Auctions

Mar 12 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. March Sale of 2YOs in Training 2024 HIPS
Mar 14 Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival March Sale 2024 HIPS
Mar 27 Tattersalls March Sale 2024 HIPS
Apr 3 Texas Thoroughbred Association 2YOs in Training Sale 2024 HIPS
Apr 16 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. Spring Sale of 2YOs in Training 2024 HIPS
View All Auctions

Homebred Red Ghost Rises to Miss Preakness Occasion

Ghostzapper filly earned first stakes win May 14 for Douglas Scharbauer, Wesley Ward.

Red Ghost (inside) wins the Miss Preakness Stakes over Euphoric (center) and Joyful Cadence (outside) at Pimlico Race Course

Red Ghost (inside) wins the Miss Preakness Stakes over Euphoric (center) and Joyful Cadence (outside) at Pimlico Race Course

Skip Dickstein

Douglas Scharbauer's Red Ghost lost the lead in mid-stretch but fought back along the rail in the final strides to get her nose down on the wire May 14 in the $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.

The homebred daughter of Ghostzapper  just edged Euphoric, with Joyful Cadence a head back in a thrilling finish to the six-furlong event on the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) undercard in Maryland. Trainer Wesley Ward said his filly may have punched her ticket to the Aug. 7 Longines Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, where she scored on debut last summer.

It was the first career stakes win from four starts for Red Ghost ($6.20), and second of the day for Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez following the $150,000 Allaire DuPont Match Series Stakes (G3) with Spice Is Nice. Velazquez also went on to take home the $100,000 Hilltop Stakes on Alda for a Friday riding triple.

Sent off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of eight, Red Ghost ran the opening quarter-mile in :22.88 and a half in :45.80 pressed by Euphoric on her right hip, with Joyful Cadence in the clear three wide. Euphoric stuck a head in front around the turn and hit the top of the stretch with the lead, as Joyful Cadence swept up to challenge on the far outside. Those two dug in through the final eighth but it was Velazquez who coaxed more out of Red Ghost to come on again and get the win. Final time was 1:10.53 on a fast track.

"She got passed, almost a length," Velazquez said. "She was looking to the inside and the other horses passed her. She didn't even care. She kept looking to the inside and leaning out and I got after her. I got after her at the three-sixteenths pole, and she came back."

"I think that was all Johnny V. right there," Ward said of the narrow success.

Juror Number Four came flying late after being shuffled back at the start to pick up fourth, three lengths behind Joyful Cadence. The order of finish was completed by Abrogate, Street Lute, Paradise Song, and Prodigy Doll. Inject was scratched.

Red Ghost ran twice as a 2-year-old, breaking her maiden in debut Aug. 30 at Saratoga and wheeling back Sept. 15 to finish seventh in the 6 1/2-furlong Untapable Stakes on the Kentucky Downs turf. She didn't race again until April 16, when she won a six-furlong Keeneland allowance event by two lengths against males.

"The only issue was, I ran her back way to quick after she won at Saratoga," Ward said. "I told the owners I'd like to give her the winter off and point for the Test this summer. She came back and beat those boys at Keeneland convincingly. 

"I just think we can bring this horse in fresh, get her works in over her home track at Keeneland, and have a great shot at winning the Test." 

Scharbauer bred Red Ghost in Kentucky out of the unraced Elusive Quality mare Better Than Most, whose seven starters have all been winners. Several of her earlier foals excelled in state-bred company in Texas, including black-type winners Worldventurer, W V Jetsetter, and More Than Most. Red Ghost is her ninth of 11 foals. She has a 2-year-old Union Rags  filly named Gold Queen and her last reported foal is a yearling Uncle Mo  filly. 

Red Ghost improved her career record to three wins from four starts, with earnings of $182,200.  

Video: Miss Preakness S. (G3)