Eye Of The Leopard ready to pounce: You might want to keep an ‘Eye’ on the red and gold silks of Sam-Son Farm in this year’s Queen’s Plate. With four “Gallop for the Guineas” crowns to their name, one of Canada’s most prominent owner/breeders look to a horse that was ‘spot on’ in a key Plate prep, to make it win number five.
He’s regally bred, sired by A.P. Indy, and his dam was 2004 Oaks winner Eye of the Sphynx (Canada’s champion three-year-old five years ago), and he’s coming into the Plate on a two-race win streak, including a neck nod in the Plate Trial Stakes, on May 31.
“He ran a big race and I think the Plate distance (1 1/4 miles) will suit him very well,” offered trainer Mark Frostad. “In the Plate Trial, he really got rolling, but he was wide on both turns. I knew we got there (at the wire). I figured that race would bode well for him in the future.”
Sam-Son has won the Plate with Regal Intention (1988), Dance Smartly (1991), Scatter The Gold (2000) and Dancethruthedawn (2001).
Frostad won with Victor Cooley in 1996, as well as with Scatter the Gold and Dancethruthedawn.
Attfield Going for a Record Ninth Plate: Trainer Roger Attfield will try to win a record ninth Queen’s Plate when he saddles Dolantori Racing’s Rapid Release in the June 21, $1 million classic for Canadian-foaled three-year-olds.
Last year, Attfield and jockey Jono Jones combined to win the Plate with Not Bourbon, a victory which tied Attfield with Harry Giddings Jr. for most Plate wins by a trainer. Attfield and Jones look to repeat this year with Rapid Release, who campaigned in England last year before being purchased by his current owner. Recently, he finished a closing third to probable Plate favourite Eye of the Leopard in the May 31 Plate Trial.
“He ran a very good race and gave himself a spot into the Plate off that race for sure,” said the Hall of Famer Attfield. “He’s improved off that race immensely.”
In fact, the chestnut son of Action This Day, the 2003 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, warmed up with an eye-catching work on Wednesday, five furlongs in 1:00 flat, breezing. “He worked unbelievable and I let him gallop out, a big happy gallop out,” he continued.
Attfield has twice won back-to-back Plates, with With Approval (1989) and Izvestia (1990), followed by Alydeed (1992) and Peteski (1993).
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
