Grande Continues Comeback in $175,000 Ghostzapper (G3)
At 0h02, on March 28, 2026 • By Gulfstream Park
Six weeks after returning from a 10-month absence in grand style, Repole Stable’s Grade 2-placed Grande will continue his comeback when he steps back into graded-stakes company for Saturday’s $175,000 Ghostzapper (G3) presented by FanDuel TV at Gulfstream Park.
The 31st running of the 1 1/16-mile Ghostzapper for older horses is the third of 10 stakes, five graded, worth $2.675 million in purses on a blockbuster program anchored by the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa for 3-year-olds, the country’s premier Triple Crown prep celebrating its 75th anniversary.
Post time for the first of 14 races is 11:30 a.m.
His connections had Triple Crown aspirations for Grande, a $300,000 son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, after going unraced at 2 then opening his sophomore season with back-to-back wins at Gulfstream, the latter at 1 1/8 miles. He was sidelined after finishing second in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct last April, scratched on the day before the Kentucky Derby (G1) with a foot issue.
Rather than being rushed back, Grande was given plenty of time and didn’t return to racing until Feb. 14 when he led from start to finish and held off Grade 3-placed Praetor for a gutsy three-quarter-length optional claiming allowance victory going a one-turn mile, his first try against older horses.
“I thought it was a courageous race off the layoff,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He kind of got headed, fought back, came back up on the rail. It was a very game effort.”
His latest win improved Grande to 3-0 at Gulfstream. He has had three subsequent timed works at Palm Beach Downs for Pletcher, who previously won the Ghostzapper with Fearless (2022), Prince Lucky (2019), Tommy Macho (2017), Mshawish (2016) and Quality Road (2010), the last four coming when it was contested as the Hal’s Hope.
“It was a big, big race off the layoff,” Pletcher said. “He’s another horse that seems to do well at Gulfstream, so it’s time to step up in class and see how he handles that.”
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, up for each of his first two starts, returns to ride from Post 2. They are rated as the even-money program favorite in a field of nine.
