BREAKING NEWS – RAFAEL HERNANDEZ, last year’s Queen’s Plate winning rider, will be on CHEBURASHKA for this year’s Plate and then will begin riding full time at Woodbine…
POST POSITIONS DRAWN TOMORROW FOR 157TH QUEEN’S PLATE
The post positions for the Queen’s Plate will be drawn tomorrow at the trackside tent beginning at 930 a.m. and there will likely be a field of 12-to 14. Posts don’t matter much with such a long run to the first turn as horses and riders have plenty of time to find their position.
AMIS GIZMO (PHOTO AT LEFT BY MICHAEL BURNS) will be favoured off his handy Plate Trial win. The colt had a change in bits for the Trial and rebounded from his first career loss in the Wando Stakes.
Second favourite status will go to either SHAKHIMAT or LEAVEN IN MALIBU, the youngster who has not tried stakes company yet.
A few others have a chance to win the 1 1/4 mile Canadian classic – GAMBLES GHOST, the filly, ALL ON RED, also an inexperienced fellow, SIR DUDLEY DIGGES, 3rd in the Plate Trial and perhaps speedy ESPOSITO.
Tuesday morning SHAKHIMAT breezed for Plate, 5F in 1:01.40, out 6 in 1:13.20 up 7 in 1:28.60. “Started slow, finished well under Emma-Jayne Wilson.” according to Bill Tallon.
14 POSSIBLE FIELD
(with latest Beyer Figure, jockey, comments )
AMIS GIZMO – 85 Beyer Plate Trial Luis Contreras – dominated Trial, wins on repeat. Owner/breeder Dalos ready for first Plate win.
SHAKHIMAT – 81 Trial Emma-Jayne Wilson – 2 recent losses but is the king of the Queen’s Plate, Roger Attfield, worried? nah.
GAMBLES GHOST (filly) 82 Beyer Oaks – tough luck in the Oaks and she has a potent stretch kick – 2 chances for Dalos
LEAVEM IN MALIBU -85 Beyer in allowance win Gary Boulanger – hype horse could battle for 2nd favourite
ALL ON RED – 84 BEYER, 2nd in allowance – green, speed and could be very good
CHEBURASHKA – 75, 81 in recent allowance races; pleasing workout on Sat. morning
ESPOSITO – 84 Beyer in allowance win Alan Garcia – same profile (almost) as All On Red, except 1 race this year and 2 turns is question
SCHOLAR ATHLETE – 84 Beyer on turf; gelding and blinkers worked, he won on the pace; can he rally from off the pace?
SIR DUDLEY DIGGES – Jesse Campbell – 77 Trial – runs evenly in almost any race, 3rd to the top 2 in Trial
MY NAME IS JIM – 62 maiden win – big, strong guy led all the way to win at 9 furlongs last time against maiden
NARROW ESCAPE – 64 ALLOWANCE win – battled to a grtty win in season debut
CRUMLIN SPIRIT (filly) – 77 in Woodbine Oaks
MIKE – 61 3rd to Narrow Escape
ROCKET PLAN – 64 when 2nd in 7 furlong OSS sprint
The owners of CHEBURASHKA and ROCKET PLAN will put up a hefty $25,000 to supplement to the race – they were not originally made eligible to the Plate. LEXIE LOU, in 2014, was also a supplement.
50 YEARS AGO – 1966 – TITLED HERO
A son of Canadian Champ, Titled Hero cost $15,000 at the Windfields Farm yearling sale in 1965. Peter Marshall was the buyer. Pat McMurchy trained the colt.
The colt won 8 of 12 races and was one of the SHORTEST PRICED WINNERS OF THE PLATE in modern history – he paid $2.50.
100 YEARS AGO – 1916 – MANDARIN
Speaking of winning the Plate at low odds, MANDARIN, owned by Joseph Seagram, led a parade of 3 horses from that stable at 20 cents on the dollar to win the 1916 edition of the Plate at Woodbine Park. The chestnut colt by Havoc led all the way to win by 4 lengths under Arthur Pickens, who had won the Kentucky derby 8 years earlier on Stone Street.
WHO IS SIR DUDLEY DIGGES? Sir Dudley Digges (19 May 1583 – 18 March 1639) was an English diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1610 and 1629. He was also a “Virginia adventurer,” an investor who ventured his capital in the Virginia Company of London.
The Queen’s Plate with the same name is owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsay and Ken Ramsay has said he is a distant relative of Sir Dudley Digges, the human. The Ramsays raced QUEENSPLATEKITTEN in the Plate and 2 years ago, won the Plate Trial with We Miss Artie but then that colt blew the start of the Plate and lost all chance.
Sir Dudley Digges (c. 1583 – 1639).
QUEEN’S PLATE WINNING BEYER FIGURES – AND PLATE TRIAL WINNING BEYER (plus winner)
Izvestia
2015 SHAMAN GHOST – 87 DANISH DYNAFORMER 87
2014 LEXIE LOU – 92 WE MISS ARTIE 85
2013 MIDNIGHT ARIA – 101 DYNAMIC SKY -87
2012 STRAIT OF DOVER – 98 RIVER RUSH – 93
2011 INGLORIOUS – 99 CHECK YOUR SOUL 90
2010 BIG RED MIKE – 9 BIG RED MIKE – 91
2009 EYE OF THE LEOPARD 92 – EYE OF THE LEOPARD 85
2008 NOT BOURBON 93 NOT BOURBON 88
2007 MIKE FOX 90 JiGGS COZ – 88
2006 EDENWOLD – 94 PIPERS THUNDER – 81
The highest Beyer Speed Figure for a Plate winner since 1988 was the 113 earned by Izvestia in 1990 followed by Wando’s 111.
HORSE RACING NATION
BRIAN ZIPSE – PLATE WINNING FILLIES
Luis Contreras rode Inglorious to a Plate win and he has his choice of 2 Plate horses,including a filly, this year Michael Burns photo
http://www.horseracingnation.com/blogs/zatt/Queen_s_Plate_Winning_Fillies_123
WOODBINE WRAP
TOP BEYER SPEED FIGURES FROM FRIDAY – SUNDAY AT WOODBINE
98 (TURF) – SWEET LITTLE MAN
90 (turf) SPEEDY FOX
85 DEFONDO
85 CHIC THRILL
83 BERLINER
83 SHOW SHAPE
WOODBINE SUNDAY
PACHI CRUZE (inside) a son of Valid N Bold, comes back on to beat first time starter LOKINFORPURSEMONEE in the Frost King Stakes on Sunday. Marten River would have been heavily favoured by scratched as he came up with an issue. Thank you Mr Will Wong for the image (mrwillwong.com)
RACE 1 – MAUNA KEA – owned by Edward Freeman and Discovery Racing, won her season debuyt for $11,500 claiming under Gerry Olguin. Julia Carey trains this 7-year-old mare who is 5 for 26 in her career and she was bred by her owners. However, the old gal was claimed for $11,500 by Lindys Racing Stable and trainer Kevin Attard.
RACE 2 – CHIC THRILL led all the way to win this 7 fiurlong turf allowance to remain unbeaten on the grass – 3 for 3. This is a Sam-Son Farm filly by Smart Strike and she was recently 2nd in the Sweet Briar Too Stakes to Charming Delilah. Eurico da Siva rode for Malcolm Pierce.
Race 3- SUNNY’S RAINBOW won for Rocco d’Alimonte and Frank Annecchini, trainer Mike DePaulo – a maiden allowance at 5 furlongs. This was the 3yo’s 3rd race and he was bred by the owners as a son of their nice runner Fashion Jenny and by Philanthropist.
Luis Contreras rode.
Race 4- WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS is on a roll with DEFONDO and that group sends Scholar Athlete to the Plate this weekend.
Defondo won his local debut on May 29 in a $37,500 claiming race, posting an 86 Beyer (new top) in that 6 1/2 furlong Tapeta dash. On Sunday he won a 1 mile grass race with an 85 Beyer for trainer Ralph Biamonte and Eurico da Silva rode.
Race 5- maiden claiming for fillies and mares, $25,000. The winner was first time starter CLARKSTONCANDY, the first winner for trainer SHANA LOPEZ. Lopez recently took over the Bradscot Farm horses from Tom Bowden. Bradscot, of Irene McLellan, have won dozens of races with horses from the mare Thirdtimesthecharm (Bet Big) including CLARKSTON CHARM, who is also by Tethra, the sire fo ‘Candy’. Clarkstoncandy is a 4yo who was 46 to 1 under Jermaine Bridgmohan. She came from almost 10 lengths behind to win by a length.
Race 6- Fancy breeding on BERLINER who came in for Stronach Stables after 4 fringe placings to begin his career. He ran powerfully to win this 7 furlong maiden allowance on the turf for trainer Nick Gonzalez. The colt is by Bernardini.
Race 7 – Win no. 2 for the Bradcast – Shana Lopez team as UNCORKED SPIRIT came back in 11 days and won for $10,00 claiming. The Srtut the Stage gelding had missed by a nose at 11 to 1 when Thoroughblog picked him on June 15 in a route race. He was 2 to 1 in this win under Luis Contreras.
Race 9 – ALEX MCPHERSON won his first race of the season when NO SOUP FOR YOU win a $40,000 claiming dash at 7 furlongs. Robert Atto owns the grey 5yo by Alphabet Soup.
Race 10 – First time starter DANCE WITH ME BABY, bought for about $20,000 at the local sale by Gino Naldini from Huntington Stud Farm, won her debut handily for trainer Bill Tharrenos. The Bold ‘n Flashy filly had very fast workout times and was a nice 4 to 1 in this win.
Coming up this Friday – the DOMINION DAY STAKES!
DON PLETERSKI RECOVERING
FORT ERIE TIMES
Horse trainer Don Pleterski is expected to make a full recovery after the 66-year-old Toronto man was injured during a pre-race warm up Sunday at the Fort Erie Race Track.
Track officials did not confirm the identity of the trainer, but Tim Orlando, a long time family friend and fellow horse trainer at Woodbine said Pleterski was transported by Niagara EMS to Erie County Medical Centre in Buffalo where he remained in critical condition on Monday.
“We believe that it will be a long recovery process. He is going to pull through and that’s the most important thing.”
The Niagara Regional Police and Niagara Emergency Medical Services were called to the track, at 230 Catherine St., at 5:10 p.m.
http://www.forterietimes.ca/2016/06/27/man-injured-at-fort-erie-race-track
GLOBE & MAIL FEATURE- THE LADDER
BY TOM MALONEY
FEATURING – JOSIE CARROLL
Josie Carroll, 58, began conditioning thoroughbreds at Woodbine Racetrack in 1994 and has ranked in the Top 10 among trainers for winnings the past three seasons. In 2006, Ms. Carroll became the first female trainer to win Canada’s top race, the Queen’s Plate with longshot Edenwold, and did it again with Inglorious in 2011. Ms. Carroll trains two Ivan Dalos-owned horses, Amis Gizmo and Gamble’s Ghost, who may run in the 157th edition of the race this coming Sunday. Ms. Carroll has at least 20 wins and $1-million in prizes for 15 consecutive years.
Newspapers drew me to the sport as a kid. Every weekend the newspapers had photos and stories about the stake races at Woodbine. I liked the racing game and would place my little bets from the time I was very young, write them down, see how I did. But I got the entries and the results in the newspaper. It gave me the ability to study and learn all about it. Humber College gave me a placement here at Woodbine, and I never left.
We have a lifestyle here, not a job. If you’re not prepared to devote seven days a week, it’s not the job for you.
When I was grooming horses, [trainer] Michael Tammaro gave me an opportunity to run a barn for him, I was intimidated. He said, ‘Do you want to stay in the stalls and groom horses all your life or move on? Just step up and do it.’
When [trainer] Mike Doyle became a general manager for Frank Stronach, some of his clients stayed with me [in 1994]. I knew horses, and I knew racing, but I didn’t know a darned thing about business. He helped me get a line of credit from his bank, based on the accounts receivable he was moving over. Without that, I don’t know how I would’ve got through the first month.
WOODBINE SCOREBOARD
LEADING JOCKEYS
Eurico Rosa Da Silva 252 64 43 40 $2,571,929
Luis Contreras 278 57 48 46 $2,031,794
Alan Garcia 172 30 27 21 $1,020,910
Emma-Jayne Wilson 185 27 24 24 $1,060,553
Patrick Husbands 164 25 29 24 $1,324,061
LEADING TRAINERS
Mark E. Casse 138 19 24 23 $1,284,018
Kevin Attard 77 15 16 12 $509,106
Nicholas Gonzalez 93 13 9 14 $459,413
Reade Baker 73 12 8 7 $508,691
Michael P. De Paulo 86 11 16 9 $735,310
LEADING OWNERS
Conquest Stables, LLC 40 7 6 8 $401,575
Sam-Son Farm 25 6 6 4 $315,838
Stronach Stables 27 11 5 1 $302,153
Gustav Schickedanz 21 6 5 5 $280,320
Carnegie Hill Stable, Kingfield Racing Stable, Ltd. et al. 3 2 0 0 $258,791
