Grande Continues Comeback in $175,000 Ghostzapper (G3)

G2-Placed Colt Undefeated in Three Prior Starts at Gulfstream

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Six weeks after returning from a 10-month absence in grand style, Repole Stable’s Grade 2-placed Grande will continue his comeback when he steps back into graded-stakes company for Saturday’s $175,000 Ghostzapper (G3) presented by FanDuel TV at Gulfstream Park.

The 31st running of the 1 1/16-mile Ghostzapper for older horses is the third of 10 stakes, five graded, worth $2.675 million in purses on a blockbuster program anchored by the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa for 3-year-olds, the country’s premier Triple Crown prep celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Post time for the first of 14 races is 11:30 a.m. ET

His connections had Triple Crown aspirations for Grande, a $300,000 son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, after going unraced at 2 then opening his sophomore season with back-to-back wins at Gulfstream, the latter at 1 1/8 miles. He was sidelined after finishing second in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct last April, scratched on the day before the Kentucky Derby (G1) with a foot issue.

Rather than being rushed back, Grande was given plenty of time and didn’t return to racing until Feb. 14 when he led from start to finish and held off Grade 3-placed Praetor for a gutsy three-quarter-length optional claiming allowance victory going a one-turn mile, his first try against older horses.

“I thought it was a courageous race off the layoff,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He kind of got headed, fought back, came back up on the rail. It was a very game effort.”

His latest win improved Grande to 3-0 at Gulfstream. He has had three subsequent timed works at Palm Beach Downs for Pletcher, who previously won the Ghostzapper with Fearless (2022), Prince Lucky (2019), Tommy Macho (2017), Mshawish (2016) and Quality Road (2010), the last four coming when it was contested as the Hal’s Hope.

“It was a big, big race off the layoff,” Pletcher said. “He’s another horse that seems to do well at Gulfstream, so it’s time to step up in class and see how he handles that.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, up for each of his first two starts, returns to ride from Post 2. They are rated as the even-money program favorite in a field of nine.

“Like a lot of the Curlins he seems to be getting a little better all the time as he ages,” Pletcher said. “I think he’ll also handle added distance down the road, so there’s a lot of opportunities out there for him.”

Both Lightning Tones and Steal Sunshine have also enjoyed plenty of success at Gulfstream. JC Racing Stable’s 6-year-old Lightning Tones (Post 6, 12-1), owned and trained by Jose Castro, has been third or better in 20 of 31 starts over the main track, seven of them wins including back-to-back editions of the 1 1/16-mile Sunshine Classic against fellow Florida-breds. Exiting a troubled seventh in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 24, he was entered Inglis Digital USA’s on-line Curlin Florida Derby auction that ended Monday but went unsold after not reaching his $280,000 reserve.

Michael and Jules Iavarone and TCC Stables’ 7-year-old Steal Sunshine (Post 8, 9-2) ran third by a length in the 2024 Ghostzapper, one start after winning the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2). He has placed in six other graded-stakes, most recently finishing second to Knightsbridge in the Feb. 28 Gulfstream Park Mile that followed disappointing efforts in the Fort Lauderdale (G3) on turf and Fred Hooper (G3).

“Sunshine seems to be back on his game,” trainer Bobby Dibona said. “He kind of slipped off of my program a little bit but he’s been with me since day one and he’s moving in on a million dollars. He’s done a lot of good things. We had a couple experiments. I liked the way he ran last time. Knightsbridge is a monster. We split horses to be a solid second. We’ll see. We got a change in rider for this race. He’s ready to go.”

Hall of Famer Joel Rosario will be aboard for the first time from Post 8. Steal Sunshine has a 7-4-6 record from 24 starts at Gulfstream and has banked a total of $864,700 from 36 lifetime races.

“He’s been very consistent. His whole game is, he’s not the easiest horse to ride. He’s fast. He worked in [59.70 seconds March 14]. It’s not like he’s void of speed, he just doesn’t want to be rushed early. He wants to kind of hit the rail and lag a little bit and then when you call on him, he’s there, but he’s spotting the field 10 lengths. Maybe the little added distance will be to our liking.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott entered the pair of Timeout and Capital Idea. Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Timeout (Post 3, 10-1) won his lone Gulfstream start last winter, is twice stakes-placed and will be racing first time since being well-beaten as the favorite in an off-the-turf Belmont Gold Cup (G3) last June at Saratoga. Paul Woosley’s Capital Idea (Post 4, 6-1) is making his Gulfstream debut after running second in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance Feb. 15 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Racing Driver (Post 5, 10-1), fourth to Knightsbridge in the Jan. 24 Fred Hooper; Freedom Principle (Post 7, 30-1), fourth in Tampa’s March 7 Challenger (G3), one spot ahead of Racing Driver; and 15-time winner Cadet Corps (Post 9, 12-1), a last-out third in the Jan. 17 Louisiana (G3) at Fair Grounds, complete the field.

Championship Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said C2 Racing Stable and Mathis Stable’s Forged Steel (Post 1, 10-1) will scratch and run in Saturday’s 1 ½-mile Temperance Hill at Oaklawn Park.

Bred and owned by Frank Stronach and trained by late Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel, Ghostzapper was champion older horse and Horse of the Year in 2004 after going undefeated in four starts including the Woodward (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). He was retired after winning the Met Mile (G1) in 2005 and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2012.