A trio of Queen’s Plate contenders had workouts on Friday morning at Woodbine and Woodbine Oaks winner MOIRA had some schooling time in the walking ring and paddock.
Mark Casse trainees SIR FOR SURE and HALL OF DREAMS each worked four furlongs. The former, by Sligo Bay (Ire), went in 48.40, while Hall of Dreams, Lemon Drop Kid, breezed in 48.80.
Sir for Sure, the homebred for Rene and Darlene Hunderup, who operate Norse Ridge Farm in King City, ON and race under Heste Sport, won the Plate Trial with a bold rally under Declan Carroll, earning his best Beyer Figure of 83. The tall fellow, whose sire had Lexie Lou (also trained by Casse) win the Plate in 2014 is a gelding from the Hunderups mare Serena’s Rose, a daughter of little-known Ontario stallion My Way Only.
Sir for Sure was affectionately known as ‘Leggs’ when he was a foal growing up at Norse Ridge. The Hunderups, who have stood stallions and foaled mares for some of the biggest names in Canadian racing, have had a small racing operation over the years, predominantly Quarter Horses that raced at Ajax Downs. Darlene trained the runners at Ajax for the couple and they have been leading owners and breeders on several occasions.
Sir for Sure’s pedigree is not quite as flashy as the other Plate entrants but stamina is prevalent. His dam, Serena’s Rose, won two races and $136,000. Her second foal, My Silencer, won the Frost King Stakes at 2 in 2018. Second dam Quat produced 11-time winner A.T. Hall, who won $86,000 and she also produced a Quarter Horse runner.
You have to go back to the 4th dam of Sir for Sure, Lament, to find another stakes horse. Lament, by Noholme (Aus), was a minor stakes winner in 1984 for Tartan Stable.
DUKE OF LOVE, with some 700 owners including 25 Canadians, worked four furlongs under jockey Justin Stein in 1:00.80. Trainer Josie Carroll, with three Plate wins, knows her way around preparing a horse for the 1 1/4 mile Canadian classic. The Duke, who is slowly becoming a polished runner for owners MyRacehorse, comes off a well documented, troubled run in the Plate Trial.
Meanwhile, feisty Moira was taken to the walking ring and saddling enclosure on Friday afternoon between races. The Kevin Attard trainee, who acted up before the Oaks and had to race without hind shoes, was better in her manners, according to onlookers.
*UP FRONT: The last six Queen’s Plates have been won in gate-to-wire fashion or within 3 lengths of the lead from the start. The last three, SAFE CONDUCT, MIGHTY HEART and ONE BAD BOY essentially went gate-to-wire on the pace and each one went in very different splits: One Bad Boy went in 24.42, 49.52, 1:14.18, Mighty Heart went in 23.57, 47.61 and 1:12.70, while Safe Conduct went in 24.01, 48.37 and 1:13.11.
Who will go to the lead this year? Likely IRONSTONE, who was rank in the Marine Stakes and comes in fresh off a 7-week break. Chiefswood Stables’ CAUSIN’ MAYHEM, trained at Saratoga by Todd Pletcher, led for more than half of the Plate Trial.
American jockey Flavian Prat, who will rider RONDURE, won on One Bad Boy.
*DON’T MENTION THE JINX! : Most horse racing students and historians love to pick out the trends of past winners of big races. The Kentucky Derby had the ‘didn’t race at 2’ jinx going for more than 100 years before Justify finally broke that trend.
The Plate has its own: the last time the Plate was won by the winner of the top 2-year-old race the previous year, the Coronation Futurity, was 1974-75 when NORCLIFFE did it.
This is a blend of coincidence; the fact that some didn’t even run in the Plate (Sunny’s Halo) and a horse’s advancement from age 2 to 3. Juveniles that win the tough 1 1/8 mile Coronation are ahead of their peers at that time (usually October) but do not necessarily make the transition and improve at age 3.
Meanwhile, two recent Coronation winners, Avie’s Flatter (2018) and Aheadbyacentury (2017) both came back to be second in the Plate.
BEYER SPEED FIGURES OF PLATE TRIAL – PLATE
The Plate-winning Beyer Figure is almost always higher than the winning Beyer from the Trial, as these are improving horses. But the Trial winner has not won the Plate in a decade (Big Red Mike).
What seems to be a common thread is that the Plate winner will run in the mid- to high-90s. Fillies who won the Oaks and then the Plate essentially match up or improve off their Oaks Beyer.
2021 SAFE CONDUCT 88 (Avoman won Trial with an 83)
2020 MIGHTY HEART 99 ( Plate Trial went in 89, Clayton)
2019 ONE BAD BOY 94 (Trial – Pay for Peace – 71)
2018 WONDER GADOT 95 (2nd Oaks with an 88), Trial, Telekinesis 88
2017 -HOLY HELENA 96... ran a 94 Oaks.. Plate Trial, Guy Caballero – 82
2016 SIR DUDLEY DIGGES 85 … Trial, Amis Gizmo 83
2015 SHAMAN GHOST 87, had run 86 in Marine. Trial, Danish Dynaformer, 87
2014 LEXIE LOU 91 , RAN 95 IN OAKS.. Trial – We Miss Artie 85
2013 MIDNIGHT ARIA 101.. Trial 87, Dynamic Sky
2012 STRAIT OF DOVE R 98.. Trial, River Rush 93
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 DANCETHRUTHEDAWN 94 96 (Win City)
2000 SCATTER THE GOLD 92 89 (Pete’s Sake)
PROBABLE FIELD (sire), owner, trainer, notes, Jockey if available
1. Rondure (Oxbow) – Borders Racing Stable, Katerina Vassilieva, Marine Stakes winner, 95 Beyer Speed Figure – Flavian Prat
– Jockey Flavian Prat won the 2019 Plate with One Bad Boy, Borders and Vassilieva seek first Plate win
2. Moira (Ghostzapper) –X-Men Racing, Madaket Stable, SF Bloodstock, Kevin Attard, Woodbine Oaks romp, 92 Beyer Figure – Rafael Hernandez
– Oaks winners are tough on Plate, Kevin Attard seeks first Plate
3. The Minkster (English Channel) – Sea Glass Stable, Dan Vella, won Queenston with an 86 Beyer, heat exhaustion when 6th Plate Trial – David Moran
– Buffalo owners Ray and Debbie Burke seek first Plate winner, Vella has won twice, and used to train Rondure
4. Sir for Sure (Sligo Bay (Ire)) – Heste Sport, Mark Casse, Won Plate Trial, 83 Beyer – Declan Carroll
– Longtime owners/breeders Rene and Darlene Hunderup seek first Plate win
5. Duke of Love (Cupid) – MyRacehorse, Josie Carroll, troubled 4th in Plate Trial, 76, 2nd Marine, 86 Justin Stein
– Horse has some 700 owners through microshare syndicate, Josie has won 3 Plates
6. Hall of Dreams (Lemon Drop Kid) – Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch-Leonard Schliefer (Pantofel Stable), Mark Casse, 2nd in Plate Trial – 79 Beyer Patrick Husbands
7. Ironstone (Mr. Speaker) – Tequesta Racing and Jupiter Leasing, William Armata, 3rd Marine Stakes, 85 Beyer Kazushi Kimura
– $7,000 purchase by Adrian Meli and his mom Helen Bruno, seek first Plate win, William Armata’s dad Vito won Plate with TJ’s Lucky Moon
8. Causin’ Mayhem (Into Mischief) – Chiefswood Stable, Todd Pletcher, 3rd Trial, 76, maiden win, 84 – Antonio Gallardo
– trainer Todd Pletcher won 1998 Plate with Archers Bay
9. Dancin in Da’Nile (Pioneerof The Nile) –Sam-Son Farms, Gail Cox, 5th Trial, 3rd in turf race, 84 Beyer,
– Sam-Son Farms down to just a handful of runners as it closes up business
10. Shamateur (Shaman Ghost) – Stronach Stables, Sid Attard, 2nd turf optional, 73 Beyer
-trainer Sid Attard seeks first Plate win
11. Hunt Master (Hunters Bay) –Openwood Farm (Susan Rasmussen), Angus Buntain, 2nd optional 78, won seven furlong optional; Emma-Jayne Wilson
– jockey Wilson has won Plate, Mike Fox, Susan Rasmussen, Angus Buntain seek first Plate win
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