Ghostzapper (Grade lll)

Purse $150.000 – For Four Year Olds And Upward

1 1/16 Miles – Dirt

Gulfstream Park – March 28, 2026

From the claiming ranks to graded stakes glory, Nimbus Two Thousand delivered a career-best performance, working out a perfect trip to capture the 23rd running of the Ghostzapper Stakes. The son of Inconceivable now has five career wins and has increased his earnings to $216.440. The victory marked a first in the race for Bigchief Stables, while jockey Tyler Gaffalione secured his second win in the Ghostzapper. Nimbus Two Thousand has been improving with each start, and this effort suggests that his best races may still be ahead. Congratulations to the connections of this homebred runner on a well-earned stakes victory.

Winner: Nimbus Two Thousand – (Bigchief Stables, T. Gaffalione) After getting in perfect position breaking from the gate, Nimbus Two Thousand settled in fourth down the backside. He sat just a couple of lengths off the leaders before making his move around the 5/16 pole. Tyler Gaffalione had to do a little maneuvering and was four wide at the top of the stretch. At that point, Nimbus had already taken the lead and began to power away. None of the closers were able to catch him, and he stopped the clock in 1:40.74. Everything came together perfectly and it was an impressive performance indeed. He should remain a contender at this level.

Second Place: Bondarchuk – (YME Stable, R M. Hernandez) It was a valiant effort from Bondarchuk, though he was unable to keep his win streak alive. After vying for position into the first turn, he secured a ground-saving trip along the rail down the backstretch. A seam opened at the three-eighths pole, and he was quick to take advantage, launching his bid. He began to close in on the leaders but ultimately couldn’t match Nimbus Two Thousand’s kick in the stretch. Still, this was a strong showing for a colt making his first start against graded stakes company, and his story appears far from finished. One to follow.

Third Place: Gymnast – (Noblepark, J. Bravo) This colt worked out a trip similar to Nimbus Two Thousand, settling a few lengths off the early pace. The difference, however, was Gymnast’s ground-saving position along the rail. He tracked roughly three lengths behind down the backstretch and bided his time while waiting for racing room approaching the far turn. That opportunity didn’t come until the top of the stretch, and by then, the leaders had already begun opening up. He did begin to finish once clear, but there simply wasn’t enough ground left to make a serious impact. He’ll need to have a bit more racing luck in the future.

Fourth Place: Schopenhauer – (Maxmillion Farm, S X. Bridgmohan) Very sharp out of the gate, Schopenhauer wasted no time clearing the field and dictating the pace through fractions of 23.16, 46.69, and 1:10.62. He traveled comfortably down the backstretch and appeared to open up slightly approaching the far turn. However, at the top of the lane, the distance began to take its toll. To his credit, he refused to yield easily and showed plenty of determination to hold his ground late. Moving forward, placing him in a spot where he can successfully carry his speed gate-to-wire may prove to be a challenge.

– AJM

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES