Repole Stable's Fearless, a multiple graded stakes-winning son of Ghostzapper, lived up to his 1-5 favoritism at Gulfstream Park Saturday with a six-length tally in the $100,000 Ghostzapper Stakes (G3).
The race, named for the 2004 Horse of the Year and Racing Hall of Fame member, was one of 10 stakes worth $2.2 million in purses on Saturday's 14-race card headlined by the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1).
Fearless, who finished second in the Fred W. Hooper (G3) and Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) going around one-turn, appreciated the stretch-out to 1 1/8 miles. The Todd Pletcher-trained 6-year-old gelding pushed his career record at Gulfstream to five wins to go along with three runner-up finishes in eight starts
Fearless stalked the pace around the first turn and along the backstretch as Carlos L. put up fractions of :24.24 and :48:08 for the first half mile. Jockey Luis Saez sent his hard-knocking mount after the tiring pacesetter on the turn into the homestretch, and the Kentucky-bred gelding drew clear.
Capocostello closed late to nip 2021 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth winner Greatest Honour by a nose for second money. Fearless ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.03 on a fast track.
“We felt like we were controlling the pace,” Saez said. “We came to the three-eighths, somebody put pressure on us. But he kicked on again. At the top of the stretch, he was all by himself. The way he finished, he finished pretty strong, pretty comfortable. I had a lot of horse left.”
Fearless, who returned $2, was bred in Kentucky by Helen Groves Revocable Trust from the Street Cry mare And Why Not. He has a 6-5-1 record from 14 career starts.
“When he's in good form, he generally puts himself in a good spot,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “I thought when he broke well and he went to the first turn, it looked like (Carlos L.) was getting a little rank and Luis (Saez) kind of let him go. Then, he was in a good stalking spot with an honest enough pace up front and he just kind of kept building up momentum as he went along.
“It's not so much about the tactics of it. He kind of tailed off last year and he was getting himself way too far out of the race. I knew when he broke well and he was putting himself in a good spot, it was more about that because that was some of the trouble we were having before we gave him a little bit of a break. He just wanted to give himself way too much to do early on.
“We'll figure it out. There's a lot of opportunities with a horse that you can kind of space around a little bit. Maybe the Pimlico Special (G3 May 20) might be good timing.”
The post Fearless Romps By Open Lengths In Ghostzapper appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
