In a blanket finish, it was Ross McLeod and Charles Ming’s GOTAGHOSTOFACHANCE
(Silver Ghost) who dug in gamely to annex the $281,500
Sport Page H. (G3) at
Belmont Park on Saturday. The four-year-old gelding settled near the back of the pack as
Voodoo (Petionville) opened with fractions of :22 2/5, :44 3/5 and 1:09 3/5
before the winning gray angled out after being steadied in upper stretch and got
up late by a half-length under jockey Jon Court, completing seven fast furlongs
in 1:23.
The Roger Stein trainee left the gate at 5-1 to return $12.20, $5.60 and
$4.10 to his backers, leading the $62 exacta. Captain Squire (Flying Chevron) gave back $5.20
and $4.20 for the place while Wild Tale (Tale of the Cat) made a run on the
outside for third, paying $7.70 and ending the trifecta which gave back $690.
Silver Wagon (Wagon Limit) got up to complete the $1,986 superfecta (6-8-9-1).
Value Plus (Unbridled’s Song), Voodoo, Joey P. (Close Up), Hasty Kris (Kissin
Kris) and Brand Name (Unbridled’s Song) completed the order of finish. Grand
Reward (Storm Cat) was scratched from the race.
Bred in Maryland by Dr. Philip J. Torsney Jr., Gotaghostofachance is out of
the stakes-winning Foolish Kisses (Cannonade) and counts himself as a
half-sibling to the multiple stakes-winning filly, I’mtoogoodtobetrue (Good and
Tough) as well as a yearling filly named Anofficerandalady (Officer) and a
weanling filly named Ahugabouttheneck (Partner’s Hero). He improves his line to
11-5-2-1 and nearly doubled his earnings to $341,850. Other scores on his resume
include last year’s Lamplighter S. and a second in the Pat O’Brien Breeders’ Cup
H. (G2) two starts back.