Woodbine’s NICHOLAS LAFOND takes a dip in Barbados with SANDY LANE GOLD CUP winner DORSETT following the gelding’s 2nd straight win in the big race. NICHOLAS works on the Woodbine gate crew and for trainer Reade Baker. Photo courtesy of BILL FINLEY
QUEEN’S PLATE NEWS
Canadian horsepeople: If you have a Canadian bred 3-year-old, get to work on preparing them for the Queen’s Plate as there are very few major contenders at this point.
It was a rocky weekend for Canadian bred 3-year-olds looking to get things going on the journey to the Queen’s Plate.
The Thoroughblog TOP TEN LIST has changed today as some horses have been moved off the list for recent races or inactivity.
CHANNEL MAKER had a so-so return to the races in the Palm Beach Stakes on the grass at Gulfstream Park. He had a rocky start and was in the back and wide but finished eighth. He has yet to be on the Tapeta (or dirt) for Joey G Thoroughbred, Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable.
GAMBLE’S CIITZEN, winner of his maiden on Taepta at Woodbine was beaten 26 lengths in a dirt race at Gulfstream last weekend and will have to regroup for trainer Josie Carroll. He posted a 70 Beyer Figure when he won his maiden and perhaps the dirt was not to his liking. The Ivan Dalos colt has a stablemate, AVIE’S MESA, who had a March 3 workout and he was 4th in the Cup and Saucer and could do well on the Tapeta.
A better outing came from SAILING HOME, a Mast Track colt owned by Manfred and Penny Conrad. The colt was 4th in the Palm Beach Stakes ahead of Channel Maker and he posted an 83 Beyer Speed Figure. He is a speed type who must prove himself at route distances. His stablemate STATE OF HONOR, also a speedy runner, had a fast workout on march 3 in 47.75
First time starter TIME TO TRAVEL, a full brother to HARD NOT TO LIKE and a son of the red-hot stallion HARD SPUN, had a nice debut outing at 7 furlongs on the dirt at Gulfstream for trainer Rachel Halden and owner Garland Williamson. He finished 4th with a 78 Beyer Speed Figure.
The Gus Schickedanz pairing of WOODBRIDGE and MEGAGRAY had 4 furlong workouts on March at Aiken, 49,40 and are nice prospects for the Plate under the eye of trainer Mike Keogh.
One of the early Plate favourites, KING AND HIS COURT, has not had a workout since Feb. 23 when he prepped on an all weather track after a poor outing on the dirt at Tampa Bay Downs.
ELLAN VANNIN,a Woodbine Oaks hopeful, recently shipped back to Woodbine after making some nice strides at Global Equine training and she makes the top 10 as there are not many others that can be included on the list just yet.
ELLAN VANNIN, unbeaten 2 year old filly from 2016, was eager to get back to training after a winter at Global Equine Training Centre. Here she is the day before she left for Woodbine last weekend
DAILY RACING FORM REPORTING ON HBPA MEMO TO MEMBERS
While some $1 million taken from purses of stakes races has boosted maiden races to $61,000 at Woodbine, there is still an issue with another $1 million cut from the stakes purses according to a report in DRF..
http://www.drf.com/news/ontario-hbpa-objects-woodbine-keeping-half-money-cut-stakes-schedule
