It’s a rare occurrence when a 2-year-old manages to earn the Horse of the Year title at the Eclipse Awards, but then again, it’s not every day that a 2-year-old as talented and dominant as Favorite Trick emerges on the scene.
He came, like the fog in Carl Sandburg’s famous poem, silently. For a time he lingered, just long enough for his presence to be acknowledged. And then, like the fog, he moved on, all too soon, leaving everyone to wonder what might have been.
As the 35th Breeders’ Cup World Championships approached, one of the main storylines involved a European superstar who was planning an overseas jaunt with an elusive goal in her sights.
He never raced more than four times in any of his four seasons.
Yet in the relatively brief time he spent on the racetrack, Ghostzapper had few – if any – peers.
In 2004, when he was named Horse of the Year, he was an undefeated graded stakes winner, versatile enough to win at seven furlongs, 1 1/8 miles, and 1 ¼ miles while registering blazing fast times in each of them.
