Here are your horses for Saturday’s Queen’s Plate – race 10
Post Horse – Trainer – Jockey Owner(s) Last 2 Beyer Speed Figures
1 – Sweepin Hard (supplement) – Daniel Vella – Borders Racing Stable – maiden winner 61, 50 Leo Salles
– A son of Ontario sire Conquest Curlinate, Sweepin Hard was made eligible for the Plate for a supplemental fee of $25,000 following his win in just his 2nd career race on Aug. 16. Trained by Dan Vella, who won the Plate with Basqueian, Sweepin Hard is owned by Hazel Bennett of Calgary, Alberta. Hazel is a retired investment advisor and volunteers, well, works, with retired racehorses and training them for new careers.
“Start from 1, finish there.” – Dan Vella
2 – Merveilleux (filly) – Kevin Attard – Al and Bill Ulwelling – 3rd Woodbine Oaks 89, 76 Kazushi Kimura
– Tough filly Merveilleux is owned by Minnesota’s Bill and Al Ulwelling who have been supporting Ontario racing for a few years. One of their big stars, Pumpkin Rumble, was recently retired to LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement and has since been adopted.
3 – Belichick – Josie Carroll – NK Stable and LNJ Foxwoods
-Bred by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry of Toronto, Belichick is by Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid and was a $300,000 yearling purchase in 2018 at Keeneland by Solis/Litt agents. The colt, named for the famous football coach, races for Americans Larry, Nanci and Jaime Roth of LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing, which is Nancy Favreau and Kathy Psoinos.
– improving maiden after 2 starts, 65, 63
“He has a tremendous amount of talent.” – Josie Carroll, who took over his training this year.
4 – Truebelieve – Cole Bennett – Centennial Farms (Niagara) – allowance winner 61, 77 Keveh Nicholls
– Domenic Dilalla of Niagara-on-the-Lake, has raced horses at Woodbine for several decades under his stable name Centennial Farms (Niagara) Inc, named for his Centennial Homes company. Truebelieve was bought as a yearling from breeder Laurel Byrne by Chetram Mohabir for just $2,000. Centennial obtained the horse this year. “The horse likes the rail.” – Cole Bennett
5 – Holyfield – Catherine Day Phillips – Kingfield Racing Stable, Roderick Ferguson & Anderson Farms Ontario – maiden winner 76, 64 Daryl Holland
– This is a Canadian-owned and bred fellow who has a story to tell about his early life (yes, he has part of his ear missing). Holyfield was bred by David Anderson and Rod Ferguson and races for them and trainer Catherine Day Phillips. The Uncle Mo gelding has improved with each race this year.
6 – Halo Again – Steven Asmussen – Winchell Thoroughbreds & Willis Horton Racing – 2nd Plate Trial 88, 81 Luis Contreras
– Willis Horton, a custom homebuilder from Arkansas, and the Winchell family, Ron and his mother Joan, own this big burly colt bred by David Anderson’s Anderson Farms in St. Thomas. Horton raced Belmont Stakes winner Will Take Charge among others while the Winchell family, first under founder Verne, has raced many champions including Gun Runner. Ron Winchell lives in Las Vegas. Top US trainer Steve Asmussen trains.
“I thought he stayed on very well in the Plate Trial. He has trained even sharper since.” – Steve Asmussen
7 – Glorious Tribute – Barbara Minshall – Bruce Lunsford – 4th Plate Trial 83, 69 David Moran
– Bruce Lunsford has raced horses at Woodbine for many years and also races in the US. In fact, the Kentuckian had the second favourite for this year’s Kentucky Derby, Art Collector, but the horse had to be scratched due to a minor injury. Barb Minshall has trained for Lunsford for several years; Stacked Deck was among the graded stakes winners raced here for Lunsford.
“He’s training really well, I picked the post because I want to have good positioning. I think he will get distance.” – Barb Minshall
8 – Olliemyboy – Sid Attard – JMJ Racing Stables – maiden winner 68, 66 Steve Bahen
– JMJ Racing Stables is owned by Dennis Narlinger of California and the stable is run by son Michael. Their first Grade 1 winner was a Canadian-bred, Interpol, who won the 2015 Northern Dancer Stakes at Woodbine for trainer Sid Attard. Sid has the family’s 3-year-old Union Rags colt set to try the Plate.
9 – Dotted Line – Sid Attard – Norseman Racing Stable 3rd Plate Trial 88, 83 Justin Stein
-Ontario-sired Dotted Line is by owner Howard Walton’s own stallion Signature Red. Trainer Sid Attard seeks his first Plate win.
“He’s coming around really nice now.” – Sid Attard
10 – Curlin’s Voyage (filly) – Josie Carroll – Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings & Windsor Boys Racing – Woodbine Oaks winner, 93, 87
– Bred by her co-owner John Sikura, a Canadian living in Kentucky, this big filly is also owned by the Windsor Boys, a group of friends from, you guessed it, Windsor. She is by Curlin, one of the world’s leading sires and her trainer Josie Carroll has won 2 Plates.
“She finds a way to get the job done.”
11 – F F Rocket – Al Stall– Frank Fletcher Racing Operations – maiden winner 61, 61
– This is a pretty colt by Curlin – Mekong Delta bred by Ted Burnett’s Josham Farms. Owner Frank Fletcher, from Little Rock, Arkansas has car dealerships, restaurants, a hotel, and racehorses and you can follow his horses on the Frank Fletcher Racing Site page on Facebook. He currently owns the fleet graded stakes-winning filly in New York, Frank’s Rockette.
-FF Rocket recently won his maiden at Presque Isle Downs in Erie with a 61 Beyer Figure. The colt was bought in Florida in 2019 as a 2-year-old for $525,000.
“He’s a nice horse, we couldn’t find a rhythm with him as a 2-year-old.” Al Stall. “He’s done extremely well since his win.”
12 – Clayton – Kevin Attard – Donato Lanni & Daniel Plouffe – Plate Trial winner 89, 88 Rafael Hernandez
– The Plate Trial winner has come to hand nicely for trainer Kevin Attard. While still showing his inexperience, this son of Bodemeister has all the tools. Bred by Bernard and Karen McCormack, he is owned by Montreal-born Donato Lanni and Standardbred owner Daniel Plouffe.
“He’s lightly seasoned, he did enough to win Plate Trial. It’s only going to get tougher.”
13 – Mighty Heart – Josie Carroll – Lawrence Cordes – maiden winner 80, 74 Daisuke Fukumoto
– He has just one eye but that was a nifty maiden win by Mighty Heart earlier this year. He was bred by his owner Lawrence Cordes, who has been racing horses in Ontario for 20 years and he previous big horse was Turkish, winner of the Valedictory Stakes. His sire, Dramedy, winner of the Elkhorn Stakes on turf at Keeneland, had his first crop of foals race in 2019 and is now in Saudi Arabia.
14 – Tecumseh’s War – Catherine Day Phillips – Ilium Stables – maiden winner, 81, 67 Emma Wilson
Angelo Freda and his son James are in love with horse racing. Angelo, who lives in Connecticut, is a financial advisor and author. James is an attorney. Their first horse purchase was Tecumseh’s War, a son of Summer Front bred by the Everatt family in St. Thomas. For more on the Fredos here.
A DECADE OF QUEEN’S PLATES
Beyer Figures from Daily Racing Form
YR Plate Winner Plate Winning Beyer Trial Winner/ Other notes
2018 WONDER GADOT 95 Telekinesis 88
2017 -HOLY HELENA 96… ran a 94 Oaks.. Plate Trial – 82
2016 SIR DUDLEY DIGGES 85 Trial…
2015 SHAMAN GHOST 87, had run 86 in Marine.. Trial
2014 LEXIE LOU 91 , RAN 95 IN OAKS.. tRIAL
2013 MIDNIGHT ARIA 101.. Trial 88
2012 STRAIT OF DOVE R 98.. Trial
2011 INGLORIOUS 99 90 (Check Your Soul)
2010 BIG RED MIKE 92 91 (Big Red Mike)
2009 EYE OF THE LEOPARD 92 85 (Eye of the Leopard)
2008 NOT BOURBON 93 88 (Not Bourbon)
2007 MIKE FOX 90 88 (Jiggs Coz)
2006 EDENWOLD 94 81 (Pipers Thunder)
2005 WILD DESERT 92 92 (Dance With Ravens)
2004 NIIGON 97 97 (A Bit O’Gold)
2003 WANDO 111 95 (Mobil)
2002 T J’S LUCKY MOON 86 89 (Shaws Creek)
2001 DANCETHRUTH’N 94 96 (Win City)
2000 SCATTER THE GOLD 92 89 (Pete’s Sake)
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