HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Il Miracolo won the 2024 edition of the Ghostzapper Stakes, beating Tumbarumba and Steal Sunshine in an exciting three-horse duel to the wire in the Grade 3 fixture traditionally run on the undercard for the $1 million Florida Derby. But Il Miracolo will not be back to defend that title a week from Saturday, as his connections have a far loftier goal in mind: the $12 million Dubai World Cup one week later in Meydan. The Ghostzapper was Il Miracolo’s only victory in six starts a year ago, although he was graded stakes-placed three times during a campaign that ended with a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 31. Trainer Antonio Sano said Il Miracolo, who is owned by Alexandres Investments LLC, was given a three-month break on the farm following that effort but has trained forwardly since returning to the work tab in mid-February at Gulfstream Park in preparation for the 1 1/4-mile Dubai World Cup. “The horse is doing very good and the field is going to be short,” said Sano. “It was the owner’s decision to go to the World Cup. Even though he has not run in a while, I don’t feel the distance will be a problem for him.” Il Miracolo, who might have actually faced a tougher assignment had he come back to defend his title in the Ghostzapper with Pegasus World Cup winner White Abarrio pointing toward the race, will have his final work for the Dubai World Cup on Friday. Sano said jockey John Velazquez has the call once again. Il Miracolo is scheduled to depart South Florida for Dubai on Saturday on a flight that will also include the locally based pair of Super Chow, who is pointing to the six-furlong, Group 2 Golden Shaheen, and Steal Sunshine, whose objective is the Group 2 Goldolphin Mile. :: Get Gulfstream Park Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day. Super Chow, who is trained by Jorge Delgado, turned in his final major prep for the Golden Shaheen after the second renovation break here Thursday, breezing a sharp five furlongs in 1:01.10 before galloping out extremely well. He completed six panels while kept wide into the turn in 1:13.58 and pulled up after seven-eighths in 1:26.77. The multiple Grade 3-winning Super Chow is coming off arguably the most impressive race of his career, a come-from-behind, three-quarter-length victory in the Gulfstream Park Sprint, for which he received a lifetime-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure. Chantal Sutherland, who guided Super Chow to several victories early in his career, will be back aboard for the Golden Shaheen. Florida Derby could draw nine A field of as many as nine 3-year-olds may now be pointing toward the Grade 1 Florida Derby, according to Gulfstream Park’s vice president of racing, Mike Lakow. The group is led by Sovereignty, who’ll likely go postward the solid favorite, and also includes Tappan Street, Disruptor, Neoequos, Jimmy’s Dailys, Cool Intentions, and the recently claimed Smoken Boy. Both trainer Bob Baffert’s Madaket Road and Jose D’Angelo’s Enterdadragon were also listed as possible starters as of Wednesday morning. The Florida Derby, along with a blockbuster program that includes nine other stakes, will be drawn on Saturday. Modest Friday feature Friday’s feature is a modest one, a $44,000 starter allowance carded at one mile for fillies and mares on the turf. The race lured eight starters, with Goodbetterbest – who finished second, beaten just a neck, under similar conditions last month – likely to go postward as the tepid favorite for trainer Peter Walder. Other key contenders in the headliner are Rachel’s Song, a beaten 7-5 favorite over the Tapeta track in her 2025 debut, and Bottle Rocket, making her local debut and first start since shipping from Santa Anita and into the barn of trainer Mike Trombetta earlier this winter. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.