Metropolitan

Ghostzapper proved triumphant in his five-year-old debut  (Uli Seit/Horsephotos.com)

Stronach Stables' GHOSTZAPPER (Awesome Again) fulfilled high expectations on

Memorial Day as he delivered a 6 1/4-length knock-out punch against his opponents in the

$750,000 Metropolitan H. (G1) at Belmont Park. The Bobby Frankel-trained

five-year-old crushed any doubt that he could perform well off a seven-month

layoff and backed up his status as 2004 Horse of the Year.

"I'm very emotional right now," Frankel said. "He's a great horse, let's just

put it that way. He's an amazing horse. He's probably the best sprinter in the

country, and I think he can win going a mile and a half on the turf -- I really

do. (Jockey Javier Castellano) never moved on him. He just took a hold of him in

the stretch.

"You guys in the press really don't give him (owner Frank Stronach) a lot of

credit because he is a $40-$50 million horse and could generate $10-$15 million

in stallion fees. He brought him back to the races, where he could make at best,

what five or six million dollars? I know people rip him for this and that, but

give him a little credit for this one. He took a bigger gamble than anyone else

will ever take. You won't see this happen for a long time. If it was someone

else, they would have retired him. He wanted to bring him back so the fans could

watch him another year."

Ghostzapper broke fourth and ran third through the first two points off call

as Love of Money (Not for Love), who defeating optional claiming foes five days

ago, lead through fractions of :22 2/5 and :44 2/5. Ghostzapper split rivals

with a swift move around the turn and dominated his foes the

remainder of the race, running six furlongs in 1:08 2/5 before completing one

mile in 1:33 1/5 over a fast track, remaining undefeated in five starts at Belmont.