CANADA – 149 YEARS-OLD TODAY leading into truly Canadian weekend with 157th Queen’s Plate Sunday
DOMINION DAY STAKES today at Woodbine with just a 5 horse field but last year’s winner RED RIFLE is back. The race should be a sprint to the finish at the end of 10 furlongs. Tomorrow, the Passing Mood Stakes and then the big day has 13 races and loads of stakes action supporting the Plate.
Photo of Chelsea and the field for the 157th Queen’s Plate
Horse-Races.net reports on post position draw
The post positions for Sunday’s $1 million Queen’s Plate Stakes were selected during a special breakfast ceremony on Wednesday morning. Connections, media, and officials gathered in the trackside tent instead of the walking ring, a change for this year. This year marks the 157th edition of the Plate, the oldest continuously-run stakes race in North America, which is run at 1 1/4 miles over the Tapeta surface at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. The Plate is the premier race for Canadian-foaled 3-year-olds and the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. Colts and geldings carry the standard weight of 126 pounds while filly Gamble’s Ghost, second as the favorite in the Woodbine Oaks gets a 5 pound allowance.
In what has become an annual “state of the industry” address, Woodbine chairman and CEO Jim Lawson spoke about how the industry is in much better shape than it was 3 years ago with the cancellation of the racetrack slots program. He discussed the various ways the track seeks to introduce the younger generation, potential new fans, to the sport by adding additional entertainment on Queen’s Plate day headlined by a Hedley concert after the races, and eventually developing the underused land around the track to include a new concert venue in partnership with a major concert promoter. He did not mention that for the first time in 15 years Woodbine will charge admission, $30 ($23 US) on Plate day.
After using the “draft” draw for 15 years, Woodbine brought back the traditional double-blind draw for this year’s Plate. Retired Hall of Fame jockey Sandy Hawley, winner of four Queen’s Plates, randomly drew the entry sheets out of the box, handing these to track announcer Robert Geller while racing secretary Stu Slagle drew the 13 numbered balls.
Read more at www.horse-races.net
WHAT DO THE SHEETS SAY?
THORO-GRAPH’S JERRY BROWN – Thoughts on the Queen’s Plate
Jerry Brown, master of the THORO-GRAPH SHEETS (https://www.thorograph.com/), has offered up his comments on the 157th Plate field:
1– Not a strong field, and that includes the better ones.
2– The two Josie Carroll runners (Amis Gizmo and Gamble’s Ghost) and Shahkimat are the ones to beat. Gamble’s Ghost gets 5 pounds as a filly, worth one point on the TG scale, so best-to-best she’s as fast going in as Amis Gizmo, and they start out faster than the others. Shakhimat isn’t as fast but has a good pattern for a new top.
3– Post position and ground loss will play a big part in a field this size.
4– The live longshot (at least I assume he’ll be a price) is clearly All On Red. A pair of tops on a young, lightly raced horse is often a prelude to a new top, and he’s in range already on number power. I like him better than Hammer’s Vision (not entered) and Leavem In Malibu, who I assume will be shorter.
FROM..THOROUGHBLOG – MORE ON THE QUEEN’S PLATE HORSES
GAMBLE’S GHOST – the filly is a powerful force for the Plate – Michael Burns photo
10TH RACE SUNDAY – POST TIME 5:36 P.M.
POSTS – JOCKEY
1 MIKE DAVID MORAN – at $325,000 he was the most expensive yearling sold in Canada in decades when he went through the ring two years ago. He’s big and handsome, but an unknown as far as how good he is. First Plate starter for trainer John LeBlanc Jr. Gelding is by former Ontario sire Philanthropist. Will be one of the longer shots in the race.
2 NARROW ESCAPE SHEENA RYAN – His half brother is Coltimus Prime, who won the Prince of Wales two years ago. Great training job by Justin Nixon to have him ready to win his season debut over Mike in an allowance race on the lead all the way. Congrats to jockey Sheena Ryan, a deserving participant in the Plate.
3 ALL ON RED EURICO DA SILVA – Trainer Sid Attard is long overdue for a Plate win. This is a good-sized young horse with the breeding and build to be a top horse. He is very game but also inexperienced. Owner Dennis Narlinger and son Michael Narlinger went out to look for a Canadian bred yearling 2 years ago and got him from David Anderson and his sister Jessica Buckley (more on this dynamic duo in tomorrow’s ‘Blog)
4 LEAVEM IN MALIBU GARY BOULANGER – Lots of hype for this big, good looking guy who had two nice wins since his sprint debut and some stunning workouts. Nice story here with Penny and Manfred Conrad, from Kitchener, Waterloo, joining racing 5 years ago. They set up the Manfred and Penny Conrad Foundation in Waterloo to help in health and music.
5 SIR DUDLEY DIGGES JULIEN LEPAROUX – Ken and Sarah Ramsay race everywhere and have had their share of Canadian-breds. This colt was born at Bernard and Karen McCormack’s Mapleshade Farm and he is a consistently good fellow who just needs a bit more stretch power.
6 SHAKHIMAT EMMA-JAYNE WILSON – We gave the Plate to him last fall after his Coronation win..then he confirmed it when he won the Transylvania in his season debut. But the question remains – can he win at 1 1/4 miles? He has been taught and trained to the minute by the master, Roger Attfield, but the distance is a tough one.
He has a huge following in Newfoundland, where co-owner Dan Gale is from.
7 MY NAME IS JIM JESSE CAMPBELL – Mario Forgione has been in racing in Ontario for years and has this large, impressive looking gelding running off a 9 furlong maiden win. Like Narrow Escape and Mile, he is light in the Beyer Figures and won on the pace so we’ll see where he lands early in the race.
8 ROCKET PLAN SIMON HUSBANDS – Cost the Gierkink family $25,000 to get this one in the field, a winner of a sprint this season. Daily Racing Form’s handicapper Ron Gierkink and his father William have been in the business for almost half a century.
9 CHEBURASHKA RAFAEL HERNANDEZ – Goldmart Farms in Nobleton, ON has been breeding and racing for years and owner David Sepiashvili (Goldmart Gold in Toronto) will put up $25,000 for this fellow, named for a Russian cartoon animal, to race in the Plate.
10 AMIS GIZMO LUIS CONTRERAS – Ivan Dalos has created a powerful breeding operation from scratch since the late 1980s. He has won the Breeders’ Stakes, bred a Belmont Stakes winner but wants a Plate, who doesn’t? This colt could do it for him. By the ONtario sire Giant Gizmo.
11 ESPOSITO ALAN GARCIA – Yep, jockey Garcia’s agent is Tony Esposito and this colt is named for Canadian hockey star Phil Esposito. Lightly raced colt has had fun group of American owners.
12 SCHOLAR ATHLETE JOSE ORTIZ He was on the Plate radar last year when he won at Woodbine for the popular syndicate West Point Thoroughbreds. Recently gelded and fitted with blinkers and he led all the way to win a grass race in fast time. Can he run well if he does not get the lead to himself?
13 GAMBLE’S GHOST PATRICK HUSBANDS – Mighty tough little gal deserves a shot in the Plate as she has a potent late kick and she almost won the Oaks after a troubled trip. Ivan Dalos has a powerful pair.
CONQUEST-JOHN OXLEY HORSES in FASIG TIPTON JULY SALE
Woodbine stakes winners MATADOR and CONQUEST PACEMAKER are among a selection of horses from Conquest Stables and John Oxley entered in the upcoming Fasig Tipton July sale which includes yearlings and Horses of Racing Age:
454 C HORA – CONQUEST BESPOKE SPEIGHTSTOWN HAUTE COUTURE
455 G HORA – CONQUEST BIGLUCK E LOOKIN AT LUCKY HI LILI SILVER DEPUTY KENTUCKY 10 LANE’S END AGENT
456 C HORA – CONQUEST FORT KNOX FORT PRADO ZINDI VINDICATION KENTUCKY 10 LANE’S END AGENT
457 C HORA – CONQUEST GOINGGONE GONE ASTRAY COURTLY CHOICE DONERAILE COURT FLORIDA 10 LANE’S END AGENT
458 C HORA -CONQUEST HARLEQUIN HARLAN’S HOLIDAY TIME FOR A CROWN TIME FOR A CHANGE FLORIDA 10 LANE’S END AGENT
459 F HORA – CONQUEST MS CURLIN CURLIN CHISPISKI APPEALING SKIER KENTUCKY 10 LANE’S END AGENT
460 G HORA – CONQUEST NITRO HIGH COTTON DREAM STORM STORM BIRD FLORIDA 10 LANE’S END AGENT
461 C HORA – CONQUEST PACEMAKER ESKENDEREYA HEART RATE MR. GREELEY KENTUCKY 10 LANE’S END AGENT
462 G HORA – CONQUEST PERFECTLU MAJESTICPERFECTION BEAUTIFUL LU GONE WEST MARYLAND 10 LANE’S END AGENT
463 C HORA -CONQUEST QUICKDRAW QUALITY ROAD PIRATE QUEEN UNBRIDLED’S SONG KENTUCKY 10 LANE’S END AGENT
464 G HORA – CONQUEST SABRE CAT KITTEN’S JOY LEH SHE RUN PULPIT KENTUCKY 10 LANE’S END AGENT
438 C HORA -TRANSFORMATIVE QUALITY ROAD LILEAGH (IRE) SADLER’S WELLS ONTARIO 12 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT III
439 G HORA -TURN BACK TIME FLATTER GRANNY SPINSTER DISTORTED HUMOR KENTUCKY 12 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT III
446 G HORA -BATTLEOFBURLINGTON BLAME TELL SEATTLE A.P. INDY ONTARIO 12 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT III
453 C HORA -CONQUEROR MALIBU MOON STREET SOUNDS STREET CRY (IRE) KENTUCKY 12 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT III
467 H HORA -DYNAMIC IMPACT TIZNOW FEATHERBED SMART STRIKE KENTUCKY 12 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT III
470 G HORA -GEOLOGIST MEDAGLIA D’ORO QUEEN MARTHA RAHY KENTUCKY 12 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT III
475 C HORA -INTO THE FUTURE INTO MISCHIEF LE CONTE QUIET AMERICAN KENTUCKY 12 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT III
485 G HORA -MATADOR MALIBU MOON I’M BREATHTAKING ELUSIVE QUALITY ONTARIO 12 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT III
486 C HORA -MOON KING MALIBU MOON GOLDILOCKS’ CAT SEEKING THE GOLD KENTUCKY 12 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT III
491 C HORA -OUR NATION UNITED STATES CAMP SURPRISE FOREST CAMP FLORIDA 12 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT III
