A start in the 163rd running of Canada's most famous horse race is a longshot but fans hope the Ontario-bred Grade 2 winner will come home.
Races
Shippers ran 1-2 in the $100,000 stakes race at 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf, with Ontario-bred Breathing Fire landing third.
American invaders account for half the field which will speed 6 1/2 furlongs on the grass in race named for Horse of the Year
Bred by the late Bill Graham, the daughter of Classic Empire was expected to come for the Woodbine Oaks but she stays in the U.S.
There was plenty of movement with hopefuls for the Plate and Oaks in the past week and Oaks fave Interstatedaydream is entered elsewhere.
Three-year-olds were in the spotlight on July 3 at Hastings with U Did It and Regal Riot winning the feature races.
Brisk wagering, impressive young horses, new people winning races and much more marked last week at Woodbine.
Borders Racing Stable of Hazel Bennett and Harry Dobson have a Queen's Plate contender in Rondure, an $8,000 auction buy-back.
Great weather on the Canada Day weekend brought fans out in droves to witness great finishes and a historic win by one of Canada's greats.
Two-time BC Horse of the Year stars on three-stake Friday, two more stakes coming up Sunday at the Vancouver track.
Gary Barber's Champion 3-year-old of 2021 cruised to a big win in the 1 1/8 mile Grade 3 for his fourth career win in 10 races.
The Marine and Selene Stakes could have Queen's Plate and Woodbine Oaks implications and the Grade 2 Highlander and Nassau add to card.
Canada's two-time Horse of the Year and fan favourite meets eight rivals in the Canada Day feature at Woodbine on Friday.
Bred by Jeff and Annabel Begg, the 1996 Champion 3-year-old had been living at Old Friends Retirement since 2014.
Grade 3 winner was recently 15th in Kentucky Derby and the Sam-Son Farms-bred colt has had light recent training.
