The start of his career was a little spooky, but after three consecutive wins, this Queen’s Plate starter is the ‘Ghost’ with the most.
His first three races didn’t produce the desired results, but Shaman Ghost, owned by Stronach Stables and trained by Brian Lynch, has reeled off a trio of victories, including a gutsy performance, at 13-1, in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes.
“Winning form is the best form and he’s won three in a row,” quipped Lynch. “He’s been doing everything well in those last three, really fighting to the wire in all of them. I like the way he doesn’t give up. He just keeps on battling. Hopefully, he brings that same great fight with him to the Plate.”
On May 16, in the Marine Stakes, the son of Ghostzapper battled down the lane to notch the win, his last start before the ‘Gallop for the Guineas.’
“We were a little wide into the first turn as we were carried out a little bit,” said jockey Rafael Hernandez, of the Marine. “I wanted to make one run and turning for home I tried to go between horses, but I had no room. It took me a little bit of kick, but this is a good horse. I took him out in the clear and he was gone.”
Lynch, seeking his first Plate triumph, had unwavering faith his charge would turn things around.
“You could just see with every work, with every day that went by, he was figuring it all out,” said Lynch. “Sometimes, it’s just a question of time for particular horses. I’ve always liked him and I always thought he’d turn out to be a good one.”
ATTFIELD DELIGHTED WITH DYNAMIC PLATE DUO
Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield will send out Plate Trial champ Danish Dynaformer and improving maiden winner Billy’s Star in Sunday’s $1-million Queen’s Plate. Both horses were bred by Charles Fipke.
Danish Dynaformer, a three-time winner from six starts, will be partnered by Patrick Husbands in the Plate as Luis Contreras, aboard for the Plate Trial score, is committed to Winterbook favourite Ami’s Flatter.
The Dynaformer bay, with Husbands up, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 on June 27 in tandem with Billy’s Star, piloted by Eurico Rosa da Silva, with both horses coming to the wire together.
“Very nice breezes and both came out of it well, we’re very happy,” said Attfield.
The 75-year-old Attfield, a native of Newbury, England, is a member of both the Canadian and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. The eight-time Plate winner, seeking a record ninth win this Sunday, has added new technology to his old-school horsemanship skills for this year’s Plate as both his contenders wore an E-Trakka equine fitness monitoring device for their recent breeze.
“They both wore it all winter. I’ve got all their works recorded and I can track their progress coming back off layoffs,” explained Attfield. “The readout provides you with heart rate, recovery rate and length of stride. A very fit horse recovers very quickly (to a standing heart rate.) It also works as a GPS, so we get a very accurate time. Though I’m pretty good at that anyway as I’m always out there on my pony and within a fifth of a second (on timing workouts.)”
Both trainer and technology agreed on the success of the duo’s final Plate prep.
“With both of these horses, the E-Trakka results were really excellent. They’re in great shape and I just need to keep them happy and healthy for the rest of the week,” said Attfield.
Danish Dynaformer was a convincing Plate Trial winner, but stablemate Billy’s Star, owned by the Perfect Timber Partnership, endured a troubled trip when swerving to avoid the ill-fated Danzig Moon who fell down the back straight.
“I can’t believe he (Billy’s Star) wasn’t a bit body sore after his last race, he got cranked hard to avoid the fallen horse,” noted Attfield. “Eurico (da Silva) actually used him right after the incident quite a bit to get back in the race and that was probably his run there, but he still made a bit of a run in the lane.
“He’s had other races with trouble and then major trouble in the Trial, but he’s training really well and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran a big race in the Plate.”
Danish Dynaformer, owned outright by Fipke, continues to impress Attfield.
“He’s a really nice horse, no question about it,” said Attfield. “He’s got a big turn of foot and a huge cruising speed. He cruises in the morning with 14 1/2s and 15s (eighths of a mile) consistently and you’d still be able to sit down and work him a half-mile if you wanted to. He’s a very versatile horse.”
‘EASY’ GOOD TO GO!
Tucci Stables and trainer Nick Gonzalez teamed up to win the 2013 Queen’s Plate with the front-running Midnight Aria, a 17-hands tall son of Midnight Lute. The band is back together for the 2015 Plate with Easy Indygo, a slight Ontario-sired son of Marchfield, blessed with a versatile running style.
“We always kind of liked him. The distance won’t be a factor as he’s always ran on very well,” said Martha Gonzalez, wife and assistant to the trainer. “It’s a last minute decision, but the horse is doing well, so why not. Two turns is what he really wants. He’s pretty versatile. He can be on the front end or he can sit back too. He’s got both angles covered. He’s a handy little horse.”
Bred in Ontario by Michael Byrne, Easy Indygo was purchased by Carlo Tucci for $60,000 at the OBS 2014 Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, after posting a swift :22 flat breeze under tack.
On Sunday, Emma-Jayne Wilson will take over from Justin Stein who sticks with Oaks winner Academic. Stein was aboard for six of Easy Indygo’s seven starts, including a maiden score in his final juvenile start on November 30 when graduating in a seven furlong ‘Poly’ tilt.
“I think Emma will suit the horse,” said Gonzalez. “He’s one of those horses that will do what you ask him to do. Emma’s a pretty aggressive rider and in that final eighth of a mile you need someone who is a very strong finisher. “
The up-and-coming bay, who was gelded over the winter, has raced three times in 2015 including a second place run in an allowance route won by Plate rival Portree, and a third-place effort, defeated just a neck, in an allowance route when finishing a head behind Plate rival Sweet Grass Creek.
Easy Indygo breezed five furlongs in 1:01 flat over the Woodbine main for his final Plate prep and will follow a schedule this week for Gonzalez that worked successfully with 2010 Plate champ Big Red Mike.
“He (Easy Indygo) gets quite a bit out of his training. I’m not planning on another work. I can gallop him two miles and he’ll be good to go,” said Gonzalez. “With Big Red Mike, we didn’t breeze him between the Trial and the Plate because he was another one we knew what his fitness level was.”
WEG, HAWLEY, WILSON & GELLER OPEN TORONTO MARKET
In honour of Queen’s Plate week, Woodbine Entertainment Group opened the market at the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday, June 29. Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson, who will be riding Easy Indygo in Sunday’s $1 million race, along with Hall of Famer and four-time Queen’s Plate winning rider Sandy Hawley, and new track announcer Robert Geller were part of the contingent. Click here to check it out.
EARLY LOOK AT THE JULY 5 QUEEN’S PLATE PROBABLE FIELD (15)
HORSE / TRAINER / OWNER / JOCKEY
Academic / Reade Baker / Bear Stables / Justin Stein
Ami’s Flatter / Josie Carroll / Ivan Dalos / Luis Contreras
Ault / Dan Vella / Canyon Farms / David Moran
Bear At Last / Reade Baker / Bear Stables / Rico Walcott
Billy’s Star / Roger Attfield / Perfect Timber Partnership / Eurico da Silva
Breaking Lucky / Reade Baker / Gunpowder Farms LLC / TBA
Conquest Boogaloo / Mark Casse / Conquest Stables LLC / Alan Garcia
Conquest Curlinate / Mark Casse / Conquest Stables LLC / Shaun Bridgmohan
Danish Dynaformer / Roger Attfield / Charles Fipke / Patrick Husbands
Easy Indygo / Nick Gonzalez / Tucci Stables / Emma-Jayne Wilson
Milwaukee Mist / Pavel Matejka / Preston Stables LLC / Gary Boulanger
Oakton / Mark Casse / Bill and Vicki Poston Racing Inc. / TBA
Portree / Stuart Simon / Chiefswood Stable / Gerry Olguin
Shaman Ghost / Brian Lynch / Stronach Stables / Rafael Hernandez
Sweet Grass Creek / Mike Keogh / Gustav Schickedanz / Jesse Campbell
* Scorch is now out of contention for The Queen’s Plate.
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