Gamble’s Ghost continues drive to title

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Gamble’s Ghost had a championship-like season in 2017, but she was overshadowed by her brilliant stablemate Ami’s Mesa, who won the Sovereign Award for champion older female and was second in the Canadian Horse of the Year voting.

After notching her third stakes win of the meet in dramatic fashion last Sunday in the $112,000 Belle Mahone, Gamble’s Ghost is on target to become Canada’s champion older female this year. Using her patented wide-closing style, she also won the Grade 3 Trillium and the Grade 3 Ontario Matron Stakes this year.

Gamble’s Ghost’s next main objective figures to be the Grade 3 Maple Leaf here Nov. 3, which she won last year. She is owned by Ivan Dalos and trained by Josie Carroll.

Carroll said Ami’s Mesa will try to win Monday’s Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters for the second year in a row. She used that Tapeta sprint as a springboard to last year’s nose loss in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on dirt at Del Mar.

Ami’s Mesa has started only once since the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup, finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland in April. She has been working regularly over the local Tapeta.

Carroll said the next start for her rising turf star Mr Ritz has yet to be determined. An English-bred 3-year-old owned by Earle Mack, Mr Ritz easily took the $200,000 Caesars Stakes at Indiana Grand on Sept. 5, with a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We’re just looking at a few options right now,” Carroll said.

Carroll has two entrants for Sunday’s Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine, Nashtrick and Avie’s Flatter, who were both recent debut winners. They breezed nicely together on the main turf here last Saturday, going a half-mile around the cones in 47.60 seconds.

The $250,000 Summer is a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In qualifier for the Grade 1 BC Juvenile Turf on Nov. 2 at Churchill.

Two of Dalos’s accomplished older male runners have been retired, Ami’s Flatter and Amis Gizmo.

Dalos said Ami’s Flatter will stand at stud next year at Ocala Stud Farm in Florida. A 6-year-old by Flatter, Ami’s Flatter captured the Grade 3 Commonwealth at Keeneland. He also was second in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.

Stallion plans for Amis Gizmo in Ontario have yet to be finalized. A 5-year-old millionaire, Amis Gizmo was Canada’s champion male 3-year-old in 2016, when he won the Grade 3 Ontario Derby here and the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie.

◗ Friday’s feature, a first-level allowance sprint for 2-year-old fillies, attracted a field of five, including Lady Azalea and the good-looking debut winner Intanga Rose.