As many as 16 horses could face the starter Saturday for the 161st Queen’s Plate, the oldest continuously-run horse race in North America.
The Plate was originally scheduled for June 27 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the racing season did not begin until early June, pushing all racing back.
Most of the Plate horses have had their final workouts. Saturday the filly MERVEILLEUX sped a bullet 4 furlongs in 47 for trainer Kevin Attard. The 3rd place finisher in the Woodbine Oaks posted a new top Beyer Figure of 89 in that troubled outing.
Another filly, CURLIN’S VOYAGE is expected to be the favourite based on her 93 Beyer Figure effort in her Oaks win under Patrick Husbands for Josie Carroll, who has won a Plate with a filly (Inglorious).
The boys are led by CLAYTON and HALO AGAIN, the 1-2 in the Plate Trial with 89 and 88 Beyer Figures respectively.
BELICHICK is expected to be the latest entrant, one of 2 for trainer Catherine Day Phillips who also has Holyfield on the list.
Unfortunately, GOLDEN WAVE was injured on Sunday and will not be in the line-up.
8 horses on the early list are American owned.
The draw is Wednesday at 10 a.m. and will be a virtual draw which can be seen on Woodbine.com.
PROBABLE FIELD FOR THE 161ST RUNNING OF THE $1 MILLION QUEEN’S PLATE
Horse – Trainer – Owner(s)
Belichick – Josie Carroll – NK Stable and LNJ Foxwoods – maiden after 2 starts, 65, 63
Clayton – Kevin Attard – Donato Lanni & Daniel Plouffe – Plate Trial winner 89, 88
Curlin’s Voyage (filly) – Josie Carroll – Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings & Windsor Boys Racing – Woodbine Oaks winner, 93, 87
Dotted Line – Sid Attard – Norseman Racing Stable 3rd Plate Trial 88, 83
Enchant Me – Santino DiPaola – York Tech Racing Stable – maiden after 7 races, 61, 61
Famished – John Kimmel – Tobey L. Morton – sprint winner in New York, 78, 77
F F Rocket – Keith Dickey – Frank Fletcher Racing Operations – maiden winner 61, 61
Glorious Tribute – Barbara Minshall – Bruce Lunsford – 4th Plate Trial 83, 69
Halo Again – Steven Asmussen – Winchell Thoroughbreds & Willis Horton Racing – 2nd Plate Trial 88, 81
Holyfield – Catherine Day Phillips – Kingfield Racing Stable, Roderick Ferguson & Anderson Farms Ontario – maiden winner 76, 64
Merveilleux (filly) – Kevin Attard – Al and Bill Ulwelling – 3rd Woodbine Oak 89, 76
Mighty Heart – Josie Carroll – Lawrence Cordes – maiden winner 80, 74
Olliemyboy – Sid Attard – JMJ Racing Stables – maiden winner 68, 66
Sweepin Hard (supplement) – Daniel Vella – Borders Racing Stable – maiden winner 61, 50
Tecumseh’s War – Catherine Day Phillips – Ilium Stables – maiden winner, 81, 67
Truebelieve – Cole Bennett – Centennial Farms (Niagara) – allowance winner 61, 77
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