MILITARY TIME had an impressive return to the races on Sunday, May 4 at Woodbine and moves up the list of King’s Plate contenders produced by Canadian Thoroughbred.
The sleek chestnut colt by the very good US sire Gun Runner was second in last year’s Coronation Futurity to Fire and Wine. Military Time won a seven furlong allowance/optional claiming race on the weekend over older horses by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:24.21 for a career best 81 Beyer Speed Figure.
Interestingly, co-owner Vinny Viola of St. Elias Stable just celebrated the Kentucky Derby (G1) win by GOLDEN TEMPO (Curlin), whom he owns with the Phipps Stable.
Who was the last horse to win the Derby and Plate? Military Time’s other owner is Gary Barber, a multiple Plate winner and the colt’s trainer is Mark Casse. Military Time is the first foal of three-time stakes winner Red Cabernet, an Ontario-sired daughter of Signature Red. Military Time was bred by Adena Springs and was a $350,000 Keeneland September yearling.
Barber, along with Team Valor International, won with another Plate eligible on Sunday as WILLFULL WARRIOR (War of Will) led all the way and won a 7 furlong maiden race in 1:20.00 for a 78 Beyer Figure. Unfortunately, the smooth-striding bay gelding was judged guilty of shifting coming out of the chute early in the race and causing a rival to clip heels and he was disqualified and placed sixth.
Casse trainee BELIEVEIN was moved up to first place (for Barber and Baccari Racing Stable) and that Ontario-bred gelding by Blame is also a Plate eligible, bred by Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds.
The Daily Racing Form boosted the Beyer Figure of Magical Factor, the current Plate favourite on CT, from 87 to 90. The colt sired by The Factor won a maiden race on grass at Keeneland impressively for Chiefswood Stable and trainer Rachel Halden.
Magical Factor worked half a mile at Woodbine on May 3 in 48.40.
Chiefswood started POWELL RIVER at Churchill Downs in a turf maiden race on Derby Day, and the son of Justify led throughout most of the one mile race and ended up second by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:35.80 for a 69 Beyer Figure. The colt, trained by Katerina Vassilievea, earned a 69 when second in his debut on the grass at Gulfstream. The farm’s double stakes-winning filly PIPER’S GIFT, an Oaks contender, made her 2025 debut on April 26 in the Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct at one mile on yielding grass and she finished fourth.
Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 2025, CORSIA VELOCE, has had a couple of workouts as she begins her preparation for the Oaks for trainer Josie Carroll. The Practical Joke filly is undefeated from three races.
Carroll trains another unbeaten filly, LUSTER, owned by Gainesway Stable of Anthony Beck and Andrew Rosen. Luster (Knicks Go) won a turf allowance race at Keeneland on April 6 by five lengths. She worked five furlongs on Saturday in 1:01.
Canadian Thoroughbred‘s TOP 20 King’s Plate Contenders
(with best Beyer Speed Figure)
1. MAGICAL FACTOR (90)
2. FIRE AND WINE (86)
3. MILITARY TIME (81)
4. CORSIA VELOCE – filly (85)
5. LUSTER – filly (76)
6. COOL TIMES – filly (80)
7. LUV YOUR NEIGHBOR – filly (83)
8. BLIND RIVER (77)
9. POWELL RIVER (69)
10. PIPER’S GIFT – filly
11. JUST IN TOUCH – filly
12. DIXIE LAW – filly (73)
13 IMYOURMEDICINEMAN (74)
14. BAAEED ALYNNA (61)
15. WILLFUL WARRIOR (78)
16. BOSSY CANDY (79)
17 JUST IN TOUCH (68)
18 BELIEVEIN (73)
19 BELLE OF THE BARN – filly (71)
20. GHOSTWRITTEN (71)
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