Alberta's Terry Hamilton Has Another Turf Star with Spooky Channel

Albertan TERRY HAMILTON, who recently retired his Grade 1 Canadian-bred turf star HEART TO HEART, has another turf horse on the rise with SPOOKY CHANNEL, winner of the Jan. 25 W.L. McKnight Stakes (G3) worth $200,000.

Bought for just $10,000 as a yearling by Alistair Roden for Hamilton at the 2016 Fasig Tipton October sale, Spooky Channel, like Heart to Heart, is by Grade 1 champion English Channel. Racing at Turf Paradise at the outset of his career, the Calumet Farm-bred won three stakes races in 2019 before moving to trainer Brian Lynch last fall. He had been eighth in his first race for Lynch off a July – October layoff in the Fort Lauderdale Handicap and was making his first start at 1 1/2 miles on turf.

He rallied from off the pace to win the McKnight at 36 to 1 under Julien Leparoux for his seventh win in 12 starts and boosted his earnings to over $200,000. He is the first foal of his dam Spooky Kitten by Kitten’s Joy.

Scroll to continue with content

Terry Hamilton from Lethbridge, AB show with his millionaire Heart to Heart – Keeneland photo by Photos by Z

Later on the Gulfstream card and before the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, ZULU ALPHA zipped up the rail to win the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Turf for owner Michael Hiu and trainer Mike Maker.

The second running of the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus Turf and the fourth renewal of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) at 1 1/8 miles on dirt comprised the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series presented by Runhappy, headlining a blockbuster 12-race program featuring nine stakes, six graded, worth $5.2 million in purses.

For the first time, both the Pegasus and Pegasus Turf were run free of any medications, heralding a new era in the sport of Thoroughbred racing in North America. The medication-free policy is consistent with the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA) standards. Two percent of the purses will go back to Thoroughbred aftercare.

Trained by Maker and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, born and raised in nearby Davie, Fla., Zulu Alpha ($25.60) completed the distance in 1:51.60 over a firm course for his fifth career graded-stakes victory and first in Grade 1 company. It was also the first Grade 1 win for Hui, who purchased his first horses in 2010 and has been working with Maker since 2015.

“When he shot up the rail, I screamed my lungs out,” Hui said. “I just watched, stood and screamed. It’s just an unbelievable feeling. I never thought I would win a Grade 1.”

Zulu Alpha, a 7-year-old son of Street Cry, was racing for the first time since making a six-wide move to rally from last to fourth, beaten 1 ¼ lengths, in the 1 ½-mile Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita. He improved to three-for-four at Gulfstream, his other wins coming in the W. L. McKnight (G3) and Mac Diarmida (G2) last winter.

“Just a great horse,” Maker said. “I thought he got unlucky in the Breeders’ Cup or he might have gotten a bigger slice there. He got some time off after that and he really thrived coming in.”

Breaking from the rail in a full field of 12, Gaffalione settled Zulu Alpha in mid-pack on the inside as well-traveled Group 1 winner Magic Wand, a narrow second choice at 7-2, was directed to the lead from their far outside post by jockey Ryan Moore and set moderate fractions of 24.06 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.45 for the half, chased closest by Zulu Alpha’s stablemate, 25-1 long shot Henley’s Joy.

Magic Wand continued to lead the way after six furlongs in 1:11.94 as Gaffalione remained patient while awaiting room on the inside. Henley’s Joy cut Magic Wand’s lead to a head straightening for home while Zulu Alpha loomed dangerously in third. Gaffalione pounced on the leader inside the eighth pole and sprinted clear to win by two lengths, while Magic Wand held on gamely for second by a neck over Instilled Regard.

“The horse broke well and the speed set up in front of us. I was able to let my horse settle,” Gaffalione said. “They just kept opening up and I didn’t see any reason to go around them, so we just stayed on the fence. He really exploded down in there and finished the job. He honestly got more competitive down in there.”