Through the Ghost

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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost

Post by Erin Sanderson »

My little guy was a gutsy second in the Desert World Cup! Darn that Skyfall! I'm still very proud of the way he ran. He really showed, for the first time, that he truly belongs in top company in the biggest classic races on one of the biggest stages in the world. He's not just a brilliant juvenile anymore who also won some "second tier" grade ones at three. He's one of the top horses in his division. Period.

Now, on to week 9 (or possibly week 10, depending how he vets), and a campaign geared toward the Steward's Cup!
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Home of stallions War Like Me, Can't Take the Sky, Browncoat, Forte, Prodigal Son, and more!
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Nick Gilmore
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Re: Through the Ghost

Post by Nick Gilmore »

Best of luck with him Erin! Nice story Scotty wrote, I wasn't aware of his humble beginnings. Bravo!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Nick, would you believe I almost gelded and GP'ed him because he was so slow?

After a good win in New York over Doomsday, in which he fell to his knees at the start (seriously, this dude is uncoordinated) and still managed to pull it off, he drew the dreaded #1 post position in California and came up just short against, who else, Doomsday. He's back in New York and vetting well already, so all signs are a go for the Long Island Gold Cup. Glad I won't have to go against Skyfall again until Toronto.

Ghost will likely be making his final start in the Steward's Cup Classic this season. There is a small possibility he may run next season, but at the moment, I am planning on retirement.
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Home of stallions War Like Me, Can't Take the Sky, Browncoat, Forte, Prodigal Son, and more!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost

Post by Erin Sanderson »

A win in the Long Island Gold Cup from the rail is a sweet thing! Now he's ready for his date with destiny, his first start and last in the Steward's Cup Classic, and a rematch with Skyfall!

Bring it on, Art! You and your darn milkshakes won't take us this time :P
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Home of stallions War Like Me, Can't Take the Sky, Browncoat, Forte, Prodigal Son, and more!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Be afraid! Ghost is dead fit (seriously, five 1 1/4 mile races in a row) and is vetting "sharp". Maybe I should have rethought his year a little more. But as much as this horse seems to like racing often, he's coming into the Classic as well as can be. New rider who got him a big win last out, fit, and ready to handle anything Toronto throws at him. Bring it on :)
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Home of stallions War Like Me, Can't Take the Sky, Browncoat, Forte, Prodigal Son, and more!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost and Amaryllis

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Through the Ghost is showing signs of being a superstar sire, with a tremendous percentage of allowance and stakes gallopers! There is plenty of hope for his lower gallopers, as well. Apparently, improving as two-year-olds runs in the family, as my guy's "little" sister proved this year:

Amaryllis, an almost Amazonian daughter of Maelstrom (nearly two hands taller than her illustrious "big" brother), made me sigh the first time she galloped: claimer. As a yearling, her works became progressively faster, especially once her equipment was figured out, and I had a glimmer of hope. When the year turned over, I was surprised to find an extra "stakes" galloper in the barn, and it was a then-unnamed half sister to my best horse. She is now named in the same vein as her brother - after the title track of the Shinedown album that also contains the song Through the Ghost. I can't wait until week 10 and her debut!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost and Amaryllis

Post by Erin Sanderson »

I'm a couple weeks late, since Amaryllis is actually getting ready to make her second start, but she was a super good second in her debut. She finished a nose behind Entwined, a half sister to Minions, Torchwood, and Mine, with an 88 SF!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost and Amaryllis

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Amy just broke her maiden in wire-to-wire fashion with an 83 SF!
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Nick Gilmore
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Re: Through the Ghost

Post by Nick Gilmore »

Erin Sanderson wrote:Nick, would you believe I almost gelded and GP'ed him because he was so slow?
I almost did the same to Jabberwocky, lol. Scary in hindsight, isn't it!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost and Amaryllis

Post by Erin Sanderson »

SOMEBODY has moved up in gallops, because Ghost suddenly has over 20% stakes-galloping yearlings. He hasn't gotten that elusive freak yet, but I think he just might in this next crop. And who knows what these yearlings will do once they turn two.
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Nick Gilmore
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Re: Through the Ghost and Amaryllis

Post by Nick Gilmore »

There were a couple ungalloped yearlings in Ara's auction and I was bidding on one that tested buy, buy, buy. You could have gotten a couple new stakes from them.
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost and Amaryllis

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Ohh, maybe that was it. I missed her auction entirely, booooo!
First Faith Thoroughbreds

Home of stallions War Like Me, Can't Take the Sky, Browncoat, Forte, Prodigal Son, and more!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost and Amaryllis

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Last night was fantastic for Through the Ghost and family. His younger brother, Miracle in Me, broke his maiden first out with an 88; his younger sister, Dream in Amber, won her second race and debut beyond 1 1/4 miles with an 84; and his two-year-old son, City of Dust, also broke his maiden first out with an 88. He also had two-year-old Stew-bred Worth the Hassle break her maiden with an 86 and several other juveniles on the board!
First Faith Thoroughbreds

Home of stallions War Like Me, Can't Take the Sky, Browncoat, Forte, Prodigal Son, and more!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost

Post by Erin Sanderson »

I lost this thread a long time ago. I never updated anything through the rest of my boy's stud career. He is 20 now and long pensioned after siring several champions and earners of over $20 million. It took until his sixth or seventh crop before I got a truly excellent son, despite his stud career being fairly successful, and I was starting to be afraid I would never have an heir for him. Castles Crumble came along and earned even more than his sire during his career, including a win that Ghost failed to get in the Steward's Cup Classic. In fact, where Ghost won the Juvenile and was 2nd in the Classic, Frank got 2nd in the Juvenile and won his Classic.

As for Ghost's siblings since the last update, Miracle in Me, a maiden winner last time I posted here, ended up a grade one winner with earnings over $400k. The sister that followed him, Lady So Divine, was the next best of the High Dreams foals and won the Long Island Acorn, Midsummer Oaks, Inglewood Gold Cup and seven others, six of those graded stakes, in a career that saw her amass earnings of over $2.3 million. She has several graded stakes winning foals and is now sadly pensioned. Fortunately, I did manage to get one fancy daughter from her (grade one winner Leave a Whisper) and a pair of very nice sons (champion War Like Me and graded stakes winner Uncompahgre) in her brief career.

This past week truly reminded me that I needed to update this thread, as the legacy of Through the Ghost (and, indeed, his dam High Dreams) has never been stronger in my stable. That was brought home by a trio of phenomenal juveniles that all debuted either Friday or last night.

Can't Take the Sky, by Castles Crumble, soared to an easy victory in the Don't Hesitate in California. He is a freak/peak and pointing to the Juvenile, aiming for a campaign similar to both his sire and grandsire.

Wayward Son, out of the Steward bred Ghost daughter Maps From Memory and bred on the same cross that gave me grade one winner and producer Sky Will Burn, is a late blooming stakes (freak prior to the adjustment) and broke his maiden first out with a whopping 96 SF.

Capping off the tremendous three was Sky Full of Stars, the final foal from Ghost's and Tempest's best daughter Stars Will Dance, who broke her maiden with a 97 on Monday. She is a freak. But still a late bloomer, so she only gets better from here.

Several other significant horses in my barn could not have come to be without the influence of my boy, led by champion Day Will Break. Gritty and tough, her career has been almost out of a storybook. She's won 10 of her 13 starts, including the Louisville Oaks and often by less than a length, and over $1.7 million. Her second dam is previously mentioned Stars Will Dance.

Rarest Gold is a three time graded stakes winner by After the Disco and half sister to Wayward Son. She's won 4 of 7 so far and over $300k. While she isn't a super freak as I'd hoped (I did name her after one of my real life horses, after all), she is an exceptionally nice filly.

Stars That Fall, the three year old half sister to Sky Full of Stars by After the Disco (yes, I bred everything to AtD and St. Nicholas Day because that line crosses SO well with Ghost), has just matured to freak. She's won 2 of 3 and looks quite promising. Her niece, Pilgrim Shadow, the three year old half sister to Day Will Break, is a daughter of Dave Matthews Band that has also just matured and has won both of her starts since.

The final one at the moment is Dark Devotion, a freak daughter of Follow Your Fate and Ghost mare Spooky Story. She's graded stakes placed this year and I've just gotten her back on track after throwing her in the deep end in just her 2nd race.

After an atrocious start (and middle) to my SIM year, I'm thrilled with where I've wound up. Sorry for being a downer for awhile. I just needed some extra love from my best boy's descendants to pick me up again.
First Faith Thoroughbreds

Home of stallions War Like Me, Can't Take the Sky, Browncoat, Forte, Prodigal Son, and more!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Through the Ghost

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Three. Freaking. Generations. Homebred SC winners. And it started with this boy. I am absolutely blown away.
First Faith Thoroughbreds

Home of stallions War Like Me, Can't Take the Sky, Browncoat, Forte, Prodigal Son, and more!
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