Queen’s Plate contender Silent Poet trained by Nicholas Gonzalez. Woodbine/michael burns photo
QUEEN’S PLATE NEWS
8 days to the biggest show in Canadian racing
WONDER GADOT and TELEKINESIS had workouts at Woodbine this Friday morning before the rain comes in this weekend.
WONDER GADOT, sporting blinkers for the first time, worked four furlongs in 47 while Plate Trial winner Telekinesis posted 49 for the same distance.
The blinkers for ‘Gadot’ who has been 2nd and 3rd in a host of major races this year were put on by Mark Casse’s team at Woodbine in the hopes the filly can seal the deal. She certainly has the Beyer Figures and the strength to win the Plate.
36 fillies have won the great race in 158 runnings.
There is a wide assortment of horses being considered for the Plate, not surprising as it happens in all the big races. There are maidens, horses with just one start, there are some major longshots and about eight who could be considered contenders for a Plate win.
Catching the eye on the list of contenders is SAY THE WORD, a Sam-Son farms’ gelding, a very pretty, big dark bay, who is trained by Graham Motion.
Here is his latest race at Woodbine:
The field is firming up for the 159th QUEEN’S PLATE, June 30 at Woodbine.
TELEKINESIS – Ghostzapper – Intentional Cry, Street Cry (Ire). Owner: Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stable. Trainer: Mark Casse. Jockey: Patrick Husbands. Breeder: Bill Graham. $470,000 weanling. Won Plate Trial. Beyers: 88 in Plate Trial, 90 in Lexington
ROSE’S VISION – Artie Schiller – Essential Rose, Bernardini. Owner/Breeder: Chiefswood Stable. Trainer: Stuart Simon. Jockey: Javier Castellano. 2nd Plate Trial. Beyers: 85 Plate Trial , 71 Marine
AHEADBYACENTURY – Midnight Lute – Sinful, Touch Gold. Owner: Jack of Hearts Racing and John Ross. Trainer: John Ross. Jockey: Luis Contreras. Breeder: Hill ‘N’ Dale Farms. 3rd Plate Trial. Beyers: 77, 74, 66
BOYHOOD DREAM – Dialed In – Mayfield Road, Yonaguska. Owners: Ken and Sarah Ramsey. Trainer: Mike Maker. Breeder: Bill Graham. 4th Plate Trial. Beyers: 75, 72 63
DIXIE MOON – filly by Curlin – Dixie Chicken. Owner/Breeder: Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry. Trainer: Catherine Day Phillips. Jockey: Eurico da Silva. Won Woodbine Oaks. Beyers: 88, 85
WONDER GADOT – Medaglia D’Oro – Loving Vindication, Vindication. Owner: Gary Barber. Trainer: Mark Casse. Jockey: John Velazquez. Breeder: Anderson Farms. 2nd Woodbine Oaks. Beyers: 88, 96, 82
STRIKE ME DOWN – Tapit – Strike Softly, Smart Strike. Owner/Breeder: Sam-Son Farms. Trainer: Graham Motion. Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Stakes placed last start, winner. Beyers: 83, 81, 74
SAY THE WORD – More Than Ready – Danceforthecause, Giant’s Causeway. Owner/Breeder: Sam-Son Farms. Trainer: Graham Motion. Jockey: Rafael Hernandez. Winner. Beyers: 83, 79, 77
NEEPAWA – Scat Daddy – Niigon’s Touch, Niigon, Owner/Breeder: Chiefswood Stable. Trainer: Mark Casse. Jockey: Florent Geroux. Stakes place winner. Beyers: 77, 85, 84
COOLER MIKE – Giant Gizmo – Executive Affair, Bold Executive. Owner/Breeder: Nick and Mike Nosowenko. Trainer: Nick Nosowenko. Jockey: Jesse Campbell.Stakes placed winner. Beyers: 80, 86
MARRIAGE COUNSELOR – Overanalyze – Exe, Exchange Rate. Owner/Breeder: Ken and Sarah Ramsey. Trainer: Mike Maker. Winner. Beyers: 62, 53, 59
SILENT POET – Silent Name-Cara Bella, Ghostzapper. Owner/Breeder: Stronach Stables. Trainer: Nick Gonzalez. Gary Boulanger. Winner. Beyers: 82, 82, 68
ALTERNATIVE ROUTE– Tiznow – La Suena, Storm Cat. Owner: Spendthrift Farm. Trainer: Al Stall. Jockey: Mitchell Murrill. Breeder: Bill Graham. Rushaway Stakes. Beyers: 72, 71, 70
INGE – Victor’s Cry – Alexabella, Congaree. Owner: Bruno Schickedanz. Trainer: Norm McKnight. Breeder: True North Stable. Stakes placed – 5th Marine. Beyers: 74, 74, 67
REAL DUDE – Ghostzapper – Ginger Brew, Milwaukee Brew. Owner/Breeder: Stronach Stables. Trainer: Sid Attard. Jockey: David Moran Maiden. Beyers: 64, 52
PAWNBROKER – Gio Ponti – Sweetdetermination, Alphabet Soup. Owner: Ken and Sarah Ramsey. Trainer: Mike Maker. Breeders: Tom Mountain and Lionel Perriera. $40K Keeneland Yearling. Maiden after one race. Beyer: 53
HORSE RACING RADIO NETWORK ON SITE FOR QUEEN’S PLATE
Listen to latest show with Woodbine trainer Gail Cox
The Horse Racing Radio Network is your home for Eclipse Award-winning coverage of racing’s biggest events throughout the year.
FLAMEAWAY Passing Plate
One of Canada’s better sophomore colts, Flameaway, has been pointed to the Ohio Derby where he will meet 11 rivals on Saturday at Jack Thistledown Racino. The son of Scat Daddy is a contender in the 9 furlong race on dirt:
ROYAL ASCOT WRAPS – FIRST 3 DAYS
Day 1 – Two unbeaten horses on 2 sides of the world bred by the Gunthers
Canadian bred SERGEI PROKOFIEV finished a solid 3rd in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes on the first day of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting on Tuesday, giving Ontario breeder David Anderson great pride.
The winning colt, CALYX, is a star in the making a bit speedier than the Canadian colt, a son of Scat Daddy who was sold by Anderson for $1.1 million last year.
The day belonged to John and Tanya Gunther, however. The Canadian father and daughter team, riding the high of breeding Triple Crown winner JUSTIFY were brought to tears when their colt WITHOUT PAROLE stormed away to win the Group 1 ST JAME’S PALACE STAKES on Day 1 of Royal Ascot. The colt is by Frankel from a Lemon Drop Kid mare. Without You Babe.
It was a dream of John Gunther to win a race at Royal Ascot.
At 11:53 of the clip below is the English interview from GBI with the Gunthers and jockey Frankie Dettori.
DAY 2 – POET’S WORD upsets CRACKSMAN in Prince of Wales
Sir Michael Stoute saddled his 76th Royal Ascot winner beating the record set by Sir Henrey Cecil with POET’S WORD:
“Poet’s Word is a very sound, consistent horse and he’s just met some good ones in Group Ones before. We’ll stop and think now but it could be the Eclipse [over Wednesday’s 10-furlong trip] or it could be the King George [over 12]. I think he’s equally effective at 10 and 12 furlongs and there are not many that are at that level.” – Sir Michael Stoute
Day 3 – FRANKIE DETTORI WOWS CROWD IN ASCOT GOLD CUP
Stradivarious a ‘lion’
“It was a fascinating tactical race,” Gosden said. “If Frankie had gone too soon there was the danger that Vazirabad would nail him. But he saw it out and he was going away at the finish. He’s a proper little staying horse. We call him Mighty Mouse because he’s not very big and he looks a bit like a mini-Trigger with his four white feet, but he’s a gorgeous horse.” – trainer John Gosdeon on Stradivarius
DAY 1 RESULTS
Race Name Winner
Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Str) Accidental Agent 33/1
Coventry Stakes (Group 2) Calyx 2/1 Fav
King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) Blue Point 6/1
St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) Without Parole 9/4 Fav
Ascot Stakes (Handicap) Lagostovegas 10/1
Wolferton Stakes (Listed) Monarchs Glen 8/1
DAY 2 RESULTS
Queen Mary Stakes (Fillies’ Group 2) Signora Cabello 25/1
Queen’s Vase (Group 2) Kew Gardens 10/3
Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Fillies’ Group 2) (Str) Aljazzi 9/2
Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) Poet’s Word 11/2
Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Str) Settle For Bay 16/1
Jersey Stakes (Group 3) Expert Eye 8/1
DAY 3 RESULTS
Norfolk Stakes Winner: Shang Shang Shang (5/1) – American-bred filly by Shanghai Bobby, trained by Wesley Ward for Breeze Easy Racing
Hampton Court Stakes Winner: Hunting Horn (5/1)
Ribblesdale Stakes Winner: Magic Wand (10/3)
Gold Cup Winner: Stradivarius (7/4)
Britannia Stakes Winner: Ostilio
King George V Stakes Winner: Baghdad
California Out of Competition Testing Rule Sent Back to Committee
Dr. Rick Arthur expresses serious concerns
The California Horse Racing Board voted on Thursday to send a proposed rule governing out-of-competition drug testing back to committee.
“Horse racing tests for more drugs at lower levels than any other professional sport. Horse racing was a leader in sport drug testing for many years, but has fallen woefully behind as human sport anti-doping has leap-frogged us the last two or three decades. Out-of-Competition testing (OOCT) has been a major part of the advancement of human sport anti-doping strategies…
Everyone also knows when we are going to test the horses—right after the race. That is pretty easy to plan around if you are bent on cheating. Many of the most effective PEDs are gone well before race day when horses are tested but the performance enhancing effects are still present. The effects of many drugs can last well past the time the drug is still present, or present at detectable levels. Anabolic steroids, beta-2 agonists, and blood doping agents are good examples.
ESTHER THE WONDER PIG
Star status helps secure large animal CT scanner in Ontario
“One of the really cool things we negotiated with Guelph is any registered charity or not-for profit with a focus on rescue and rehabilitation of large animals will gain free access to the machine by way of a discount.”
