Shaman Ghost appears in time in Queen's Plate

Nor did Academic get her pacesetting role as desired. For a rank Sweet Grass

Creek (Wando) chased her through a swift opening quarter in :22 4/5 on the

Polytrack, then passed her rounding the clubhouse turn. After Sweet Grass Creek

widened his margin down the backstretch through splits of :45 3/5 and 1:10 4/5,

Academic was a spent force in pursuit. Sweet Grass Creek soon came back to the

field himself and gave way badly on the far turn. Both he and Academic were

eased but walked off the track.

Billy's Star (Perfect Soul) was the first to take the baton from the

exhausted Sweet Grass Creek. Although the Roger Attfield pupil pulled a length clear at the mile mark

in 1:37 2/5, his better-fancied stablemate Danish Dynaformer was moving smartly on the outside, however, and

loomed into contention.

Gaining command in the stretch, the favorite looked poised to give his Hall

of Fame trainer a record ninth Plate success. Then came the

specter of Shaman Ghost, who appeared on the premises in the final sixteenth and

subdued Danish Dynaformer by 1 1/4 lengths. The Ontario-bred negotiated the 1

1/4-mile "Gallop for the Guineas" in 2:03 2/5 and paid $8.60.

"I just wanted to make sure, me and Brian where talking about it, just by the

quarter-pole try to be outside the horses," Hernandez said. "He (Danish

Dynaformer) make a move too early, I let him pass me. I know my horse always got

a kick. So he did his thing. He made his kick down the lane and we get 'em back.

"He is a great horse. He gave me everything today."

"I thought it was a great ride -- very patient," Lynch said. "I thought a few

jocks panicked at the quarter-pole, but you can see him sort of sitting. We had

the best horse on the day.

"I could just see Rafael's red cap moving forward, moving forward, trying to

get himself in a good position. Then I knew this horse would have some finish to

him and I knew I had the right rider. He is very patient and would give this

horse a fabulous ride."

The unfortunate Conquest Bougaloo rallied gamely for third, just a

half-length off Danish Dynaformer. Billy's Star checked in fourth in the 11 who

crossed the wire.

Attfield paid tribute to the winner.

"They (Danish Dynaformer and Billy's Star) were both excellent, but they got

beat by the horse I was worried about. They both ran well, there's no question,"

the Hall of Famer summed up.

Shaman Ghost extended his winning streak to four. The May 5 foal didn't break

his maiden until his fourth start, succeeding at Gulfstream Park March 14, but

quickly followed up in an April 9 Keeneland allowance. Up in time after traffic

trouble in his stakes debut in the May 16 Marine (Can-G3), he was kept fresh for

this engagement, which boosted his bankroll to $611,611 from his 7-4-0-0 line.

Stronach had his hopes up going into the race.

"Just as I was walking in the grass near the saddling area, I looked down and

saw a four-leaf clover. That's usually a good sign," Stronach said. "But I had a

good feeling all day long because the horse here beat every horse in the race

before in better times. I think this time we got a real good horse and he was

hardly breathing when he came over here (to the winner's circle)."

Out of the multiple stakes-placed Getback Time (Gilded Time), Shaman Ghost

hails from a California family featuring multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire

Brother Derek (Benchmark).

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