Time to update some of the top contenders for the King’s Plate and Woodbine Oaks, the Canadian classics of 2024!
MY BOY PRINCE, currently the top contender for the 165th King’s Plate to be held in August, is one of 31 nominees to the April 7 Palisades Stakes at Keeneland, a 5 1/2 furlong turf dash. Gary Barber’s grey colt, likely to be named Champion Two-Year-Old in Canada at the Sovereign Awards next month, recently had a couple of half-mile preps at Palm Meadows including a fast move from the gate. My Boy Prince won the 1 1/16 mile Cup & Saucer Stakes on turf last fall and was a good third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
With Woodbine now open for training, several horses on the CT list have recorded preps on the Tapeta or the training track.
Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner INUDATION (Collected) breezed 3 furlongs in 37.20 for trainer Kevin Attard and owners Al and Bill Ulwelling on Mar. 30. This was the third workout for the stretch-running filly following a prep at WinStar Farm in Kentucky.
Of course, any filly on the Plate list is also a major contender for the Woodbine Oaks which is held a month before the Plate.
The Ulwellings also have JOKESTAR (Practical Joke), a maiden special weight winner at 1 1 /16 miles last December who worked on March 29, four furlongs in 49 on the main track.
And Attard also has the filly WAR PAINTER, second by a head to Inudation in the Princess Elizabeth, and she worked on Mar. 31 in 51.20 for four furlongs.
NAPTOWN (Munnings) is nearing his 3-year-old debut for trainer Graham Motion. The colt worked 6 furlongs last weekend in 1:14.60 at Fair Hill in Maryland.
BOBBO, winner of the Coronation Futurity at 1 1/8 miles last fall for Lou Tucci and trainer Sid Attard, is the second Plate contender and he has yet to record a workout.
Fillies are very prominent on the CT list at this stage and WASKESIU, winner of the Florida Oaks (G3) on March 9 on the Tampa Bay turf, has moved up the Plate list. The Bill Mott-trained daughter of American Pharoah is a homebred for Chiefswood Stable and she earned an 83 Beyer Figure for her Florida Oaks win which was at 1 1/16 miles.
BA DEE YAH, who had won a stakes race at Fair Grounds two races back, faded in the Grade 2 Fantasy on Mar. 30 but earned a 76 Beyer Figure for her sixth-place finish. The Uncle Mo filly is trained by Tom Amoss.
Rank/Horse/Trainer/Current Status/Accomplishments
1. My Boy Prince – Mark Casse – pointing to Palisades Stakes, KEE, 5 1/2f turf; April 7, Cup & Saucer Stakes on turf, 3rd Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1)
2 Babbo – Sid Attard – n/a – Coronation Futurity
3 Waskesiu (f)- Bill Mott – 1st Florida Oaks – nominated to Appalachain at KEE, April 6
4 No More Options – Z Krcmar – 3rd Coronation Futurity
5 Piper’s Factor – K. Vassilieva – unplaced in 2 starts at Gulfstream – 2nd Coronation Futurity
6 Inudation (f) – K. Attard – working at Woodbine – Princess Elizabeth
7 Frac Dancer – M. DePaulo – Won Texas Glitter S. at 5 furlongs, Tapeta, GP, Mar. 24 – sprint SW
8 Naptown – G. Motion – working at Fair Hill, – 4th Coronation
9 Kin’s Concerto (f) – J. Carroll – working at Palm Meadows, awaiting a race, 2nd Gulfstream
10 War Painter (f) – K. Attard – working at Woodbine – 2nd Princess Eliz.
11 Dazzling Move (f) – M. Trombetta – working in Florida – MSW Gulfstream
12 Ba Dee Yah (f)- T. Amoss – unplaced Grade 3 Fantasy S., Mar. 30, Won LeCombe Stakes
13 CC Royal (f) – H. Smith – training at Laurel – Laurel winner
14 Arashi – G. Cox – working at Payson Park, Fla. – 2nd Cup and Saucer
15 Jokestar – K. Attard – working at Woodbine – route winner
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