BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Jockey Samy Camacho raced five lengths off frontrunner To the Eastside for the first half-mile then reeled in the leader around the far turn, getting to the front at the top of the lane and holding off fellow Florida-bred Pure Class to win the $65,000 Duke of Mischief overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park Saturday. The 6-year-old Gerald Bennett trainee won his second overnight handicap of the year, this time at odds of 11-1, in a field of nine 3-year-olds and older who raced a one-turn mile on fast main track.
A homebred for Richard Heatter’s J J Brevan Stable of Ocala, Florida, Chrome Ghost paid $25 to win.
To the Eastside and 8-5 favorite John Hancock battled for the lead early has Camacho allowed Chrome Ghost to race three-and-a-half lengths back in third through a quarter mile in :23.44. John Hancock dropped out in the turn as Chrome Ghost and Pure Class began closing the gap on To the Eastside with Chrome Ghost emerging with the lead after six furlongs in 1:10.54. Chrome Ghost was a length in front past the eighth pole as Pure Class took second from To the Eastside and longshot El Principito came on late with an inside run. Chrome Ghost held off a late surge by Pure Class to win by a half-length in 1:37.67. El Principito was three-quarters of a length farther back in third with Awesome Train fourth to complete the Florida-bred superfecta. Florida-bred Lightning Tones, To the Eastside, Icelander, Fiveeyesonskystars and John Hancock completed the order of finish.
“I told Sam [Camacho] to sit way back because with all this rain, we kind of lost a work. I was worried about not being able to breeze him again, but we just did the best we can do,” Bennett said. “He’s a nice horse. He ran his race. [Camacho] did a great job.”
Chrome Ghost won the $65,000 Loggerhead overnight handicap going seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on April 25 and previously had only one start going a mile on the dirt, finishing ninth in the $75,000 Tackleberry overnight handicap in July of 2024.
In two races at Gulfstream since the Loggerhead, the 6-year-old son of Shaman Ghost was sixth in the $79,000 Big Drama Handicap going seven furlongs on June 6 and fourth sprinting five furlongs on the grass in the $70,000 Warrior’s Pride overnight handicap on August 9.
Stakes-placed Chrome Ghost, who was second in last year’s $110,000 NYRA Bets Sprint at Tampa Bay Downs, improved his career record to eight wins with a second and five thirds, pushing his lifetime proceeds to $332,020.
Chrome Ghost also ran second, just a half-length off graded stakes-winning millionaire Damon’s Mound, in this year’s NYRA Bets Sprint on March 29, but was disqualified from purse money and placed sixth.
Chrome Ghost is out of winner Pink Trillium, by Unbridled’s Song, a producer of five winners from seven starters and nine foals including multiple stakes-placed Lois Len, by Hunter’s Bay. Pink Trillium has a Florida-bred weanling filly by Loggins, also bred by J J Brevan Stable. Pink Trillium was bred to Ocala Stud’s Roadster this year.
Return to the September 26 issue of Wire to Wire
