IN THE NEWS TODAY – El Brujo camp loses one of its members, Milwaukee Appeal is made favourite, Queen’s Plate saddletowels up for auction!!
Events: BETTING will be offered on the PLATE beginning tomorrow afternon. A PLATE seminar with Corey TRACKSIDE TENT Fraser, Robin Platts and handicapper JIM CLARK takes place at 8:30 a.m. at the TRACKSIDE TENT.
TURBO CHARGED….$150,000 WILL BE ADD TO THE PICK 6 POOL ON SUNDAY TOO!
Field for the 150th running of the Queen’s Plate to be run Sunday, June 21, 2009 at Woodbine
For Three-Year-Olds, Foaled In Canada
One Mile and One-Quarter
All to carry 126 pounds, except fillies Milwaukee Appeal and Tasty Temptation (121 lbs.)
PP/HORSE/OWNER/TRAINER/JOCKEY/ODDS
1/El Brujo/Windways Farm/Malcolm Pierce/Emma-Jayne Wilson/15-1
2/Flip for the Coin/Molinaro Stable/Vito Armata/Emile Ramsammy/30-1
3/Active Duty/Woodford Racing/Mark Casse/Corey Fraser/20-1
4/Milwaukee Appeal (f)/C.E.C. Farms/Scott Fairlie/Stewart Elliott/3-1
5/Mr. Foricos Two U/Annecchini & D’Alimonte/Catherine Day Phillips/Mike Smith/15-1
6/Reservoir/Goldie Stables and Weila Ye/Julia Carey/Jim McAleney/20-1
7/Eye Of The Leopard/Sam-Son Farm/Mark Frostad/Eurico Rosa da Silva/7-2
8/Rapid Release/Dolantori Racing/Roger Attfield/Jono Jones/8-1
9/Bucephalus/Knob Hill Stable/Kevin Attard/Tyler Pizarro/30-1
10/Stardust Ziggy/UN Stable/Lorna Perkins/Jerry Baird/20-1
11/Tasty Temptation (f)/Woodford Racing/Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands/4-1
12/Shut It Down/K.K. Sangara/Lorne Richards/Russell Baze/20-1
13/Keino West/Track West Racing/Steve Attard/Gerry Olguin/15-1
GORDIE HOWE, Mr. Hockey, helped with the Plate draw.
www.horse-races.net
A FILLY IS THE FAVOURITE!
– It is an unusual year for the Plate – with the big guns missing (Square Eddie, Southdale) – and a Plate trial winner who is still learning the game.
Mind you, that Plate Trial winner has all the necessary tools to be the 150th Plate winner – breeding, A.P Indy – champion Eye of the Spynx and from a strong Sam-Son Farms breeding program, jockey, the fast rising Eurico Rosa Da Silva, trainer, Mark Frostad and his team know what they are doing, and a style of racing that gets him 1 1/4 miles from just off the pace.
But the dust settled after calculating the morning line and its MILWAUKEE APPEAL who is favoured off her 99 Beyer Figure and easy romp in the Woodbine Oaks.
Interesting to note that neither MILWAUKEE APPEAL, EYE OF THE LOEPARD or third favourite TASTY TEMPTATION who figures to get attention as well, have NEVER BEEN FAVOURED any time they have raced.
Gosh, Milwaukee Appeal raced for claiming for her first two starts and look how far she has come.
SCOTT FAIRLIE (right), trainer of MILWAUKEE APPEAL with track announcer DAN LOISELLE .
www.horse-races.net
At yesterday’s post position draw – two moments stood out: Jockey DON SEYMOUR, relegated to a wheelcair following a stroke years ago after he retired from riding, was presented with a commerative plate depicting him aboard Triple Crown winner WITH APPROVAL by David Willmot, who owned the champion.
Seymour and his super wife Margaret were in attendeance and have been frequenting the races a lot this season.
And the EL BRUJO camp was a bit somber – one of the patriarch of WINDWAYS FARM, JIM BEGG, passed away on Wednesday at the age of
JAMES THORNTON BEGG
(Toronto Star)
– It is with great sadness that the family of James Begg announces his passing on Wednesday, June 17, 2009. Beloved husband of Florence (nee MacPhail). Loving father of Wesley (Lucia), Jeffrey (Annabel) and Glenn (deceased). Loving grandfather of Rachel, Adrienne, Alix, Jamie, Ryley and Andrew. Born in 1927 and raised in the depths of the economic depression of the 1930’s, this shaped his motivation and thinking. He had a successful career first as a General Contractor in the construction business from 1950-1975 and after that as a shopping centre developer in New Brunswick until his retirement in 1998. He built Champlain Place in Moncton, Regent Mall in Fredericton and McAllistar Place in Saint John. He was the proud co-owner and breeder of the Queen’s Plate Winner (Victor Cooley) in 1996. He was happiest in his later years at the Woodbine Racetrack watching the horses workout and race. Liked and admired by everyone who knew him. He will be sorely missed. Private family interment. A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held at Timberlane Athletic Club, 155 Vandorf Road, Aurora, Ontario on Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the Terrace Room. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Southlake Regional Health Centre Foundation or a charity of your choice would be appreciated. Arrangements entrusted to the Thompson Funeral Home, Aurora, 905-727-5421.
GET YOUR PLATE SADDLE TOWEL!!
– LongRun, Woodbine get together to offer once again QUEEN’S PLATE SADDLE TOWELS on ebay. CHECK ON EBAY ON TUESDAY to bid on your favourite!
PLATE IN THE NEWS:
Toronto Star: MILWAUKEE HAS APPEAL AS FAVOURITE
Chris Young
Scott Fairlie wasn’t particularly surprised and neither was anyone in the crowd.
Fairlie had taken his sweet time deciding whether to run Milwaukee Appeal in Sunday’s $1 million Queen’s Plate, but in the end the filly made a decision for him that seemed obvious from the start. The impressive Woodbine Oaks winner will tackle the boys and the 150th Plate’s mile-and-a-quarter distance off just two weeks’ rest – and as the 3-to-1 morning-line favourite in a field of 13 Canadian-breds.
“I wasn’t shocked at all,” said Fairlie, the 44-year-old conditioner making his Queen’s Plate debut with the CEC Farms homebred, and Toronto native Stewart Elliott in to again take the riding assignment. “I thought they might make Eye of the Leopard favourite, but I felt myself that my filly should be favoured. … She galloped out so well (in the Oaks), she seemed to have quite a bit left.
www.thestar.com/Sports/HorseRacing/article/653386
GLOBE & MAIL
STAVRO DREAM LIVES ON
JAMES CHRISTIE
Steve Stavro never realized his dream of winning the Queen’s Plate, but it lives on with his widow Sally, his grandson Blake and Kevin Attard, the last trainer he hired for his Knob Hill Stable.
When 13 horses load into the gate at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto on Sunday for the 150th running of the Plate, Knob Hill’s hopes will ride with jockey Tyler Pizarro aboard Bucephalus. Stavro horses have been running for the top Canadian prize for more than 20 years without reaching the winner’s circle.
“It was his dream. I’ve been in kind of a shock for three years since he passed, but now I’m coming out of it and dealing with it,” Sally said at yesterday’s drawing for post positions. “I’ll try to keep his dream going as best I can.”
With her four daughters (Elaine, Connie, Debbie and Stephanie) and a crowd of grandchildren, Sally wants to keep Knob Hill Stable vital and visible.
www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/stavros-dream-lives-on-in-plate-contender/article1188521/
ATTFIELD SEEKS RECORD 9TH PLATE WIN
CBC.COM
Accomplished horseman Roger Attfield was so impressed by Canadian-bred horse Rapid Release, he wanted to buy him. Problem was, a couple from California were pretty sure about him too. In fact, they were so sure that when the mount came up for sale in Attfield’s native England last fall, the couple paid $127,000 for it, outbidding the Canadian trainer.
But there was something else the couple were willing to bet on – Attfield himself. “They wanted him, but wanted me as the trainer,” Attfield said of owner David Mueller and his family, who operate under the formal name Dolantori Racing. Given his track record, choosing the 69-year-old, who came to Canada in 1970, wasn’t much of a gamble.
www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2009/06/18/spf-attfield-ninth-plate-win.html
