Trainer Mark Casse, a seven-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s top conditioner, will try for a second consecutive Queen’s Plate win on Sunday. The last trainer to win back-to-back Plates was Mark Frostad (Scatter The Gold, 2000; Dancethruthedawn, 2001).
Last year, Casse celebrated his first win in Canada’s most famous horse race when filly Lexie Lou parlayed her Woodbine Oaks triumph into a resounding Plate score, en route to three Sovereign Awards, including Horse of the Year honours.
For the 156th edition of the ‘Gallop for the Guineas’, he’ll put the tack on a pair for Conquest Stables – Conquest Curlinate and Conquest Boogaloo, the second and third place finishers in the Plate Trial on June 14.
There’s also a possibility that another Casse runner, Oakton, owned by Bill and Vicki Poston, may be entered.
Conquest Curlinate, a son of champion Curlin-Higher World who has earned $194,363, is still looking for his first stakes win but has been a close second in his last three added-money events – the Grade 3 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne, Grade 2 Peter Pan at Belmont Park and the Plate Trial, when finishing three-quarters of a length behind Plate rival Danish Dynaformer.
“’Curlinate’ definitely had a much better trip (in the Plate Trial) than (stablemate Conquest) ‘Boogaloo’,” explained Casse. “He did get held up a little bit. And that’s not him. He’s like a 747. Needs a big runway to get him rolling. He’s not a Lear Jet,” said Casse.
To be ridden again by Shaun Bridgmohan, Conquest Curlinate blew out for the Plate impressively on Sunday, a five furlong breeze in 1:01.
“The consensus is that ‘Curlinate’ worked extremely well,” continued Casse, who was in Florida at the time. “‘Curlinate’ broke off two (lengths) behind (Supersizer) and they finished together. He went really well. We were really not looking for anything spectacular. I told them to just do a nice easy work with no gallop out.”
Conquest Boogaloo, a son of Scat Daddy-Jules Best, has banked $179,960, highlighted by a win last year in the Swynford Stakes at Woodbine. This year, in three outings, his best result was his most recent, the Plate Trial, but he’s encountered serious traffic trouble in his last two. He’ll be piloted for a third time by Alan Garcia.
“I mean, it was amazing to me that ‘Boogaloo’ ran as close as he did (beaten two lengths by Danish Dynaformer),” said Casse. “Especially because when the incident happened (the fatal breakdown by another Casse runner, favoured Danzig Moon, going into the far turn), you know, it really affected ‘Boogaloo’. I think he lost eight or 10 lengths (by having to veer away from the trouble).
“In the Marine (May 16, when eighth to another Plate rival Shaman Ghost, but blocked throughout the stretch), that was dreadful. He probably should have won the Marine. With a little better luck, he might have been tough in the Plate Trial. I would have to think the mile and one-quarter won’t bother him. Hopefully he gets a good trip.
“I think (the Plate) is a wide open race. I think both horses have as good a shot as anybody. The Plate Trial is a perfect example of why you can never be too confident. I just know there are so many variables out of your control.”
WILL SWEET GRASS CREEK BE AS WANDO-FUL AS HIS FATHER?
He has big horseshoes to fill, but Sweet Grass Creek, a son of champion and Triple Crown victor, Wando, heads into the Queen’s Plate with some eye-catching works and connections who know how to win the big one.
It is a ‘Sweet’ pedigree indeed, one his trainer hopes pays off with a win in Canada’s most iconic horse race, and one he has had great success in.
“There are times when he really does look like him,” said trainer Mike Keogh, of Sweet Grass Creek’s resemblance to Wando. “But, he’s more aggressive than Wando and not as big.”
Sweet Grass Creek’s grandsire, Langfuhr, notched a trio of Grade 1 wins in the U.S. His sire, the late, great Wando, was Canada’s last Triple Crown champion, sweeping the Plate, Prince of Wales and Breeders’ in 2003.
He also has some other Plate help his corner: owner Gus Schickedanz and Keogh teamed to win the Plate in 1999 with Woodcarver, along with their Wando ‘Crown’ in 2003, while jockey Jesse Campbell took the 2013 edition with Midnight Aria.
After some tough starts to launch his career, the chestnut hit his best stride on May 18 at 1 1/16-miles on the Woodbine Polytrack, breaking his maiden via a 3 ¼-length victory, one that delivered Campbell his 2,000th career score.
Recent works have impressed the veteran rider:
“He’s acting like he has (learned),” said Campbell. “He used to be a bit rank, but now he’s very relaxed out there. There’s no way a horse can go out there two weeks in a row like that and not have some talent going in 1:14 one week (May 31) and 1:12 the other (June 25), and it’s not like I’m chasing him. He’s jut doing it very easy. You have to have talent to do that. We’re just hoping he grows up on the right day.”
Said Keogh: “We’ve got a shot. He’s light on seasoning, but his works have been strong and he’s been improving steadily. Hopefully, he comes up with his top effort in the big one.”
OLAF SCHNEIDER NAMED OFFICIAL ARTIST OF THE 2015 QUEEN’S PLATE
Olaf Schneider was recently named the Official Artist of the 2015 Queen’s Plate. His work of art, ‘To the Finish,’ which was selected from a strong field of entries, has drawn rave reviews from the horse racing world.
A friend in the racing game alerted Schneider to the unique contest and suggested that the artist paint a Conquest Stables runner.
“My wife Tracey and I wasted no time. We dusted off our camera collection and headed out to Woodbine Racetrack. With a little help from friends, we were able to snap several hundred action shots,” noted Schneider, including a striking image of a rallying Conquest Bigluck E. “Choosing which image to paint was at the top of my list of challenges. There is no shortage of bright colourful pictures to paint from. I was so fascinated by all the colours of the silks that were on the jockeys, and the horses.”
Conquest Bigluck E, with his rider clad in the colorful teal and orange Conquest silks, did not win that day but his effort caught the artist’s eye.
“He made huge powerful gains through the lane and had such determination in his eyes. I loved his heart,” said Schneider.
Schneider’s sizable painting was selected as one of five finalists and on June 8, following fan voting, he was alerted that his piece was chosen as the winning submission.
“To be selected as the official artist of the Queen’s Plate is truly an honour,” said Schneider. ” I have worked as a professional artist for decades, but feel a special sense of gratitude being able to participate and contribute to such a Canadian Institution.”
For more on Schneider, visit his website Olaf.Ca or follow him on Twitter @OlafArtist. Fans attending The Queen’s Plate will be able to see ‘To the Finish’ in person and meet Schneider as part of the overall fan experience.
EARLY WEATHER FORECAST
Environment Canada is calling for Sunny, with a high of 26 degrees Celsius for Sunday, July 5.
EARLY LOOK AT THE JULY 5 QUEEN’S PLATE PROBABLE FIELD (16)
HORSE / TRAINER / OWNER / JOCKEY
Academic / Reade Baker / Bear Stables / Justin Stein Ami’s Flatter / Josie Carroll / Ivan Dalos / Luis Contreras Ault / Dan Vella / Canyon Farms / TBA Bear At Last / Reade Baker / Bear Stables / Rico Walcott Billy’s Star / Roger Attfield / Perfect Timber Partnership / Eurico da Silva Breaking Lucky / Reade Baker / Gunpowder Farms LLC / TBA Conquest Boogaloo / Mark Casse / Conquest Stables LLC / Alan Garcia Conquest Curlinate / Mark Casse / Conquest Stables LLC / Shaun Bridgmohan Danish Dynaformer / Roger Attfield / Charles Fipke / Patrick Husbands Easy Indygo / Nick Gonzalez / Tucci Stables / Emma-Jayne Wilson Milwaukee Mist / Pavel Matejka / Preston Stables LLC / TBA Oakton / Mark Casse / Bill and Vicki Poston Racing Inc. / TBA Portree / Stuart Simon / Chiefswood Stable / Gerry Olguin Scorch / Mark Frostad / Augustin Stable / TBA Shaman Ghost / Brian Lynch / Stronach Stables / Rafael Hernandez Sweet Grass Creek / Mike Keogh / Gustav Schickedanz / Jesse Campbell
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