The Ghostzapper Stakes is a Grade III

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

for four-years-old and older at a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt run annually in March at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

located in

Hallandale Beach, Florida Hallandale Beach (formerly known simply as Hallandale) is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, the son of a Swedish worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. As of the 20 ...

. The event currently offers a purse of $100,000.

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 26 April 1990 as the Creme Fraiche Stakes over a distance of 7 furlongs and was won by Big Sal ridden US Hall of Fame jockey

Earlie Fires Earlie Stancel Fires (born March 19, 1947, in Rivervale, Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the sout ...

by who led all the way in a time of 1:24 The event was named in honor of the 1985

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

winner, Creme Fraiche who also won

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Donn Handicap The Donn Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1959 through 2016 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A race for horses age four and older, it was contested on turf from inception through 1964 at a distance ...

and W.L. McKnight Handicap at Gulfstream Park. The following year, 1991 the event's conditions were changed to a handicap and the distance extended to miles. In 1993 the

American Graded Stakes Committee {{short description, Organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders The American Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) based in Lexington, Kentucky is a trade organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders. ...

upgraded the race to Grade III. In 2003 the event was renamed to the Hal's Hope Handicap after the

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

-bred Hal's Hope who had won the event in 2002 and who also won the 2000 Grade I

Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Saturd ...

, 2000

Holy Bull Stakes The Holy Bull Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses run over the distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt, held annually in January at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event cu ...

and the 2002 Grade I

Gulfstream Park Handicap The Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (formerly known as the Gulfstream Park Handicap) is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Gulfstream Park each year. The race is open to horses age four and up, willing to race one mile on the dirt. A Grade II even ...

. In 2005 the distance of the event was extended to miles but after two runnings the distance was decreased to one mile. In 2009 the conditions of the event were changed to a stakes allowance which reflected in the modification of the event's name. In 2020 the distance of the event was increased to miles. In 2021 the event was renamed to the owner of

Frank Stronach Frank Stronach (born 6 September 1932) is an Austrian and Canadian businessman and politician. He is the founder of Magna International, an international automotive parts company based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, Granite Real Estate, and The ...

's US Hall of Fame and 2004 US Horse of the Year Champion,

Ghostzapper Ghostzapper (foaled April 6, 2000) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2004, outdistancing Roses in May by three lengths in a track record time of 1:59.02. His gate-to-wire Classic victory completed a 4-for-4 season, ...

as the Ghostzapper Stakes.

Records

Speed record: * miles – 1:48.57

Badge of Silver Badge of Silver (foaled March 25, 2000) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 2006 San Gabriel Handicap. Career Badge of Silver on his first race on April 12, 2002 at Keeneland. He continued winning, by taking the 2003 Risen Sta ...

(2005) * miles – 1:41.49 Geri (1996) *1 mile – 1:33.87 Chatain (2007) Margins: * 8 lengths – K. J.'s Appeal (1998) Most wins: * 2 – Chatain (2007, 2008) * 2 – Lea (2014, 2015) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

: * 4 - John R. Velazquez (1998, 2010, 2012, 2019) * 4 -

Luis Saez Luis Saez (born May 19, 1992) in Panama City, Panama) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Saez rode Maximum Security to finish first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby but was subsequently disqualified due to interference. The two later won ...

(2013, 2014, 2017, 2022) Most wins by a trainer: * 5 - Todd A. Pletcher (2010, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022) Most wins by an owner: * 2 - Lazy F Ranch (2007, 2008) * 2 -

Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...

& Adele B. Dilschneider (2014, 2015)

Winners

References

{{reflist, 2 Horse races in Florida Graded stakes races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1990 1990 establishments in Florida Grade 3 stakes races in the United States Gulfstream Park

History

Records

Winners

See also

References