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GHOSTLY PRESENCE surges to victory in the $75,000 Tropical Park Oaks – 2nd division in 1:41.79 – an 89 Beyer Figure GULFSTREAM PARK PHOTO
CHIEFSWOOD STABLES’ flashy filly GHOSTLY PRESENCE was given a shrewd ride by Rafael Hernandez that translated into a nice win in the 2nd division of the Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream on Saturday.
Trained by Roger Attfield, the Ghostzapper – Five n Forty (Distorted Humor) filly was 4 to 1 in the 1 1/16 mile turf race and wore down Team of Teams in the late stages to win in 1:42.79, good for an 89 Beyer Figure.
It was the 3rd win in the last 5 races for Ghostly Presence who won the Jammed Lovely Stakes on Tapeta in her last start and missed 2 other stakes wins by a neck each before that.
Neither Chiefswood Stable reps nor Attfield were in attendance at Gulfstream for the win, the 5th in 14 races for the 3-year-old.
The barn was not as lucky with the 3yo colt TIZ A SLAM, who landed 7th in the Tropical Park Derby as an outsider. The colt, winner of the Grade 3 Ontario Derby this year in an otherwise modest campaign, finished just over 5 lengths behind winner Derocher.
MIDNIGHT CROSSING WINS GRADE 3 ROBERT FRANKEL, BOOSTS SOVEREIGN AWARD STATUS
Left to his own devices on the front end of Saturday’s Grade I, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita, Brice Blanc slowed the pace down aboard 22-1 longshot Midnight Crossing and came away with a hard-fought half length victory over 8-5 favorite Elysea’s World. In her first start for trainer Richard Baltas, Irish-bred Midnight Crossing got a mile and one eighth on turf in 1:48.10.
Previously based at Woodbine Racecourse in Toronto, Midnight Crossing, a 4-year-old filly by Dark Angel, had made her seven previous starts for Canadian trainer Roger Attfield, but was purchased privately following her most recent start at Woodbine on Nov. 3 and sent to Baltas, who, coincidentally, took last year’s Frankel with Goodyearforroses, who had also been shipped west from Woodbine.
In a short field of six, Blanc allowed his mount to get her bearings and make an easy lead into the first turn with Gliding By, Responsibleforlove and Laseen in close attendance. However, Blanc was allowed to cruise through splits of 24.27, 48.94, 1:12.90 and 1:36.36 and was thus able to open up a length and a half advantage turning for home and was all out to hold off the favorite late.
In her 18th career start, Midnight Crossing registered her first stakes win and paid $47.60, $12.80 and $5.00.
Owned by Abbondanza Racing, LLC and Medallion Racing, Midnight Crossing picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $131,377. Her overall mark now stands at 18-3-2-1.
WONDER GADOT TO MEET BOYS?
Gary Barber’s multiple graded stakes winning filly Wonder Gadot could possibly make her next start against colts in the Grade III $200,000 Lecomte on Jan. 13.
Trained by Mark Casse, the Ontario-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro made her first start a winning one against allowance company over the Polytrack at Woodbine before running switching surfaces in the Gr. I Natalma on the Woodbine turf, where she ran third. Following such an effort, Wonder Gadot successfully returned to the Polytrack at the Etobicoke oval as an emphatic six-length winner of the Gr. III Mazarine before shipping to Del Mar for the Gr. I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies where she finished sixth. Last time out, she won the Gr. II Demoiselle at Aqueduct on Dec. 2.
“Mark and Mr. Barber are starting to entertain the idea of running her against the boys,” Casse’s assistant trainer David Carroll said. “She’s still in Florida but hopefully she’ll get here shortly. The game plan is to cross enter (in $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes on Jan. 13) and take a look and see where she is. I have actually never seen her in the flesh so I’m looking forward to seeing her. She’s obviously a very nice filly in her own right, but apparently she’s doing very well.”
Wonder Gadot breezed on Saturday morning at Casse Training Center in Ocala, Florida where she worked five furlongs in 1:02.40.
In addition, Casse would also be represented by Gr. I Alcibiades winner Heavenly Lovein the Silverbulletday Stakes.
Other known possible entrants for the Lecomte include Analyze This Jet, Kowboy Karma, Believe In Royalty, Ebben and Principe Guilherme. Possibilities for the Silverbulletday include Terras Angel and America’s Tale.
