In 11 starts across four seasons, Ghostzapper won nine times, captured the 2004 Horse of the Year title, and set the Breeders’ Cup Classic record while showing rare speed and versatility at multiple distances.
Ghostzapper raced 11 times, won 9 races, and earned $3,446,120.
In 2004 he won the Tom Fool, Iselin, Woodward and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, posting a Classic record of 1:59.02.
Inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2012, Ghostzapper remains notable for rare combination of speed, tactical versatility, and brief but dominant peak form.
# Overview Ghostzapper never ran many races in a year—never more than four per season—but his short career included performances few horses matched. The son of Awesome Again was a homebred for Frank Stronach's Stronach Stables and trained by Bobby Frankel. Between his debut in late 2002 and retirement in 2005 he compiled a record of 11 starts, nine wins, and $3,446,120 in earnings.
# How he developed Ghostzapper debuted at Hollywood Park on Nov. 16, 2002, winning by nine lengths under Frankel. After a disappointing allowance finish in December, his connections gave him time to mature. At three he began to show the attributes that would define his career: speed, adaptability to different paces, and an ability to handle different track conditions.
# 2003: promise interrupted At three, Ghostzapper posted allowance wins at Belmont and Saratoga and ran third in the Grade 1 King's Bishop after getting trapped wide and forced to rally. In September he crushed older horses in the Grade 1 Vosburgh by 6 1/2 lengths. Minor foot injuries ended his 2003 season and kept him out of that year's Breeders' Cup.
# 2004: peak season and Horse of the Year
Across those four 2004 races he won by a combined 18 1/4 lengths and recorded Beyer Speed Figures of 120, 128, 114, and 124.
# Style and versatility
# Later recognition and legacy Ghostzapper was retired in 2005 and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2012. His brief but dominant peak season—especially the Breeders' Cup Classic performance and the 2004 Beyer figures—are the main measures of his standing among top American racehorses.
# What stands out Ghostzapper's career combines efficiency and peak brilliance: relatively few starts, a high win rate, exceptional speed numbers, and a Classic record time. Those facts explain why connections and racing historians point to him as a standout performer despite a compact race résumé.
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