Ghostzapper retired from racing

Ghostzapper retires with four Grade 1 victories  (Uli Seit/Horsephotos.com)

Multiple Grade 1 winner GHOSTZAPPER (Awesome Again), the 2004 Horse of the

Year and champion older horse, has been retired from racing due to a hairline

fracture of a sesamoid bone in his left front leg. The injury was discovered

last week after the five-year-old underwent a nuclear scan at the New Bolton

clinic outside Philadelphia.

One of the fastest horses to race in recent years, Ghostzapper scored a

brilliant victory in his seasonal debut in the Metropolitan H. (G1) at Belmont

Park on Memorial Day.

"After the race, he had some filling in his ankle," trainer Bobby Frankel

told The Blood-Horse. "We X-rayed it and didn't find anything, but I wasn't

comfortable with it and wanted to make sure everything was all right. I didn't

want to take any chances, so I sent him to New Bolton on Wednesday (June 8).

They did a nuclear scan and found a hot spot. Then they took an X-ray of the

spot and discovered a small crack. They said it was very difficult to find. He

looks great and he's walking perfect. You couldn't tell anything was wrong with

him."

Jess Jackson, the California winemaker, purchased a one-third interest in Ghostzapper following his triumph in the Met Mile, which he won by 6 1/4 lengths

in 1:33 1/5. The deal also included a one-sixteenth interest in Ghostzapper's

sire, Awesome Again.

Ghostzapper is scheduled to be shipped to Kentucky on Thursday where he will

join Awesome Again at owner Frank Stronach's Adena Springs Farm near Midway. His

stud fee will be announced at a later date.

Last year, Ghostzapper won all four of his starts, culminating with an

impressive front-running victory in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

He was a strong choice for Horse of the Year honors over Smarty Jones, who just

missed winning the Triple Crown.