The 20th Running of the G3 Ghostzapper
Saturday, April 1, 2023
GP Race #14 $150.000
4+ 124 Lbs (plus penalties) 11/16
Course Record-1:40.73 (Be Lucky-2023)
Stakes Record-1:40.99 (Nick Of Time-2004)
#1 Essential (Blazin D/A.R. Rodriguez): Rail horse has started ’23 well with a 3rd and a win in two black-type events. Water gets deeper here but looks to be just starting a good run of form and has shown different tactics in his two runs this season. Been working nothing but bullets since and he appears to be raising his game.
#2 Savannah Ruler (Night Rider Stables/J.J. Castellano): Gelding’s first and only run on this engine saw him fall just a head short of capturing $100.000 CA-bred stake. He was 4th at this level three-back, but he was well behind the early leaders that day. Showed a bit more punch last time and is drawn well to try those same tactics here.
#3 Positive Id (Gdp Inc/J. Loveberry): 4yo started his season with a N3X win at this trip in February before finishing 3rd here going a mile in a G2. Stays busy with the start here, but he’ll need to catch a better start than what he got last time when he was four back at the first call. He’s a former G1 winner, and you have to expect a big run in his third start back.
#4 Schmidt (Nakamura Stables/F.T. Alvarado): Sophomore finale saw him just miss in a similar spot back in December. Since then, he was 8th in a wet-track G3 before taking a GG N4X last out. He hasn’t been a pace presence as he’s been one that likes to settle before producing his run; however, wouldn’t be a surprise to see him ridden more aggressively here.
#5 Hand Cannon (Fractious/E.J. Zayas): Gelding started his season in a G1 before trying black-type runners at AQU. Didn’t factor at all here in January, but this group isn’t of the same caliber that he faced that day. A return to his late summer-early fall form would make him a player in here.
#6 Hard To Forgive (D J C Racing Stables/M. Franco): 5yo horse is consistently inconsistent. That applies to both his results and the way he achieves them. When he’s feeling it, he can produce an effort good enough to take this; however, it’s hard to pinpoint his style and even harder to predict when those big efforts are forthcoming.
#7 Mr Pancake (Arindel/C.J. Hernandez): 4yo colt won the G1 FL Derby here last year; however, in his last eight runs at that same level he’s yet to duplicate that result. Gets a bit of class relief today, but it’s not like he was running poorly. He has four defeats by a length or less in that string of G1’s. Ran huge here in January before a poor run at SA, but this may be just what the doctor ordered.
Final Analysis: 7-3-1 in an interesting renewal of the G3 Ghostzapper. Good luck to all involved!
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES
