| Grade III race | |
| Location | Gulfstream Park Hallandale Beach, Florida |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1985 (as Creme Fraiche Stakes) |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | www |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1+1⁄16 miles |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Four-years-old and older |
| Weight | 124 lbs with allowances |
| Purse | $150,000 (since 2023) |
The Ghostzapper Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for four-years-old and older at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in March at Gulfstream Park located in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently offers a purse of $150,000.
The inaugural running of the event was on 26 April 1990 as the Creme Fraiche Stakes over a distance of 7 furlongs and was won by Big Sal ridden US Hall of Fame jockey Earlie Fires by who led all the way in a time of 1:244⁄5 [1]
The event was named in honor of the 1985 Belmont Stakes winner, Creme Fraiche who also won Grade I Donn Handicap and W.L. McKnight Handicap at Gulfstream Park. [2]
The following year, 1991 the event's conditions were changed to a handicap and the distance extended to 1+1⁄16 miles. [3]
In 1993 the American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the race to Grade III. [3]
In 2003 the event was renamed to the Hal's Hope Handicap after the Florida-bred Hal's Hope who had won the event in 2002 and who also won the 2000 Grade I Florida Derby, 2000 Holy Bull Stakes and the 2002 Grade I Gulfstream Park Handicap. [4]
In 2005 the distance of the event was extended to 1+1⁄8 miles [5] but after two runnings the distance was decreased to one mile. [3]
In 2009 the conditions of the event were changed to a stakes allowance which reflected in the modification of the event's name. [3]
In 2020 the distance of the event was increased to 1+1⁄8 miles. [3]
In 2021 the event was renamed to the owner of Gulfstream Park, Frank Stronach's US Hall of Fame and 2004 US Horse of the Year Champion, Ghostzapper as the Ghostzapper Stakes. [6]
In 2023 the distance of the event was decreased from 1+1⁄8 miles to 1+1⁄16 miles. [3]
Speed record:
Margins:
Most wins:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghostzapper Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2024 | Il Miracolo | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Antonio Sano | Alexandres | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.79 | $150,000 | III | [7] |
| 2023 | Clapton | 4 | Emisael Jaramillo | Juan Alvarado | Arindel | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.94 | $180,000 | III | [8] |
| 2022 | Fearless | 6 | Luis Saez | Todd A. Pletcher | Repole Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.03 | $100,000 | III | [9] |
| 2021 | Eye of a Jedi | 6 | Javier Castellano | Steve Budhoo | Steve Budhoo | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.83 | $100,000 | III | [10] |
| Hal's Hope Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2020 | Identifier | 4 | Marcos Meneses | Oscar M. Gonzalez | Gelfenstein Farm | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.25 | $100,000 | III | [11] |
| 2019 | Prince Lucky | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Daniel W. McConnell Sr. | 1 mile | 1:34.84 | $100,000 | III | [12] |
| 2018 | Economic Model | 5 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence | 1 mile | 1:36.50 | $100,000 | III | [13] |
| 2017 | Tommy Macho | 5 | Luis Saez | Todd A. Pletcher | Paul P. Pompa Jr. & J Stables | 1 mile | 1:35.20 | $150,000 | III | [14] |
| 2016 | Mshawish | 6 | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Al Shaqab Racing | 1 mile | 1:34.61 | $150,000 | III | [15] |
| 2015 | Lea | 6 | Joel Rosario | William I. Mott | Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider | 1 mile | 1:35.46 | $150,000 | III | [16] |
| 2014 | Lea | 5 | Luis Saez | William I. Mott | Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider | 1 mile | 1:35.30 | $100,000 | III | [17] |
| 2013 | Csaba | 4 | Luis Saez | Philip A. Gleaves | Bruce Hollander & Cary Shapoff | 1 mile | 1:35.69 | $100,000 | III | [18] |
| 2012 | Jackson Bend | 5 | John R. Velazquez | Nicholas P. Zito | Robert V. LaPenta & Fred J. Brei | 1 mile | 1:38.19 | $100,000 | III | [19] |
| 2011 | Soaring Empire | 4 | Jose Lezcano | Cam Gambolati | Ol Memorial Stable & C. E. Glasscock | 1 mile | 1:35.99 | $100,000 | III | [20] |
| 2010 | Quality Road | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Edward P. Evans | 1 mile | 1:36.33 | $100,000 | III | [21] |
| 2009 | Delightful Kiss | 5 | Calvin H. Borel | Pete D. Anderson | Hobeau Farm | 1 mile | 1:36.13 | $100,000 | III | [22] |
| Hal's Hope Handicap | ||||||||||
| 2008 | Chatain | 5 | Cornelio Velasquez | Angel A. Penna Jr. | Lazy F Ranch | 1 mile | 1:36.39 | $100,000 | III | [23] |
| 2007 | Chatain | 4 | Cornelio Velasquez | Angel A. Penna Jr. | Lazy F Ranch | 1 mile | 1:33.87 | $100,000 | III | [24] |
| 2006 | On Thin Ice | 5 | Shaun Bridgmohan | Joe Orseno | D. J. Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.05 | $100,000 | III | [25] |
| 2005 | Badge of Silver | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | Robert J. Frankel | Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.57 | $100,000 | III | [26] |
| 2004 | Puzzlement | 5 | Jorge F. Chavez | H. Allen Jerkens | Joseph V. Shields Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.39 | $100,000 | III | [27] |
| 2003 | Windsor Castle | 5 | Eibar Coa | Frank A. Alexander | Dogwood Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.33 | $100,000 | III | [28] |
| Creme Fraiche Handicap | ||||||||||
| 2002 | Hal's Hope | 5 | Roger I. Velez | Harold J. Rose | Rose Family Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.40 | $100,000 | III | [29] |
| 2001 | Race not held | |||||||||
| 2000 | Dancing Guy | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | Newcomb Green | Frances Green | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.94 | $75,000 | III | [30] |
| 1999 | Jazz Club | 4 | Pat Day | Neil J. Howard | William S. Farish & Joseph Jamail | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.76 | $75,000 | III | [31] |
| 1998 | K. J.'s Appeal | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Frank A. Alexander | Releib Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.34 | $75,000 | III | [32] |
| 1997 | Louis Quatorze | 4 | Pat Day | Nicholas P. Zito | William J. Condren, Georgia E. Hofmann & Joseph Cornacchia | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.43 | $75,000 | III | [33] |
| 1996 | Geri | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.49 | $75,000 | III | [34] |
| 1995 | Warm Wayne | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Reynaldo H. Nobles | Due Process Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.11 | $75,000 | III | [35] |
| 1994 | Forever Whirl | 4 | Herb McCauley | Martin D. Wolfson | Irving Ellis & Alan Reskin | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.81 | $75,000 | III | [36] |
| 1993 | Classic Seven | 5 | Carlos E. Lopez Sr. | Thomas M. Cairns | Thomas M. Cairns & John O. Berry | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.49 | $100,000 | III | [37] |
| 1992 | Peanut Butter Onit | 6 | Jose A. Santos | Frank J. Lange | Elaine J Meltzer | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.78 | $75,000 | Listed | [38] |
| 1991 | New York Swell | 8 | Jose O. Alferez | Lawrence W. Jennings Jr. | Ballet Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.50 | $75,000 | Listed | [39] |
| Creme Fraiche Stakes | ||||||||||
| 1990 | Big Sal | 5 | Earlie Fires | Cam Gambolati | Sarkisian & Tierney | 7 furlongs | 1:24.80 | $33,900 | [1] | |
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