# Ghostzapper Stakes

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.

## History

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
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.
The following year, 1991 the event's conditions were changed to a handicap and the distance extended to 1+1⁄16 miles.
In 1993 the American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the race to Grade III.
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.
In 2005 the distance of the event was extended to 1+1⁄8 miles but after two runnings the distance was decreased to one mile.
In 2009 the conditions of the event were changed to a stakes allowance which reflected in the modification of the event's name.
In 2020 the distance of the event was increased to 1+1⁄8 miles.
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.
In 2023 the distance of the event was decreased from 1+1⁄8 miles to 1+1⁄16 miles.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1+1⁄8 miles – 1:48.57 Badge of Silver (2005)
* 1+1⁄16 miles – 1:41.49 Geri (1996)
* 1 mile – 1:33.87 Chatain (2007)
Margins:
* 8 lengths – K. J.'s Appeal (1998)
Most wins:
* 2 – Chatain (2007, 2008)
* 2 – Lea (2014, 2015)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 5 - John R. Velazquez (1998, 2010, 2012, 2019, 2024)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 5 - Todd A. Pletcher (2010, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 - Lazy F Ranch (2007, 2008)
* 2 - Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider (2014, 2015)

## Winners

| 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 | |
| 2023 | Clapton | 4 | Emisael Jaramillo | Juan Alvarado | Arindel | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.94 | $180,000 | III | |
| 2022 | Fearless | 6 | Luis Saez | Todd A. Pletcher | Repole Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.03 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2021 | Eye of a Jedi | 6 | Javier Castellano | Steve Budhoo | Steve Budhoo | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.83 | $100,000 | III | |
| Hal's Hope Stakes |||||||||||
| 2020 | Identifier | 4 | Marcos Meneses | Oscar M. Gonzalez | Gelfenstein Farm | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.25 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2019 | Prince Lucky | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Daniel W. McConnell Sr. | 1 mile | 1:34.84 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2018 | Economic Model | 5 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence | 1 mile | 1:36.50 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2017 | Tommy Macho | 5 | Luis Saez | Todd A. Pletcher | Paul P. Pompa Jr. & J Stables | 1 mile | 1:35.20 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2016 | Mshawish | 6 | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Al Shaqab Racing | 1 mile | 1:34.61 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2015 | Lea | 6 | Joel Rosario | William I. Mott | Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider | 1 mile | 1:35.46 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2014 | Lea | 5 | Luis Saez | William I. Mott | Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider | 1 mile | 1:35.30 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2013 | Csaba | 4 | Luis Saez | Philip A. Gleaves | Bruce Hollander & Cary Shapoff | 1 mile | 1:35.69 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2012 | Jackson Bend | 5 | John R. Velazquez | Nicholas P. Zito | Robert V. LaPenta & Fred J. Brei | 1 mile | 1:38.19 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2011 | Soaring Empire | 4 | Jose Lezcano | Cam Gambolati | Ol Memorial Stable & C. E. Glasscock | 1 mile | 1:35.99 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2010 | Quality Road | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Edward P. Evans | 1 mile | 1:36.33 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2009 | Delightful Kiss | 5 | Calvin H. Borel | Pete D. Anderson | Hobeau Farm | 1 mile | 1:36.13 | $100,000 | III | |
| Hal's Hope Handicap |||||||||||
| 2008 | Chatain | 5 | Cornelio Velasquez | Angel A. Penna Jr. | Lazy F Ranch | 1 mile | 1:36.39 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2007 | Chatain | 4 | Cornelio Velasquez | Angel A. Penna Jr. | Lazy F Ranch | 1 mile | 1:33.87 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2006 | On Thin Ice | 5 | Shaun Bridgmohan | Joe Orseno | D. J. Stable | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.05 | $100,000 | III | |
| 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 | |
| 2004 | Puzzlement | 5 | Jorge F. Chavez | H. Allen Jerkens | Joseph V. Shields Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.39 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2003 | Windsor Castle | 5 | Eibar Coa | Frank A. Alexander | Dogwood Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.33 | $100,000 | III | |
| 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 | |
| 2001 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 2000 | Dancing Guy | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | Newcomb Green | Frances Green | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.94 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1999 | Jazz Club | 4 | Pat Day | Neil J. Howard | William S. Farish & Joseph Jamail | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.76 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1998 | K. J.'s Appeal | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Frank A. Alexander | Releib Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.34 | $75,000 | III | |
| 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 | |
| 1996 | Geri | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.49 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1995 | Warm Wayne | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Reynaldo H. Nobles | Due Process Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.11 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1994 | Forever Whirl | 4 | Herb McCauley | Martin D. Wolfson | Irving Ellis & Alan Reskin | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.81 | $75,000 | III | |
| 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 | |
| 1992 | Peanut Butter Onit | 6 | Jose A. Santos | Frank J. Lange | Elaine J Meltzer | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.78 | $75,000 | Listed | |
| 1991 | New York Swell | 8 | Jose O. Alferez | Lawrence W. Jennings Jr. | Ballet Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.50 | $75,000 | Listed | |
| Creme Fraiche Stakes |||||||||||
| 1990 | Big Sal | 5 | Earlie Fires | Cam Gambolati | Sarkisian & Tierney | 7 furlongs | 1:24.80 | $33,900 | | |