Toronto, ON – Woodford Racing’s Active Duty will make his first local start of 2009 in Saturday’s $150,000 Queenston Stakes at Woodbine. The seven-furlong contest for Ontario-foaled three-year-olds is a major stop on the road to the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 21. But, initially, it wasn’t the chosen stop for trainer Mark Casse and Active Duty, who broke his maiden in last year’s $250,000 Coronation Futurity.
“The Queenston was my second choice,” said the reigning Sovereign Award-winning trainer. “I entered him in a two-turn allowance race (on the same day) and it didn’t go. After looking at (the Queenston), I’m going to go ahead and run. It’s probably a little shorter than he likes. It looks like there’s a fair amount of speed and I think he’ll come running.”
Active Duty, who finished on the board in four of his five starts as a juvenile, competed twice at Santa Anita over the winter. After a willing third-place finish in a 1 1/16-mile event on January 29, the bay gelding finished seventh in a race at the same distance on February 26.
“He’s very finicky about his racetrack,” offered Casse. “I even took him to Keeneland. I worked him because I was going to run him. He didn’t care for that racetrack at all. At Santa Anita, he ran well the first time, but he didn’t run so good the second time. I’m not sure he liked it.”
The son of Deputy Commander, who will be ridden by Corey Fraser, has worked twice since shipping from Keeneland. Casse said Active Duty galloped out nicely after a five-furlong workout in 1:00 3/5, breezing, on April 24.
“He’s trained quite well over the Woodbine track. He’s a much happier horse in Canada than he was in California. Hopefully, he’ll run that way.”
Another Queenston contender who has already demonstrated he is happy to be back at Woodbine is El Brujo. Trainer Malcolm Pierce said he wasn’t shocked that the Windways Farm charge won the Achievement, but he was surprised by the 8 3/4-length margin of victory. “Good horses give you 110 per cent. He gives you 120,” said Pierce. “He comes to play every time he races.”
El Brujo, who will be teamed with Patrick Husbands, seeks to become the first three-year-old since Twisted Wit in 2004 to sweep the Achievement and Queenston Stakes.
Active Duty seeks to become the first horse since Parental Pressure in 1994 to win the Coronation and Queenston, which is slated for race seven on Saturday’s 11-race program.
THE FIELD FOR QUEENSTON STAKES
POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER
1 – Parabola – Justin Stein – Barbara Minshall
2 – Me the Sea and G T – Emile Ramsammy – Steven Owens
3 – Keino West – Gerry Olguin – Steve Attard
4 – Active Duty – Corey Fraser – Mark Casse
5 – Shut it Down – Jim McAleney – Lorne Richards
6 – Bucephalus – Tyler Pizarro – Kevin Attard
7 – El Brujo – Patrick Husbands – Malcolm Pierce
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