TORONTO, July 12, 2026– New York shipper Ghost Me bravely skimmed the rail and finished with a rush to win Sunday’s $125,000 My Dear Stakes at Woodbine. Making her second career start and ridden for the first time by Sahin Civaci, the undefeated bay daughter of Ghostzapper broke sharply from post position 4, and settled in 4th, in the 5 1/2-furlong main track heat for 2-year-old fillies. Approaching the far turn, Sarayu, racing in 3rd made a sharp move toward the leading pair Barometric and Mrs D, clipping heels with the latter and had to steady, through an opening quarter-mile in :22.78. Around the bend, Mrs D, racing in the 2-path, began to ramp up the pressure on Barometric, the grey Presque Isle shipper, and that duo turned for home racing side by side, through an opening half-mile in :46.30. Mrs. D kicked clear inside the 1/8th pole and appeared a winner, but Ghost Me, who saved ground throughout, courageously forged through, while in tight on the rail and zoomed clear to score by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:05.57. Ghost Me and jockey Sahin Civaci winning the My Dear Stakes on July 12, 2026 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo) “It was a tough trip and she overcame it,” said Civaci. “The 5 horse (Sarayu) clipped heels or stumbled in front of us. I thought she was going to go down.” “After that, coming home it got really tight and she hesitated, just for a second. But she overcame that and she came with a good kick.” Trained by George Weaver, Ghost Me, was a $385,000 yearling purchase at the 2025 Keeneland September sale. The bay filly made her career debut in a 5 1/2 maiden turf race at Aqueduct, wiring a short field and winning by a length under jockey Manny Franco. Out of the graded stakes winning, Ontario-bred mare Unspurned, Ghost Me had been working ‘around the dogs’ on the Saratoga training turf in preparation for her stakes and Canadian debut. Bred by Christine Hayden and owned by RA Hill Stables, Swinbank Stables LLC, Ghost Me improved to 2-0-0 from 2 lifetime starts. Ghost Me opened at 4-1 on the morning line, went postward at 2-1 and paid $6.50 for the win. Mrs. D finished 2nd, the lone first-time starter Worldly Charm was 3rd and Almighty One was 4th in the field of 8. March was a stewards scratch. Phil McSween, Woodbine Share This:Share
