PIPER’S GIFT scored a gritty win in the $125,000 Fury Stakes last weekend at Woodbine, reeling in a loose leader in the seven furlong filly race. The Fury can often be a good indication of some of the gals who will contend for the big purses of the WOODBINE OAKS (July 19) and certainly Piper’s Gift (by Yorkton) is a top player for that 1 1/8 mile Canadian classic.
She is also one of numerous fillies and colts for Robert and Mark Krembil’s CHIEFSWOOD STABLES who are at the top of the charts for the Oaks and the King’s Plate (Aug. 20).
On Canadian Thoroughbred’s Top 20 list of Plate and Oaks contenders (not done by fan votes but by handicapping), Chiefswood has five 3-year-olds in the top 11.
Piper’s Gift is trained by Dale Desruisseaux, who also trains DIXIE LAW (Tiz the Law), who is right alongside the Chiefswood filly on the CT list. Both are top Oaks horses and currently, with quite a modest group of Canadian bred 3-year-olds in action, they could be in Plate contention also.
Chiefswod’s impressive colt MAGICAL FACTOR (The Factor) remains number one once again. He was a good second to older stablemate Saugeen in an allowance race on May 23.
MILITARY TIME (Gun Runner) was expected to win the Queenston Stakes at seven furlongs on Sunday but he could not catch front running HIGHWAYTOTHEMOON (Ransom the Moon), also trained by Desruisseaux. Military Time is the latest Gary Barber/Mark Casse Canadian horse looking to make noise. The colt won an allowance race in his previous start and was second in the Coronation Futurity last year at 1 1/8 miles.
Chiefswood fillies BOLD TIME and COOL TIMES plus the promising colt POWELL RIVER are also contenders for the classics.
Horses moves down the list or dropped include champion 2-year-old filly Corsia Veloce, who was only third in the Fury Stakes and may want grass, Blind River and Imayourmedicineman. New on the list is the maiden VERY SPECIAL (Ghostzapper), who had a good rally in his debut outing for Stronach Stables and 2-time winner DON IQUE (Astern(Aus)), an optional winner at a route distance for owner Michael Cooke.
CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED’S TOP 20 KING’S PLATE – WOODBINE OAKS CONTENDER
Through June 9 2026
1. MAGICAL FACTOR (90)
2. MILITARY TIME (81)
3. DIXIE LAW – filly (86)
4. PIPER’S GIFT – filly (80)
5. BOLD TIME -filly (83)
6. COOL TIMES filly (82)
7. FIRE AND WINE (86)
8. CASSON (79)
9. LUSTER filly (84)
10. YUKON STRIKER (85)
11. POWELL RIVER (69)
12 HIGHWAYTOTHEMOON 85
13. CORSIA VELOCE- filly 85
14 DON IQUE (72)
15. LUV YOUR NEIGHBOR – filly (83)
16 BRACHETTO (79)
17. BAAEED ALYNNA (61)
18. WILLFUL WARRIOR (78)
19 VERY SPECIAL 67
20 IMYOURMEDICINEMAN 74
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