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Ghostbuster Colt Mystic Guide Could Jump From Jim Dandy Win To Preakness

Godolphin's Mystic Guide emerged from his triumph in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga in good order and shipped back to Fair Hill Training Center on Saturday evening, where trainer Michael Stidham is primarily stabled.

The sophomore Ghostzapper chestnut earned his first graded stakes victory in the 1 1/8-mile event over the Saratoga Race Course main track in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and arrived off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on July 16 to Country Grammer.

Stidham said the Grade 1, $1 million Preakness Stakes on October 3 at Pimlico Race Course is a possibility for Mystic Guide.

“We're going to look at it and see how he trains these next couple of weeks,” Stidham said. “He's already back at Fair Hill and looked good this morning. He came out of the race in good shape.”

Never off the hoard in five career starts, Stidham said Mystic Guide had always touted himself as a horse with a bright future. Following a five-length maiden score at second asking in his two-turn debut in March at Fair Grounds, he finished third in a one-turn first level allowance race at Belmont Park which was won by Tap It to Win en route to the Peter Pan.

“He always showed us a lot of promise right from the beginning,” Stidham said. “We stayed patient with him. We didn't put him in spots that he wasn't ready for. We tried to do the right thing by the horse, and it paid off yesterday. There was temptation in thinking about the Derby, but he didn't advance quickly enough to be in that picture.”

Following Saturday's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, which was won by Authentic who kept heavy favorite Tiz the Law at bay, Stidham said the 3-year-old division appears to be wide open.

“I don't think that there's a big difference in a lot of the 3-year-olds,” Stidham said. “Tiz the Law was certainly the leader of the group, and then obviously he got beat yesterday. I think it opens the picture up and I think our horse is lightly raced and could be coming into his peak now and coming up to his best racing.”

A Kentucky homebred, Mystic Guide is out of the three-time Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Music Note. Stidham currently has Mystic Guide's half-brother Gershwin in his barn. The unraced 2-year-old son of Distorted Humor has been training forwardly at Fair Hill and Stidham said he could make his career debut soon.

“He's showing some early promise. He hasn't started yet but he's had some nice works,” Stidham said. “There are a lot of similarities. They're big, strong colts and Gershwin has shown some early talent. He's another one that's going to be a two turn horse. We aren't in any rush with him. He'll make his first start in the month to six weeks.”

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Mystic Guide Strong In The Stretch To Win Jim Dandy Stakes

Appearing to be home free at the top of the stretch, jockey Luis Saez looked over his right shoulder aboard Jesus' Team to check for any potential spoilers. What he saw was a dirt-covered Mystic Guide mounting a charge that would eventually lead him to the winner's circle in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga.

The 3-year-old Ghostzapper colt broke from the outside post, and settled near the back of the six-horse field, two paths off the rail. Longshots First Line and Celtic Striker led the group into the first turn, followed closely in third by Pegasus Stakes runner-up Jesus' Team, and the lead duo separated from the rest as they straightened out to the backstretch in an opening quarter of :23.37 seconds.

First Line led the way across the back straightaway, with Celtic Striker on his outside hip, while Mystic Guide waited patiently in the back of the field. The half-mile went by in :47.61 seconds, and Jesus' Team spent the next quarter-mile lodging a three-wide move to the front.

Jesus' Team was firmly in command at the top of the stretch, but Ortiz had brought Mystic Guide up through the middle of the field in the meantime, and appeared on the outside of the new leader as the eighth-pole drew near. After some right-handed urging by Ortiz, Mystic Guide drew up beside Jesus' Team, who fought on for a few strides before conceding the lead.

Ortiz kept Mystic Guide to task through the final sixteenth, fending off a late charge from Liveyourbeastlife to win by a length. Jesus' Team carried on for third, while betting favorite Dr Post ran an even fourth.

Mystic Guide completed the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:49 flat over a fast main track for owner Godolphin and trainer Michael Stidham. He paid $6.60 to win as the field's second choice.

The Jim Dandy was Mystic Guide's second win in five career starts, and his first victory in stakes competition. Stidham added blinkers to the colt for the Jim Dandy after finishing third in his most recent start, and his stakes debut, a third in the G3 Peter Pan Stakes on July 16 at Saratoga.

A homebred for Godolphin, Mystic Guide is out of the five-time Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Music Note, who also ran under the Godolphin blue.

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‘Rising Star’ Mystic Guide Gets It Done in Jim Dandy

‘TDN Rising Star’ Mystic Guide, sporting first-time blinkers, sat much handier to the pace than when last seen in the GIII Peter Pan S. on opening day of the Saratoga meet July 16, weaved his way through traffic to be within striking distance turning for home and kicked on gamely in the stretch for a career high.

A bit hesitant to load, the Godolphin homebred dropped out to the tail of the field, but trailed the dueling pacesetters by just about a half-dozen lengths down the backstretch. Rallying underneath odds-on Dr Post (Quality Road) on the turn, Mystic Guide was asked for his best a quarter mile out, was spun four wide into the lane, overhauled Jesus’ Team at the eighth pole and staved off a late charge from Liveyourbeastlife to get the money. Dr Post was a disappointing fourth.

“I know he was last down the backside, but he was definitely there when Jose [Ortiz] called on him today whereas the last time he was too late and had no chance,” winning trainer Mike Stidham said of the addition of blinkers. “Today, he was there when Jose called on him. Once he got through turning for home, I felt really good about him because he has a big kick. He put himself in a better spot today and gave himself a chance. It really is a pleasure to win a race like this at Saratoga.”

Tabbed a ‘Rising Star’ off a powerful performance in his two-turn debut at second asking at Fair Grounds Mar. 21, Mystic Guide was second-best behind Tap It to Win (Tapit) in a quickly run first-level allowance at Belmont June 4, then closed from far back to be third as the favorite in the Peter Pan.

As for returning in the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3, Stidham added, “It certainly is a race that we’ll look at. If our horse comes out of the race really well and we like the way he trains in the next couple of weeks, the Preakness would certainly be on the table no matter what happens today [in the Kentucky Derby].”

Pedigree Notes:

Mystic Guide is one of 79 black-type winners–43 graded–for the consistently top sire Ghostzapper. The 2004 Horse of the Year’s other graded scorers this year include GI Madison S. winner Guarana and GII Dance Smarty S. winner Theodora B. Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide is out of the five-time GISW A.P. Indy mare Music Note, who is a half-sister to G1 winner Musical Chimes (In Excess {Ire}) and a granddaughter of 1978 champion 2-year-old filly It’s in the Air (Mr. Prospector). Music Note’s most recent produce is a yearling filly by Maclean’s Music. Mystic Guide is the fourth graded winner resulting from the cross of Ghostzapper on an A.P. Indy mare, with the others being Moreno (GI), Champagne Problems (G3), and Matthewsburg (G3).

Saturday, Saratoga
JIM DANDY S.-GII, $150,000, Saratoga, 9-5, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.00, ft.
1–MYSTIC GUIDE, 118, c, 3, by Ghostzapper
                1st Dam: Music Note (MGISW, $1,615,000), by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Note Musicale (GB), by Sadler’s Wells
                3rd Dam: It’s in the Air, by Mr. Prospector
   ‘TDN Rising Star’ 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
   WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Michael Stidham; J-Jose L. Ortiz.
$82,500. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-2, $143,200. Werk Nick
   Rating: A. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Liveyourbeastlife, 118, c, 3, Ghostzapper–Ellie’s Moment, by
Kris S.. ($170,000 RNA Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo ’19
FTFMAR). O-William H. Lawrence; B-Phillips Racing Partnership
(KY); T-Jorge R. Abreu. $30,000.
3–Jesus’ Team, 118, c, 3, Tapiture–Golden Memories, by Suave.
($30,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Grupo Seven C Stable; B-Pamela P.
Gartin (KY); T-Jose Francisco D’Angelo. $18,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 2.30, 14.30, 4.90.
Also Ran: Dr Post, Celtic Striker, First Line. Scratched: Happy Saver. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Belmont Runner-up Dr Post Headlines Jim Dandy

Dr Post (Quality Road), a very respectable second behind Tiz the Law (Constitution) in the shortened GI Belmont S. June 20, will be the one to beat in Saturday’s GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga after bypassing the GI Kentucky Derby.

He followed his tenacious win while making his two-turn bow in Gulfstream’s Unbridled S. Apr. 25 by finishing 3 3/4 lengths within the imposing Derby favorite in Elmont, then reported home third after falling a bit too far behind early in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. at Monmouth last time July 18.

“He’s been training well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s a high-quality colt and trains accordingly. I’m very happy with him. He showed his quality in the Belmont when he ran as close to Tiz the Law as anyone else has. He kind of had a less-than-ideal trip in the Haskell, but hopefully he’s ready to move forward here.”

Pletcher’s other entrant, the lightly raced and rail-drawn Happy Saver (Super Saver), made it a perfect two-for-two with a ‘TDN Rising Star’ performance over track and trip in a first-level allowance July 26. He is also entered in the $100,000 Federico Tesio S. at Laurel Monday, Sept. 7.

“Our first preference is the Tesio, assuming that everything goes according to plan,” Pletcher said. “We felt like the Tesio could potentially be a good segway toward the Preakness if he continues to develop.”

Fellow ‘Rising Star’ Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), favored in all four of his previous career starts, including a third-place finish from the clouds in the local GIII Peter Pan S. July 16, adds blinkers for the first time for trainer Mike Stidham.

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