CT's Queen's Plate/Woodbine Oaks Update

The June 1st payment to keep horses eligible for the Queen’s Plate (August 21) and Woodbine Oaks (July 24) has passed and 60 3-year-olds remain eligible for the 163rd Plate and 24 fillies eligible for the 67th Oaks (July 24).

A horse can also be supplemented to the Plate at a cost of $25,000 on entry day and fillies can be supplemented for $12,500 to the Oaks on entry day.

At the June 1st payment deadline, there was one supplement to the Plate at a cost of $1,500, that being Hidden Springs’ maiden winner HIDDEN HONOR. And ABSOLUTE JEWEL, who won her maiden on June 5 for Rocco d’Alimonte and Frank Annecchini, was supplemented to the Oaks last week at a cost of $750.

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On the Plate scene, the June 12 Queenston Stakes, at seven furlongs, will attract a number of Plate eligibles. Hidden Honor, Duke of Love, Rondure and The Minkster are among the possible entrants and each of them is currently on Canadian Thoroughbred‘s Top 15 contenders list this week. The Queenston Stakes is restricted to Canadian-breds.

There was a lot of movement and new additions to our Queen’s Plate and Oaks lists following last weekend.

New faces on the Plate contenders list this week include Ontario-sired and bred LAC MACAZA (Giant Gizmo – Garavogue Colleen, by Ell Prado (Ire)), who defeated older horses in his 2022 debut keeping his winning streak going from last year. The colt’s Beyer Figure from the victory in the 1 1/16 mile race was a smart 82.

The racy light bay colt is trained by Julia Carey and owned by Goldie Stables and Discovery Racing.

Also new on the list are New York-based, impressive maiden winners BOSTON TEA PARTY and CAUSIN MAYHEM while Polo Management’s ALLEGORICAL and Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry’s BASKETBALL JONES both looked good winning maiden races at Woodbine June 4.

BOSTON TEA PARTY (American Pharoah – Pirate’s Trove by Speightstown), won his career debut on May 29 at Belmont Park in a six furlong turf race. The Tony Dutrow-trained colt pressed the pace and drew off to win by three lengths in 1:08 1/5 for an 87 Beyer Speed Figure. Boston Tea Party was bred by Josham Farms and purchased for $140,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale by agent Reade Baker for owners Paul Braverman, Gold Square LLC, Chevaux Racing, and Timothy Pinch.

CAUSIN MAYHEM (Into Mischief – Five N Forty by Distorted Humor), owned and bred by Chiefswood Stables and trained by Todd Pletcher, led all the way to win a one mile race in the mud on June 3 at Belmont Park with an 84 Beyer Speed Figure. The bay colt had missed by a neck in his debut on the grass at Gulfstream on March 12 and won by half a length last week under jockey Manny Franco.

ALLEGORICAL (Giant Gizmo – Champagne Dynasty by Pulpit), owned by Brian O’Leary’s Polo Management Services and trained by Mark Casse, was along in time to win his maiden on June 4 in a 1 1/16 mile Tapeta race, earning a 78 Beyer Figure. He edged Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry’s BILL NEEDLE (Distorted Humor – Game (Fr) by Montjeu (Ire)) by a neck.

The Fitzhenry’s celebrated a win by their beautifully-bred Curlin colt BASKETBALL JONES two races earlier in a seven furlong turf race. The full brother to Woodbine Oaks winner Dixie Moon was in a pace duel early in the dash and then drew off to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:19 4/5 for a 76 Beyer Figure.

There was more joy in the Fitzhenry camp when SISTER SEAGULL jumped into the Oaks scene with her maiden win on June 5 with a super stretch rally from last place. The Hard Spun – Sweet Kitten by Kitten’s Joy filly, like Basketball Jones, is trained by Catherine Day Phillips.

The American-based colt MESSIER remains at number 1 although it is unclear whether the son of Empire Maler will make the trip north to try Tapeta and the 1 1/4 mile distance. Messier was 15th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) following a second-place finish in the 1 1/8 mile Santa Anita Derby (G1). He is trained by Tim Yakteen currently for a suspended Bob Baffert.

We have INTERSTATEDAYDREAM as number 2 although the filly is not currently eligible for the Plate. The interests of the winner of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico on May 20 have expressed interest in sending the daughter of Classic Empire to Woodbine for the Oaks, which is 1 1/8 miles, the same distance as the Black-Eyed Susan. This filly is ranked first on the Oaks contenders list.

Canadian Thoroughbred’s Top 15 Queen’s Plate Contenders – June 7

1. Messier – 15th Kentucky Derby, in California
2. Interstatedaydream (filly, would have to be supplemented), Black-Eyed Susan, 91 Beyer
3. Rondure – maiden winner, 86 Beyer Figure
4. God of Love – Champion 2-year-old, recently returned to training
5. Lac Macaza – allowance winner, 82
6. Boston Tea Party – maiden winner, 87
7. Causin Mayhem – maiden winner, 84
8. Sir For Sure – maiden winner 74
9. The Minkster – Coronation Futurity winner, 66
10. Duke of Love – allowance winner , 86
11. Allegorical – maiden winner 78
12. Basketball Jones – maiden winner – 76
13. Moira – Princess Elizabeth winner, top Beyer 74
14. Bill Needle – 2nd maiden race, 77
15. Hidden Honor – maiden winner, 75

Woodbine Oaks Top 10 Contenders

1. Interstatedaydream
2. Moira
3. Sahlybiya
4. Sister Seagull
5. Souper Flashy
6. Pioneer’s Edge
7. Curlin Candy
8. Broken Proposal
9. Grey Society
10. Lady Brew