SPRINT DIARY
JUNE 10, 2005
by Jordan Strickler
GHOSTZAPPER (Awesome Again) worked
his way to the top of many people’s sprint lists after his runaway victory in
the Metropolitan H. (G1) on Memorial Day. In order to be listed as a top sprinter, the horse
should at least run in sprint races. Ghostzapper’s last true sprint race was his
first start of 2004, the seven-furlong Tom Fool H. (G2). Trainer Bobby Frankel originally
planned for the five-year-old to run in five races this year — the Met Mile,
Suburban H. (G1), Whitney H. (G1), Woodward (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1),
none of which are sprints. Now that list has dwindled to four after Frankel opted
to keep Ghostzapper out of the Suburban.
MEDALLIST (Touch Gold) suffered a
fractured sesamoid and has been retired. The four-year-old was preparing for the
Met Mile when the fracture was discovered. The Allen Jerkens charge was coming
off a second in the Carter H. (G1) to FOREST DANGER (Forestry). In 12 career
starts, he earned a line of 5-2-1 with $421,375 in earnings. Wins on his resume
include the Dwyer S. (G2), Withers S. (G3) and Deputy Minister H. (G3). The dark
bay set a new stakes record in the Dwyer, completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:40, and set
a new Gulfstream track record winning the Deputy
Minister, going 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15 3/5. Medallist will now head to
owner Robert Clay’s Three Chimneys to stand the next breeding season for a yet to be
announced fee.
In other sprinting news, SILENT
WITNESS (El Moxie) suffered his second career defeat when coming in third in the
second leg of the Asian Mile Challenge, the Yasuda Kinen (Jpn-G1). His
connections originally had him bypassing this contest in order to give the
six-year-old the rest he much deserves. Although the bay gelding finished
near the front in his last two setbacks, he seemed to have found his limitations stretching out
in distance both times.
After talking about some accomplished sprinters, it is time to
mention a couple of up-and-comers who you might see make a name of themselves in
the near future. The first is CITICHURCH (Citidancer), a two-year-old filly who
destroyed a field of maidens in her first start at Laurel Park on April 10,
opening up an early lead and never relenting to her rivals, crossing the wire 19
lengths ahead of her nearest competitor. The Tim Salzman trainee completed 4 1/2
furlongs in :53. She hasn’t made a start since that outing but has been setting
bullets in her workouts over the past month, completing a four-furlong drill in
:48 on May 18 at Laurel Park and topping the list again on May 25, working
five-eighths in 1:01 4/5 on a track labeled good.
BIG ATTLET (Atticus) earned his third consecutive victory on
Sunday at Arlington Park when he defeating 11 other allowance rivals. All three
of his victories have come at six-furlongs. The four-year-old colt’s first
success came on April 15 at Hawthorne when gaining the early lead and stretching
that out to 9 1/4 by the time he concluded the race. In his next outing, Big
Attlet could’ve had his picture taken in the winner’s circle before the rest
of the field crossed the line, devouring his nearest opponent by 25 1/2 lengths. In
his latest contest, the Christine Janks trainee broke from post 12 and
rated off the pace until rallying into the lead entering the stretch, pulling away
to win by three lengths over a wet-fast track. Watch for the colt in a
stakes race near you.