Columnist Ralph Siraco: Racing robbed of another great showdown

Ralph Siraco

Monday, June 20, 2005 | 9:16 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

The season of attrition is upon us. During this midway point of the year, the sophomores of the Triple Crown rigors usually thin themselves out while the handicap division starts ramping up.

Three-year-olds get a brief break to regroup for the Mid-Summer Derby of the Travers at Saratoga while the older horses start their season pointing for the Breeders' Cup in the fall. And hopefully both divisions converge on that World Thoroughbred Championship day Oct. 29.

While that is the normal sequence of events, this is not a normal year for the equine stars.

First, most of those who participated through the grueling Triple Crown are ready for the couch. This year, however, the steel sophomore, Afleet Alex, not only sailed through the three-race series completed over a five-week span, he has shown no signs of slowing down. Even though he has already competed in a dozen races in less than a year -- his first career race was June 26, 2004 -- there is still a trio of races left against his own classmates on Afleet Alex's dance card.

By contrast, the reigning Horse of the Year, Ghostzapper, made his first start this year on Memorial Day in the Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park. It was the start of his 2005 campaign, launching a schedule of three subsequent stakes engagements culminating with a defense of the Breeders' Cup Classic. While the 5-year-old returned to the races with style, his racing career came to an abrupt end May 30.

Ghostzapper destroyed a solid field of graded stakes winners as he cruised to a daylight victory. In a rocking-chair ride, jockey Javier Castellano asked the Bobby Frankel trainee for a little gas midway through the homestretch and Ghostzapper responded with a measured half-dozen length score.

After the Belmont Stakes, racing fans anticipated a Ghostzapper-Afleet Alex Breeders' Cup Classic showdown. But though trainer Tim Ritchey did not rule out the Classic, he did indicate that after the Aug. 7 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park followed by the Aug. 27 Travers Stakes at Saratoga and then the Oct. 1 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, Afleet Alex may have entered a Breeders' Cup turf event rather than take on Ghostzapper.

When the news of Ghostzapper's forced retirement came on June 13, a re-tooling of the schedule now has Afleet Alex on his way to the Classic on Breeders' Cup day.

Ghostzapper finished his racing career with a record of nine victories from 11 lifetime starts that included four Grade I stakes highlighted by last year's Breeders' Cup Classic. He banked $3,446,120 with another third-place finish in the King's Bishop at Saratoga as a 3-year-old. In addition the Met Mile and Classic, Ghostzapper also won the 6 1/2-furlong Vosburgh and 7-furlong Tom Fool at Belmont Park, the Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park over a sloppy track and the Woodward at Belmont, each at 1 1/8 miles, showcasing both his talent and versatility.

He won his final six races in a row. Now Ghostzapper will move to owner Frank Stronach's Adena Springs Farm for a breeding career.

The sophomore division also took a hit last week. Although Afleet Alex continues on course without a break, Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo will be out for the rest of this year.

A bone chip in his left front ankle, sustained while finishing seventh in the Belmont Stakes, was discovered after the sophomore had returned to his Southern California base.

While Afleet Alex remains the top 3-year-old in the country, the vacancy of Ghostzapper leaves a scramble in the older-horse division.

On Saturday at Churchill Downs, Saint Liam took a significant step to fill that void. The 5-year-old son of Saint Bellado won the Grade I Stephen Foster Handicap with a dominating 2 3/4-length victory over a solid field of graded stakes winners.

A five-time winner from his last nine starts, Saint Liam will now point toward the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga in August.

Other top older horses still on schedule to run this year include Dubai World Cup winner Roses In May -- who was runner-up to Ghostzapper in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic -- Rock Hard Ten and Eddington.

So like last year when the showdown between Ghostzapper and Smarty Jones never materialized because Smarty took to the breeding shed early, this year Ghostzapper will leave the racing scene for the greener pastures while Afleet Alex sits poised for the fall classic.