The Queenston and Fury Stakes are seven-furlong stakes races that mark the official beginning of the journey to the Queen’s Plate and they take place this upcoming weekend at Woodbine.
The Queenston will mark the return of Champion 2-Year-Old of 2020, GRETZKY THE GREAT, who had mixed results in a couple of stakes races at Turfway Park in the winter and has been patiently waiting and training since March. The Nyquist colt remains high up on the Plate list based on his current record, although the 1 1/4 miles of the Aug. 22 Plate is a bit of a question.
A few Plate hopefuls were in action this past week at Woodbine. STEPHEN, the Coronation Futurity winner who has been training since the winter but then had an issue that needed a brief break recently, finished sixth, beaten 4 3/4 lengths in his long-awaited return July 3. Meeting older horses including Breeders’ Stakes hero Belichick, Stephen raced in mid-pack behind a slow pace and essentially had an even effort under Justin Stein. It was a good starting point for the son of Constitution owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling and trained by Kevin Attard.
D-Mac Racing and La Huerta Racing’s AVOMAN (Old Forester) did quite okay in a 1 1/16 mile allowance race on July 3 also and that race went a bit quicker than Stephen’s race. Avoman was in a crowd for most of the race but rated nicely and finished well to be third, just 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner.
H C HOLIDAY ran well to be fourth in an allowance/optional event (fourth behind Avoman). Ivan Dalos’s homebred colt by Ami’s Holiday had won his maiden with a 72 Beyer Figure in a previous race but has since been disqualified due to a Lasix paperwork error (Canadian Thoroughbred is following up on this story.)
DERZKII was odds-on to win an optional claiming race at 1 1/16 miles July 3 and he set a slow pace but could not hold off King Causeway. He is owned by Jecara and Fieldstone Farm and trained by Carlos Grant. TRUFFLE KING remains a maiden but his race on the weekend was hogged by the $800,000 Mark Casse-trained Dolder Grand who ran in very fast time.
But perhaps the most significant winner of the weekend was HOMBRE, a $120,000 CTHS sale yearling who flew to his maiden win on the grass at Belmont Park, posting an 83 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form. Hombre was bred by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds and sold by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms to Rob Cudney. The colt with the heart-shaped star on his forehead is trained by Barclay Tagg. Chiefswood Stables had a winner at Monmouth Park on July 3 as WORKIN IT won a maiden race in the slop for trainer Todd Pletcher with a modest 58 Beyer Figure.
On the Oaks horizon, with the top Canadian-bred filly of 2020 Dreaming of Drew on the shelf, the picture is fuzzy. CURLIN’S CATCH, winner of the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay this winter, is back in Ontario for Mark Casse and will likely be seen in the Fury or Grade 3 Selene Stakes this weekend.
IL MALOCCHIO, who also tried a winter campaign in the US, is also back home and getting revved up for races against her own kind, THIRD DRAFT is a US-based Chiefswood Stable filly who has shown promise. JILLI MARIE is now 3-for-3 in her career following her season debut win by a nose on the weekend and LORENA is 2-for-2 in sprints with an 81 Beyer Figure from her June 19 win.
*1. WEYBURN – Second by a neck in the Pegasus Stakes to Mandaloun, 93 Beyer missed Belmont Stakes due to fever, worked 5 furlongs June 6 at Belmont 59.00, a bullet move, 4th Wood Memorial, 85 Beyer, won Gotham, 95
2. TIDAL FORCES – Won his second career race taking a 1 1/16 mile Tapeta race with a long, wide rally, 77 Beyer Figure; Sam-Son Farms’ homebred won his debut at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Gulfstream with a 70 Beyer Figure
3. GRETZKY THE GREAT – is expected for Queenston July 11, worked 59 1/5 at Woodbine July 2; 5th Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), 73 Beyer Speed Figure, Turfway Park, third in John Battaglia Stakes, Turfway Feb. 26, 83 Beyer Speed Figure
4. STEPHEN –6th in season debut against older horses on July 3
5. SAFE CONDUCT –4th in off-the-turf Grade 3 Penine Ridge run in the slop, 67 Beyer, won turf allowance May 2, 87 Beyer Figure, second in 2021 debut, 1 1/8 miles turf, 75 Beyer Figure
6. HADDASSAH – 85 Beyer Figure in season debut when third in fast turf race
7. HOMBRE – moves up from 12th last list to 7th off big maiden win and 83 Beyer Figure on July 4
8. DANCE SOME MO – Uncle Mo gelding had a rocky trip when seventh on June 11 on turf at Belmont but Sam-Son Farms colt won his maiden with an 80 Beyer Figure on the grass at Churchill Downs, 1 1/8 miles turf
9. CANDY OVERLOAD – Reload gelding had a super season debut at 6 1/2 furlongs, closing fast to be second to older horse There’s No Joe with an 84 Beyer Speed Figure; unproven at route distances
10. HARLAN ESTATE – second at 1 1/16 miles in his Canadian and Tapeta debut to Tidal Forces with a 76 Beyer Figure
11 LORENA – Filly debuts on Plate list after smart return win with an 81 Beyer Figure
12. KEEP GRINDING – 73 Beyer Figure in his third place finish in his season debut behind Tidal Forces; son of Tizway
13. TRUFFLE KING – 3rd in maiden race July 4, 2nd in his return in a maiden race on turf with a 69 Beyer Figure
14. AVOMAN – stakes winner at two turns on turf in 2020, training at Woodbine
*Not expected for Plate
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