ABOVE

FOOD TRUCK ALLEY had almost a dozen options for snacks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUEEN-S PLATE DAY – $13.8 MILLION WAGERED

PRINCE OF WALES OUTLOOK

 

With plenty of help from our American friends, in particular TVG network, wagering on Plate day was a stunning $13.5 million, topping last year’s mark of $11.8 million – $3.7 million alone on the 13-horse Plate field.

The race was very formful with the horses with the best Beyer Figures running 1st, 2nd and 4th.

HOLY HELENA was a monster and ran the 11th fastest Plate in its history since it was moved to 1 1/4 miles.

Her Beyer Figure, according to DAILY RACING FORM, was 96.

TIZ A SLAM ran a big race but has trouble going around turns it seems and he loses ground.

INFLEXIBILITY actually had a worse trip in the Plate than she did in the Oaks..would want to be ready to bet on her the next time she runs.

CHANNEL MAKER ran a big race too, just had that wide, early charge before hanging.

 

Woodbine was certainly one of the places to be in Ontario on the long weekend It had Day 1 of its Queen’s Plate Festival on Saturday with Our Lady Peace playing after the races and then a much bigger day 2, with the Plate, a fantastic racing card with half a dozen stakes races and then the famed GOO GOO DOLLS attracting a big crowd at 8:30 p.m.

 

The Plate day Festivities – in particular the Hats & Horseshoes Party, offered a little bit for everyone with a popular Hats booth from David Dunkley, various tents of VIP parties including The Social,  plenty of booths for different types of alcohol, games with prizes and a music stage and contests.

There was an interesting Innovation area but it was far in the back and around the end of the paddock and other than an Intro to betting area near the Red Carpet..horses and racing were not prominent in the area (there was a big screen to watch racing).

It was a wild, hot and very windy day with tons of media people from the mainstream to the litany of big and little blogs out there.

 

 

Prince of Wales on July 25

Time to Travel

Megagray

Woodbridge

State of Honor

Cool Catomine

 

HOLY HELENA is out, Frank Stronach confirmed that – “you don’t want to go to the well too often” so the door is open for some Plate starters to get a big chance for a $500,000 purse.

TIME TO TRAVEL could conceivably pop up based on a recent workout at Fair HIll for trainer Mike Matz. Garland William’s grey Hard Spun colt won his maiden on the dirt but has had trouble in longer races this spring.

MEGAGRAY, with a lifetime best 86 Beyer Figure in a big Plate effort, will be one of the headliners for the July 25 Prince of Wales.

Gus Schickedanz’s Langfuhr colt finished 5th in the Plate after pressing the pace all the way with his new blinkers.

Mike Keogh also said WOODBRIDGE is a ‘Wales starter.

STATE OF HONOR could run in the ‘Wales according to trainer Mark Casse. The big colt finished a fading 9th in the Plate.

Catherine Day Phillips will not be starting Guy Caballero or Watch me Strut in the ‘Wales.

John Ross may enter recent maiden winner COOL CATOMINE, who posted a 79 Beyer Figure in his win last weekend.

 

 

BRO GOES ON TO BIG WIN

 

Plenty of patience paid off for Gus Schickedanz and trainer Mike Keogh as Go Bro posted a huge upset in the King Edward Stakes (Frade 2) on Plate day.
“If you go back to his 2-year-old year, he was second in the Summer Stakes ,” said Mike Keogh, who conditions the homebred Go Bro for breeder Schickedanz. “So we knew he had the talent but we have had so much trouble keeping him sound. Gus finally let me castrate him and he lost all that top-heavy weight and we’ve been able to keep him sound now. “

Go Bro had tracked the pace from third early in the King Edward as Shakhimat led through a quarter in :24.07, a half in :47.07, and six furlongs in 1:10.59 with Hootenanny in second. Shakhimat still held a marginal advantage turning for home but Hootenanny had his measure and Go Bro was in the clear while racing third. Go Bro had taken a narrow advantage from Hootenanny at the furlong grounds and battled on for the fractional victory in a final time of 1:34.09. Hootenanny, looking for his first stakes win since capturing the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, raced very gamely only to lose the bob on the wire.

“He broke sharp and I knew we were going slow so let him be there,” said Campbell . ” I didn’t design to be there but I was really confident that we weren’t running that fast so I let him be there.

“And he is a bit tricky because if you pull the trigger too soon, you have moved too soon on him. It set up very good.”

Tower of Texas, the 6-5 choice, was closer than usual early but had dropped back to last at the quarter pole and his customary late charge fell just a half- length shy of the top pair.
HIGHEST BEYER FIGURES FROM WINNERS at Woodbine July 1 – July 6

 

GREEN MASK 110    (Canadian-bred Calgary Cat received a 104 for 2nd to this one)

GO BRO – 97

MELMICH 97

HOLY HELENA 96

ALDOUS SNOW 95

STARSHIP JUBILEE – 95

RAINHA BE BATERIA 95
CALL ME WALLY – 89

AMI’S MESA 88

FIELD OF COURAGE 87

SKYLANDER GIRL 85

 

TALKIN’ HORSE RACING EPISODE 2

 

 

Saturday, Belmont Park, post time: 5:46 p.m. EDT

BELMONT OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $1,000,000, 3yo, f, 1 1/4mT
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT

1 Coasted K Tizway Treadway Racing Stable Gyarmati Rosario 121
2 Beau Recall (Ire) Sir Prancealot (Ire) Slam Dunk Racing & Medallion Racing Callaghan Prat 121
3 Violet Blue K Americain Ryan, Michael, J. Toner Franco 121
4 Grizzel (Ire) Kodiac (GB) Merriebelle Stable & Mrs. Anna Doyle Doyle Moran 121
5 Key To My Heart (Ire) Galileo (Ire) Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith O’Brien Lordan 121
6 Journey Home K War Front Sam-Son Farm Motion Prado 121
7 Uni (GB) More Than Ready Dubb, Head of Plains Prtnrs, Haras d’Etreham Brown Ortiz, Jr. 121
8 New Money Honey K Medaglia d’Oro e Five Racing Thoroughbreds Brown Castellano 121
9 Dynatail K Hightail Ballybrit Stable, LLC Dini Saez 121
10 Fifty Five Get Stormy Peter M. Brant Brown Ortiz 121
11 Daddys Lil Darling Scat Daddy Normandy Farm McPeek Davis 121
12 Sistercharlie (Ire) Myboycharlie (Ire) Peter M. Brant Brown Velazquez 121

Saturday, Belmont Park, post time: 6:18 p.m. EDT

SUBURBAN H.-GII, $750,000, 4yo/up, 1 1/4m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT

1 Keen Ice K Curlin Donegal Racing and Calumet Farm Pletcher Ortiz 117
2 Matt King Coal Cool Coal Man Lady Sheila Stable Rice Ortiz, Jr. 117
3 Sunny Ridge Holy Bull Dennis A. Drazin Servis Franco 119
4 Watershed Bernardini Godolphin Racing LLC McLaughlin Smith 119
5 Follow Me Crev Quality Road David & Holly Wilson Cerin Velazquez 117
6 Shaman Ghost Ghostzapper Stronach Stables Jerkens Castellano 123
Breeders: 1-Glencrest Farm, 2-John E. Shaw, 3-Dennis Drazin, 4-Darley, 5-Lynn B. Schiff, 6-Adena Springs