Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Shaman Ghost stays sharp
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Shaman Ghost is all dressed up with nowhere to go.
Shaman Ghost, the Santa Anita Handicap winner, worked a fast five furlongs in 1:00.50 on Wednesday over Belmont Park’s training track. It was a full second faster than the next-fastest move at the distance. What exactly Shaman Ghost is working toward has not been decided.
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens lamented that the Grade 2, $400,000 Alysheba at Churchill Downs on May 5 is run at 1 1/16 miles, a tad short for Shaman Ghost. The Alysheba is viewed as a stepping-stone to the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at 1 1/8 miles at Churchill on June 17. That race is a likely target for Shaman Ghost unless owner Frank Stronach chooses to run him at Pimlico, a track he owns, in the Grade 3, $300,000 Pimlico Special on May 20.
“It’s a shame to keep training them when you’re not running, but what’s the alternative?” Jerkens said. “You don’t really want to send them home to the farm. Just keeping a horse hacking around is dangerous, too. You want to keep them active. He went faster than we wanted this morning.”
That might have been because he broke off at about the same time as another horse. Jerkens said Shaman Ghost tried to prop and that exercise rider Kelvin Pahal got after him to keep Shaman Ghost going.
Shaman Ghost “got into the bridle, and the rest was history,” Jerkens said.
“At least he feels good,” said Jerkens.
Jerkens said that a sharp work like that might actually make it easier for him to get Shaman Ghost ready even if his next start isn’t for two months.
“If you don’t run for a couple of months, maybe it’s good to do something like this now, and then you back off him a little bit and crank him back up again,” Jerkens said.
Prior to winning the Santa Anita Handicap, Shaman Ghost ran second to Arrogate in the inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfsream in January. That race came two months after he finished third in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Delta Prince eyes stakes
Also putting in a sharp workout Wednesday morning at Belmont was Delta Prince. A half-brother to champion Royal Delta, Delta Prince zipped a half-mile in 48.18 seconds over the training track.
Jerkens is considering running Delta Prince in the $150,000 Elusive Quality at Belmont on April 29 or the Grade 3, $150,000 Fort Marcy there May 6. The Elusive Quality is at seven furlongs on turf. The Fort Marcy is at 1 1/8 miles on turf, and Jerkens is considering running Jay Gatsby in that spot. He thinks Delta Prince might appreciate the turnback from the trio of one-mile races he had at Gulfstream. Delta Prince won twice and was second, beaten a half-length by All Included, in the Grade 3 Appleton.
“Seven furlongs should hit him in the head,” Jerkens said.
Secretary At War to test speed
Jerkens will try to stretch Secretary At War out in distance a little bit in Saturday’s $100,000 Woodhaven Stakes for 3-year-olds.
The Woodhaven, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles, drew a field of only five for the turf. Two others were entered for the main track only.
Secretary At War, a son of War Front owned and bred by Joe Allen, is coming off a maiden win going 7 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Park. Prior to that, he finished third in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Gulfstream after breaking from post 12.
Speaking of his maiden win, Jerkens said Secretary At War “galloped to the lead and kept on going.”
“He’s got nice, easy speed, it looks like,” he said.
The Woodhaven features the 3-year-old debut of Frostmourne, who hasn’t run since taking the Awad Stakes at Belmont last Oct. 29. The Christophe Clement trainee had two wins from three starts at 2 and had been training steadily at the Payson Park training center all winter.
Royal by Nature, second to Frostmourne in the Awad, is also making his 3-year-old debut in this spot for trainer Brad Cox. Bird’s Eye View and Shamsaan complete the field. Bonus Points and Outplay are the two main-track-only entrants.
Also on Saturday’s card is the $100,000 Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Bluegrass Flag, six-length winner of the Cicada Stakes, heads a field of six entered to run 6 1/2 furlongs.