Canadian Thoroughbred’s Top 15 Queen’s Plate Contenders
March 3
- Halo Again
- Malibu Mambo
- Elusive Knight
- Curlin’s Voyage
- Merveilleux
- Edge of Fire
- Muskoka Gold
- Clayton
- Bold Victory
- Corsi
- Auburn Hills
- Stormy Soul
- Dotted Line
- Tomcat Black
- Awesome Tiger
Coronation Futurity winner HALO AGAIN, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Wills Horton, had a big workout on Monday, Mar. 2 at Fair Grounds as he readies for a possible start in the March 14 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3).
The big bay colt worked 6 furlongs in 1:12 2/5 breezing for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Bred by Anderson Farms, the $600,000 son of Speightstown was eighth in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes in his 3-year-old debut on the dirt at Fair Grounds.
“There is a possibility Halo Again could turn up in the Jeff Ruby,” Winchell’s racing manager David Fiske told Blood-Horse. “We’ve kind of got that set off to the side,” Fiske said. “We’ll see about that, see how he’s doing. He’s got the win over the synthetic up at Woodbine last winter, so he apparently can run over fake dirt.”
The March 14 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, is run on Turfway Park’s synthetic track.
Chiefswood Stables’ Edge of Fire, a debut winner on Feb. 1 at Gulfstream with a 67 Beyer for his facile score in a six-furlong maiden sprint, will start next at the end of March, according to trainer Jimmy Jerkens. The colt, by Curlin, is not a certainty, however, to be pointed to the Plate.
“It was nice. He certainly won easily enough, but I’m not sure if it was the best maiden special field,” said Jerkens. “We’ll look to run him in an allowance race down here at the end of March.”
The $1 million Queen’s Plate, a 1 1/4-mile test set for June 27 at Woodbine Racetrack, is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown restricted to Canadian-bred sophomores. Jerkens said he is cautiously optimistic about having Edge of Fire prepared in time for the Canadian classic.
“It’s not ruled out, but I don’t think so,” said Jerkens. “He’s only had one six-furlong race and it’s a lot to ask. We’ll see how he handles this next race. He bucked his shins and was slow to come around and get strong enough to run. It took him awhile to get his act together, but once he got there he sure ran nice.”
Stronach Stables is loaded with Plate hopefuls including Woodbine’s Winterbook odds Plate fave MALIBU MAMBO (Point of Entry) who was second in the Coronation to Halo Again. Trained by Kevin Attard, Malibu Mambo is up to his 4th work as he breezed 4 furlongs on March 1 in 51 at Gulfstream.
Kevin’s uncle Sid trains ELUSIVE KNIGHT, a Ghostzapper colt who was a close 2nd in the Display Stakes last fall with a nice 82 Beyer Figure. This colt has had 2 quick workouts on the dirt at Gulfstream recently. Sid also trains AWESOME TIGER, a maiden winner in 2019 who has had a litany of workouts at Gulfstream this winter.
Kevin also trains impressive debut winner CLAYTON (Bodemeister) who won a sprint with an 88 Beyer Figure last year and is soon to be back on the worktab. Sid has a pair of Ontario-sired stakes winners in Dotted Line and Red Giveaway, both by Signature Red.
The fillies who could be Plate starters this year include CURLIN’S VOYAGE and MERVEILLEUX, both back on the work tab recently. The former is a Josie Carroll trainee who edged the latter in the Ontario Lassie Stakes last fall. Merveilleux is trained by Kevin Attard.
Josie Carroll also trains recent maiden winner AUBURN HILLS (Palace Malice) who won a a 1 1/16 mile turf race at Fair Grounds recently with a 75 Beyer Figure. Carroll also trains undefeated Corsi (Honor Code), who had a workout on Feb. 14.
STORMY SOUL, trained by Kelly Callaghan for CEC Stables, was an impressive maiden winner with a 75 Beyer Figure last fall and he is working in fast times in Florida this winter. He is a son of Stormy Atlantic.
Sam-Son Farms’ pair of Bernardini colts TOMCAT BLACK and PALACE COUP are working now since their maiden wins and John Oxley’s maiden BOLD VICTORY (Flatter) and Barb Minshall’s trainee and maiden winner GLORIOUS TRIBUTE are both back on the work tab.
Conrad Farms’ MUSKOKA GOLD, the Cup & Saucer Stakes winner who may be named Champion 2-Year-Old in Canada, has been idle since a workout in January in Ocala.
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