Yesterday, in the beautiful spring sunshine at Belmont Park, about 30 seconds passed during which it looked as if Ghostzapper, the defending Horse of the Year, wouldn’t win the 112th running of the one-mile Metropolitan Handicap. Unfortunately for the other horses in the race affectionately known as the Met Mile, those seconds passed before the horses were loaded into the gate.

The $750,000 Met Mile was Ghostzapper’s first race in seven months, and right before romping to a 6 1 /2-length victory, he looked very much like a horse with absolutely no interest in getting into the gate. Jockey Javier Castellano had to dismount in the chute, with Ghostzapper shaking his head in the bridle and stepping back defiantly. But once the starters finally managed to squeeze the even money favorite into the gate, Castellano got back up for what might have been the ride of his career.

The race began with Forest Danger and Love of Money setting the early pace. Running down the backstretch, Love of Money was looking good and setting strong fractions of 22 2 /5 and 44 2 /5; Forest Danger was running wide and looking a bit unsettled while Ghostzapper was cruising along in third. The leaders were 10 lengths out from the other three horses, long shots Pomeroy, Sir Shackleton, and Silver Wagon.

Between the half-mile and the quarter-mile pole, Ghostzapper moved. It was as if someone had flipped a switch, stopping the rest of the horses dead in their tracks. Bobby Frankel’s big horse took control of the race in what looked like two strides.

By the time they reached the turn, Forest Danger was shot and Love of Money was running like he was caught on the dry side of a beach. The three long shots came up and started to race for second and third.

Ghostzapper, meanwhile, came around the turn like he was trying to launch Castellano off an aircraft carrier. The jockey was sitting remarkably steadily in the irons, hardly riding the horse at all. Cruising like a machine, the Zapper opened up a 6 1 /2-length lead at the wire.

The Met Mile victory dispelled any doubts that may have emerged after a sinus problem delayed Ghostzapper’s seasonal debut, originally scheduled for last month’s Oaklawn Handicap. A hole had to be drilled in Ghostzapper’s head to drain excess fluid, but yesterday he ran the mile in 133 1 /5 seconds, the fourth-fastest Met Mile ever.

Ghostzapper paid $3.30, $2.50, and $2.10. Silver Wagon got the place money, and paid $9.90 and $2.60.Last on the board was Sir Shackleton, paying $2.50.

Including the $450,000 Ghostzapper took home yesterday, the horse has now won $3,446,120 for owner Frank Stronach. The 5-year-old son of Awesome Again has taken six races in a row and has notched nine victories in 11 career starts. He has won at 6 furlongs, 6 1 /2,7,7 1 /2,1 mile, 1 1 /8, and 1 1 /4.Several races ago, Ghostzapper closed from far back in the pack. He’s proved that he can rate off the pace. And he won the 1 1 /4-mile 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic from gate to wire. It seems there is nothing this horse cannot do.

Most horses are retired to stud after a year like Ghostzapper’s 2004; he is just the fifth defending Horse of the Year in two decades to return for his 5-year-old season.

“He is a $40-$50 million horse and could generate $10-$15-million in stallion fees,” Frankel said after the race. “[Stronach] brought him back to the races, where he could make, at best, what,$5 or $6 million? He took a bigger gamble than anyone else will ever take. You won’t see this happen for a long time. If it was someone else, they would have retired him. He wanted to bring him back so the fans could watch him another year.”

And what a year it’s going to be. This year’s Breeders’ Cup is at Belmont park, where Ghostzapper is 5-for-5. Tiznow is the only horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic twice; Cigar is the only horse in the last 20 years to be named Horse of the Year twice. After just one race this year, it looks clear – at least as clear as anything can be in racing – that Ghostzapper will take both of those titles again.