Ghostzapper will miss Oaklawn

Ghostzapper’s 2005 debut has been postponed (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com)

Horse of the Year GHOSTZAPPER (Awesome Again), who was scheduled to make his
seasonal debut in the April 9 Oaklawn H. (G2), has come down with a minor
illness and will instead be pointed toward the Metropolitan Mile H. (G1) on May
30, trainer Bobby Frankel announced Wednesday.

“The horse got sick last weekend and has been running a temperature,” Frankel
said. “It’s a sinus thing. He’s already missed four days of training, and he’ll
miss a few more.

“Of course I’m disappointed we won’t be coming (to Oaklawn), but we’re not
about to take any chances with this horse. We will take a step back and wait for
the Met Mile.”

The defection leaves the Hall of Fame conditioner without a starter in this
year’s Oaklawn H. Frankel had saddled Medaglia d’Oro to victory in 2003 and won
it again last year with Peace Rules. However, Ghostzapper’s absence will
probably lead to more entries because many horsemen were going to avoid the
Horse of the Year.

“It’s unfortunate that Ghostzapper is not coming,” Oaklawn Racing
Secretary Pat Pope said. “But that’s part of the game. Horses get sick.
They are not machines.”