 3/4 lengths, completing the 1 1/16-mile event
in nearly three-fifths of a second faster than males in the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile.
That stellar win came on top of victories in the Del Mar Debutante S. (G1)
and Oak Leaf S. (G2), and the Julio Canani-trained Sweet Catomine ended the year
with $799,800 in earnings. She is a daughter of the stakes-winning and Grade
1-placed Sweet Life (Kris S.), who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Pirate’s
Revenge.
Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey’s KITTEN’S JOY (El Prado [Ire]) came up just 1 3/4
lengths short in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), but still earned champion turf
horse honors after compiling a record of 8-6-2-0 and $1,625,796 in 2004. The
Dale Romans trainee spent most of the year in the winner’s circle, taking the
Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. (G1), Secretariat S. (G1), Virginia
Derby (G3), Crown Royal American Turf S. (G3), Palm Beach S. (G3) and Tropical
Park Derby (G3). The latter race, which came on New Year’s Day 2004, was the
first to showcase the sophomore’s talent on the grass but it certainly wasn’t
the last. Besides his runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup, the chestnut also
ran second in the Jefferson Cup S. (G3), missing by just a head.
Kitten’s Joy is out of the winning Kitten’s First (Lear Fan), making him a
half-brother to multiple stakes victress Justenuffheart (Broad Brush). He’s
scheduled to run again this season.
Lord Derby’s OUIJA BOARD (GB) (Cape Cross [Ire]) added yet another award to
her list of accomplishments when she was named champion turf female. The bay
filly showcased her talent in the United States in the Breeder’ Cup Filly & Mare
Turf (G1), taking on the best the world had to offer and, with an authoritative
1 1/2-length victory, showing them why she was soon to be honored as Horse of
the Year at the 2004 Cartier Racing Awards. After capturing both the English
(Eng-G1) and Irish Oaks (G1), the sophomore finished a fast-closing third
against males in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) prior to her Breeders’
Cup run.
Trained by Ed Dunlop, Ouija Board recorded a 4-0-1 mark from five starts in
2004 and could go for a title defense in the Breeders’ Cup as she is expected to
stay in training at four. She is out of the Welsh Pageant mare Selection Board.
Eugene and Laura Melnyk’s SPEIGHTSTOWN (Gone West) proved that sometimes a
break can give a horse new life. After skipping the 2002 season and only racing
twice in 2003, the chestnut horse hit his best stride last year to earn the
title of 2004 champion sprinter.
Making his six-year-old debut in the Churchill Downs H. (G2), the Todd
Pletcher trainee gave notice to his rivals that the rest had done its job with a
3 1/2 front-running victory in the seven-furlong test. Shortening up a furlong
in his next two outings, Speightstown added on to his line with victories in the
True North Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) and Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G2). He ran third
in Vosburgh S. (G1), but demonstrated he could show up for the big day in the
Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). Rallying in the stretch, he held all at bay for the 1
1/4-length score in a final time of 1:08.
Speightstown, who retired with a mark of 16-10-2-2, $1,258,256, is out of
Canadian champion Silken Cat (Storm Cat) and stands at WinStar Farm near
Versailles, Kentucky.
Eldon Farm LLC’s HIRAPOUR (Ire) (Kahyasi) earned the title of champion
steeplechaser after taking two of his four starts in 2004. Trained by Paul
Douglas Fout, the nine-year-old gelding started the year off with a close
runner-up finish in the Carolina Cup Hurdle S. (NSA-G3) before scoring in the
Royal Chase for the Sport of Kings Hurdle S. (NSA-G1) at Keeneland in April. He
took a break over the summer months and then took on 2003 champion
steeplechaser, McDynamo (Dynaformer), in the Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase
(NSA-G1), ending up second once again as his rival successfully defended his
title in that contest. Hirapour got the chance to turn the tables on his
opponent, though, easily scoring in the Colonial Cup Hurdle S. (NSA-G1) to
finish out the year.
In the human categories, trainer Todd Pletcher dominated the earnings list in
2004 to be named top trainer. Racking up 240 wins from 948 starts (25 percent
win rate), his charges earned a total $17,511,923 in purses. Among his other
accomplishments, the 37-year-old conditioner left his mark in New York last
season. The leading trainer at Saratoga for a second straight year after tying
his record of 35 victories in a single meet, he also earned the training title
at Belmont’s sprint meet with 33 wins.
Pletcher’s top winners in 2004 included Breeders’ Cup champions Ashado and
Speightstown, as well as Cigar Mile H. (G1) victor Lion Tamer (Will’s Way) and
Champagne S. (G1) hero Proud Accolade (Yes It’s True).
With Pletcher taking the Eclipse for top trainer, it was only fitting that
jockey John Velazquez be named top jockey. The two have proved to be an
incredible team, combining to win five races together at Saratoga on August 30,
and Velazquez broke the single-season record for jockey wins at the Spa that he
himself set in 2003. He topped all jockeys in earnings last year, riding the
winners of $22,248,661 in purses, and piloting 250 winners from 1,327 starts.
The 33-year-old native of Puerto Rico was aboard for Ashado’s score in the
Distaff and Speightstown’s Sprint victory.
Brian Hernandez Jr. was named champion apprentice jockey after recording 200
wins from 1,466 mounts. That was enough to give him a 17 percent win rate for
the year as well as $4,398,554 in purses earned. Hernandez finished second in
the jockeys standings during Churchill Downs’ Fall Championship Meet with 23
wins from 176 races.
Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, who enjoyed a terrific year with Grade 1 winners
Kitten’s Joy, Roses in May and Nothing to Lose (Sky Classic), took home the
Eclipse Award for outstanding owner. The Ramseys continued to win a slew of
races in their home state, Kentucky, in 2004, earning a record-setting ninth
owners’ title at Churchill Downs as well as the Spring meet title at Keeneland,
and they were the leading owners at Gulfstream Park. Owners of Almahurst Farm
near Lexington, the Ramseys were also honored last fall with the Warner L. Jones
Jr. Horsemen of the Year award
Adena Springs, which is owned by Frank Stronach, hit a home run with
Ghostzapper, but he wasn’t the only top notch runner to be bred at the three
stallion and breeding operations located in Kentucky, Florida and Ontario. After
leading the nation by earnings for the second consecutive year, Adena Springs
was named outstanding breeder for 2004 on Monday evening. Adena Spring-bred
runners won 400 races and earned more than $14 million last season.