Queen's Plate, Woodbine Oaks Up For Grabs Following Weekend Races

It is an exciting time for anyone who owns a Canadian-bred 3-year-old with the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks for fillies coming up August 1 and the $1 million Queen’s Plate set for August 22.

The Oaks preps are complete with the race three weeks away with the Plate Trial on Oaks day being the final major stakes race set-up for the Plate.

Two Grade 3 stakes races for 3-year-olds were held at Woodbine July 10 and 11 with American-breds winning both (Saturday recap here) but Sam-Son Farms had some good news when TIO MAGICO bounced back to win the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes for Canadian-breds.

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The Grade 3 Marine Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Sunday was won by EASY TIME, a Not This Time colt owned by Breeze Easy and trained by Mark Casse. The colt had own his career debut at Woodbine in October, finished eighth in the Mucho Man Stakes on dirt at Gulfstream before a recent second-place finish on turf. Trained throughout the spring by Casse at his training centre in Florida, the colt came off the February-to-July layoff with flair, winning by two lengths in 1:43.62.

The time for the distance was good considering the Tapeta surface was quite slow and seemingly tiring all weekend.

The Plate hopefuls in the field were KEEP GRINDING, the white-faced colt owned by Joshua Attard and trained by Tino Attard who is well named. The son of Tizway-Samsal by Consolidator, was second and two lengths clear of Haddassah, trained by Joshua Attard’s father Kevin Attard. Sam-Son Farms’ previously unbeaten Tidal Forces finished fifth.

Keep Grinding was a $13,000 yearling purchase at the CTHS Ontario Canadian Premier yearling sale in 2019 from breeder Huntington Stud Farm.

In the Queenston, TIO MAGICO (Uncle Mo – Magic Broomstick by More Than Ready, trained by Gail Cox, jumped out to an early lead and set slow fractions before taking off to a 2 1/2 length win in 1:22.54. The dark bay gelding had led almost all the way in the Coronation Futurity at 1 1/8 miles as a 2-year-old, finishing second to Stephen, but he had trouble in the winter in a series of races in Florida and New York.

“We’ve always liked this horse a lot,” said Cox. “He ran so well last year, and I think we just probably messed around with his style a little bit. This is how he wants to run, and I think he’ll run a distance like this. His gallop out was huge. So, it was so nice to be able to win like this.”

Ridden by Luis Contreras, who was fined $1,500 (a percentage of his earnings from the win) for excessive use of the whip, Tio Magico has two wins from eight races.

When asked about targeting the 1 1/4-mile first leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, which takes place on Sunday, August 22 at Woodbine, Cox said the date would be up for discussion among the connections.

Paul Buittigieg’s ARTIE’S STORM, a maiden winner in his season debut at seven furlongs, closed for second place behind the slow fractions.

The Queenston changed sharply the morning of the race when the 2020 Champion 2-Year-Old GRETZKY THE GREAT was scratched due to a reported quarter crack issue.

Also on Sunday, the Ontario-bred 3-year-old TAKE A CHANCE won his maiden in just his third career race for owners Anderson Farms, Donald Ferguson and William Carr. This Munnings – Gold Medallist by Medaglia D’Oro colt set a much faster pace than the sophomores did in the Marine and went on to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:44.90.

Take a Chance raced once for trainer Chad Brown and then was bought by Anderson and partners for $150,000 at the Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age sale. Take a Chance was bred by Rod Ferguson. Since he is not nominated to the Canadian Triple Crown/Plate, Take a Chance would have to be supplemented for $25,000.

In New York, WellSpring Stables’ SAFE CONDUCT (Bodemeister – Duchess Dancer by Congrats) finished eighth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on wet turf. The colt stalked the slow pace while under a tight hold and then faded in the stretch. He had won two route races on grass with an 87 Beyer Figure from one of those wins.

Canadian Thoroughbred will update the Top Contenders for the Oaks and Plate this week.

**In Sunday’s Race Report, the AGCO stewards noted that jockey LEO SALLES has been immediately suspended for his role in a spill on Sunday. Salles, riding Arbeit in a 1 1/16 mile maiden race, appeared to come in and cause Bodie to clip heels and fall. Jockey Keveh Nicholls fell hard to the ground and was taken to hospital but has returned home.

Race report here.