The fillies are all the rage in the Plate – is one of them worthy of ‘Rachel Alexandra” status. The ‘sheets guys say yes. Milwaukee Appeal is the Oaks winner looking to be 34 filly winners in 150 Plates. www.horse-races.net photo.
QUEEN’S PLATE PROBABLES
Horse Owner Trainer Jockey
Active Duty Woodford Racing Mark Casse Corey Fraser
Bucephalus Knob Hill Stable Kevin Attard Tyler Pizzaro
Costalivin Jam Jar Racing Stable John Ross Luis Contreras
El Brujo Windways Farm Malcolm Pierce Emma-Jayne Wilson
Eye Of The Leopard Sam-Son Farm Mark Frostad Eurico Rosa Da Silva
Flip For The Coin Molinaro Stable Vito Armata Emile Ramsammy
Keino West Track West Racing Steve Attard Gerry Olguin
Milwaukee Appeal CEC Farms Scott Fairlie Stewart Elliott
Mr. Foricos Two U Annecchini & D’Alimonte Catherine Day Phillips Mike Smith
Rapid Release Dolantori Racing Roger Attfield Jono Jones
Reservoir Goldie Stables/Weila Ye Julia Carey Jim McAleney
Shut It Down K.K. Sangara Lorne Richards Russell Baze
Stardust Ziggy UNstable Lorna Perkins Jerry Baird
Tasty Temptation Woodford Racing Mark Casse Patrick Husbands
TASTY TEMPTATION (“Chocolate” is her nickname) has won just 1 race in her career but could be well bet in the Plate and one of 2 fillies. www.horse-races.net photo.
WAITING and (NOT) FAIRLIE CERTAIN
The post positon draw is tomorrow morning, bright and early on what may be a soggy Thursday morning. A field of 14 is being presented this week for the 150th Plate but who knows if that is how many will go.
There seems to be no give in any hints in what the decision will be regarding MILWAUKEE APPEAL and her participation in the Plate. Trainer SCOTT FAIRLIE said to Daily Racing Form:
“I’m going over all the race replays of the other horses, and checking out the numbers,” said Fairlie, who trains Milwaukee Appeal for Eugene George’s C.E.C. Farm. “It’s a tough call. You want to make sure you do the right thing.”
And the George family told Thoroughblog they have been leaning to the Bison City Stakes, the second leg for the Tiara, that would essentially be a sure win.
This corner would find it shocking if she did not race but Woodbine regulars knows Fairlie keeps things close to the vest as far as entering horses and we won’t know if she races until she’s in the paddock on Sunday.
While so much has been made about fillies in the race – and fillies have done okay for sure – 33 winners in 149 years not bad, it’s not likely you will find the winner here, at least from these eyes.
And last year, GINGER BREW was a super 2nd in the Oaks last year after just the 2 week rest and Gold Strike was 3rd in 2005 after a 2 week rest.
But they did not WIN and it takes a very special filly to win 1 1/4 mile races, over the boys, after they just ran the race of their lives in the race they were POINTED TO.
More analysis to come.
GOINGS ON AT THE PLATE BARBECUE
How cool is it to see so many new owners (and trainers) in the walking ring for the Plate media barbecue on Monday held in glorious sun and with great food.
A large crowd watched 8 of the Plate horses parade and each horse looked super.
Anthony Coombes, owner of UN Stable and STARDUST ZIGGY, was unable to attend the event but will cheer for his colt on Sunday. Lorna Perkins is in her first Plate and she trains the Holy Bull grey.
There was the team of Rocco d’Alimonte and Frank Annecchini, whose red and white stripe silks have been around Woodbine for eons but mostly with claiming horses. They are cheering for their gelding MR. FORICOS TO U and their trainer Catherine Day Phillips seeks her first Plate win.
DAVE CLANCY is a track runner from Etobicoke. He likes running and racing so much, he just bought 3 yearlings 2 years ago – KEINO WEST was the first he bought, and that one is in the Plate.
FRANK MERMENSTEIN and his wife WEILA YE have RESERVOIR in the race, $25K to supplement their undefeated Sky Classic fellow.
Excitement was rampant, stories were plentiful and it illustrated what the Plate is all about – stories and tales and fun and beautiful horses.
STARDUST ZIGGY is a maiden coming off a good closing run in his last start. The Holy Bull 3yo is owned by Anthony Coombes and trained by Lorna Perkins (at left). Jerry Baird (right) will ride. www.horse-races.net photo.
PLATE in the NEWS (PAPERS)
TORONTO STAR: MILWAUKEE APPEAL DECISION – CHRIS YOUNG
– There are horses to back at Woodbine, slot machines that never quit and, if you’re left with something more than just lint in your pocket, lottery kiosks to shake you down on the way out the door.
But the best betting game in greater Rexdale could be the players-only poker game brewing between a couple of trainers ahead of Sunday’s 150th Queen’s Plate.
Veteran Mark Casse and owner Bill Farish went all-in yesterday, declaring his flashy roan Tasty Temptation a go for the annual gallop and the $1 million and 50 guineas in the pot.
Now it is their nemesis’ turn as conditioner Scott Fairlie, owner Eugene George and Canadian Oaks winner Milwaukee Appeal mulling the same $25,000 supplementary fee to ante up and join in.
Only one horse can win the race, of course.
www.thestar.com/sports/horseracing/article/651262
QUEEN’S PLATE IS CASSE’S TOP PRIORITY
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Change has been a constant in the career of Mark Casse, who has emerged as Canada’s top trainer with Sovereign Awards in the past three seasons.
From his era as a leader in Kentucky and through his current successful campaigns here over the past decade, Casse has been open to new ideas and, more recently, new technologies to achieve his goals.
The current goal for Casse, who was born in Indianapolis in 1961, is to win a Queen’s Plate.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” said Casse, who started to run his father Norman’s training operation at age 15 and sent out his first winner as a licensed trainer in 1978.
www.drf.com/news/article/104706.html
AT CBC.COM – MANY PLATE FEATURES…
by Malcolm Kelly
EL BRUJO OUT FOR REDEMPTION
While most of the horses for Sunday’s 150th running of the Queen’s Plate were paraded out for media and guests at the annual lunch on Monday, El Brujo was left to sleep in barn 39 at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack.
The three-year-old was not being punished by trainer Malcolm Pierce, but merely kept on his regular day-off schedule as he prepares for a shot at redemption.
That would be a chance to make up for going out as the 8-5 favourite in the Plate Trial on May 31 and finishing ninth as Eye of the Leopard eked out a victory.
The talk on Monday was no longer about the bay gelding, but instead about four other contenders who are the favourites in the million-dollar Gallop for the Guineas. WWW.CBC.COM
TORONTO SUN – QUEEN’S PLATE HISTORY
by Bill Lankoff
The Queen’s Plate was born out of envy. And, if Queen Victoria had realized the nefarious, decidedly un-Victorian doings she was unleashing back in 1859, she might never have let this horse out of the barn.
But she did.
And the Queen’s Plate has survived war, depression, calls to ban the sport, and national calamity to celebrate 150 years this weekend as a window on our society — displaying a stream of colourful characters, subterfuge, spectacular horsemanship and gamesmanship.
The Plate has a history in which glory and perdition were born as twins and they rarely have been far apart.
“Upper Canada (as Ontario was then known) got the Plate because the Toronto Turf Club started whipping off letters to Buckingham Palace (in 1859) because they were upset Quebec had been given the King’s Plate,” says Louis Cauz, managing director of the Canadian horse racing hall of fame.
“When Victoria came to the throne … Halifax actually ran the first Queen’s Plate in 1840. The guys (in Upper Canada) said: ‘We want one, too.”
www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/bill_lankhof/2009/06/17/9822466-sun.html
YA, PLATE IS GOOD BUT THE MISTER WILL BE HERE TOO!
The best races on the Sunday Woodbine card from a quality nature will include the co-features – like the HIGHLANDER, which will bring together the best grass sprinters on the continent. MR. NIGHTLINGER, who just won on Kentucky Derby day in the Aegeon Sprint, is headed here. Cindy Pierson Dulay photo.
ASCOT UPDATE
(see lots of photos and news at www.-horse-races.net)
PRINCE OF WALES’ STAKES today
NEVER ON SUNDAY (SUNDAY BREAK) is the big favourite with 8 wins in 10 races.
One And One Quarter Miles (Turf) – Gr1 – GROUP 1 (Class 1). – Purse
$630,000. For four yrs old and upwards.
1 (6) ESTEJO (GER) 60 Daniele Porcu 126
2 (5) NEVER ON SUNDAY (FR) 4 Lemaire C 126
3 (2) TARTAN BEARER (IRE) 9/5 Moore R 126
4 (8) TAZEEZ (USA) 10 Hills R 126
5 (4) TRINCOT (FR) 10 Dettori L 126
6 (1) TWICE OVER 8 Queally T 126
7 (3) VIRTUAL 10 Fortune J 126
8 (7) VISION D’ETAT (FR) 3 Peslier O 126
AT THE RACES REPORTS ON DAY ONE’S FEATURE:
ST. JAME’S PLACE STAKES – GROUP 1
Mastercraftsman stuck out his neck in the gamest fashion to hold off Delegator in a thrilling renewal of the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Johnny Murtagh sent the 5-6 favourite past his pacemaker Set Sail soon after turning into the straight, but Delegator arrived on the scene travelling well and looked a massive danger.
However, after a titanic duel through the closing stages Aidan O’Brien’s colt just got the better of his rival – who possibly edged in front at one stage – by a neck.
