Photograph: Churchill Downs/Coady Media
Wolfy’s Dyna GhostWoods Lane Farm’s 7-year-old homebred gelding led jockey Luis Saez to a Grade 3, $300,000 River Metropolis victory by 2 3/4 lengths at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Ghost Zapper’s son ran 1 1/8 miles on laborious grass in 1 minute, 45.58 seconds. This broke the stakes document of 1:47.90 set by Dr. Kashnikov in 2001 and got here inside 0.07 seconds of the course mark of 1:45.51 set by Sea Fields Fairly earlier this 12 months.
“He is a veteran and he is aware of what it is about,” Lynch stated. “We have been fortunate to see him wrestle right here in Kentucky. His previous couple of productions have been actually nice. Lewis gave him a terrific run.”
Wolfie’s Dynaghost was being campaigned within the East by Jonathan Thomas. He led a area of 11 older horses with instances of twenty-two.79, 46.22, 1:09.59 and 1:33.39. Corruption adopted in second place, 1 to 1 1/2 lengths behind.
Close to the ultimate nook, Wolfie’s Dynaghost opened up a 3 1/2-length lead as 2023 stakes winner Taking Sweet, Raginos and Mercante closed in. The lead horse by no means faltered and exerted all his power in direction of victory.
“You can inform proper out of the gate how sharp he was,” Saez stated. “I simply needed to run him as an alternative of taking him out of the sport. I knew he was quick, however that is what he likes to do. He had an enormous race for me in the present day.”
Wolfie’s Dynaghost returned $27.68, $14.44, and $7.76 for a 12-1 sixth betting selection. The 12-1 Sweet, additionally underneath Axel Concepcion, paid $10.66 and $5.56. An extra 1 1/2 lengths separated Mercante, ridden by Joe Ramos, and Raginos, ridden by Corey Ranelli, who positioned third in a heated battle, paying $4.54 and $3.22, respectively.
Corruption, Quattrocento, 2-1 favourite Chasing the Crown, Tapit Sneakers, Encino, Mount Rundle and English Channel rounded out the end. Epic Trip, which was raced on Friday for medical remedy, was injured.
The win was value $175,700 and elevated Wolfie’s Dynaghost’s earnings to $1,230,347 with a 31:13-3-5 document.
This was his sixth stakes win. As a 4-year-old, he received the $121,000 Bart Allen at Colonial Downs and the $300,000 Kentucky Cup Basic at Turfway Park. Throughout his 2023 5-year-old season, he received the Grade 2 $129,618 Autumn at Woodbine and the $120,199 Prairie Bayou at Turfway. He raced simply as soon as in 2024, however returned to win the $125,000 Prince George’s County at Laurel Park in June, his second begin since being fired.
Wolfie’s Dynaghost is out of the Dynaformer mare Dynaire and produced by Rene Woolcott’s Woodslane Farm in Kentucky.
“His working fashion was slightly like his father’s Ghost Zapper,” Lynch stated. “He is been a really well-managed horse all through his profession and nonetheless has loads of combat left in him.”
