RED CARPET

 SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE –

Welcome to Queen’s Plate day 2014. There has been more buzz about this year’s Plate than any other year in the 21st it seems – social media has a lot to do with that.

Expecting a big crowd at Woodbine today and tons of hats.  As Paul Mott said on the Motts Show on NewsTalk1010 this morning, it should be a “fascinatoring” day.

So, the weather will be exactly like yesterday – warm and 28 degrees  – chance it clouds over later in the day but the tracks are dry and fast.

The grass is simply sizzling: an allowance race on Saturday went in 1:07 4/5 for 6 furlongs with the front running winner. The Polytrack seems to be playing kinder to inside speed and that has been the case for previous Plates won by Big Red Mike, Midnight Aria etc.

One of two things figure to happen today: Coltimus Prime, Heart to Heart, Man o Bear all send to the lead and a quick pace forms and that sets things up for Artie, Lou and Asserting Bear. OR, everyone guzzles and someone gets to be on or within a length of 47, 48 to the half and the race will be over.

Hoping for a fair track, a fair race and lots of people wagering on our great sport.

 

 

(picks for Sunday’s card will be up at jmbets.ca later today…have fun!)

 

WE MISS ARTIE, special colt will try to honour his favoritism Sunday in the 155th QUEEN’S PLATE

Hi 5 bet is on the Plate, race 11

There are 15 Canadian-bred 3-years-olds in the Queen’s Plate on Sunday and every single one has an intriguing and good-feeling story.

The people connected with these horses are crossing their fingers and toes for a safe and wonderful trip.

Fans will flood Woodbine tomorrow, there is no doubt. They will come for the big race, they will come for the big party, Hats & Horseshoes, they will come to bet and try to win some money and boy oh boy, is there going to be a lot of cash up for grabs.

Woodbine halted betting on the Hi 5 bet this week to carry over the $270,000 to Sunday’s 11th race – the Plate – and give it all away.  Pick the top 5 finishers and you can share in what should be a whopping sum!

There are 12 other races too, plus 2 Pick 4 guaranteed pools and hey, you can just bet win, place and show on a longshot and come away with a pocket of money.  I have polled some friends for picks and comments plus there are some interesting sites to check out.

First, some bits and bytes:

 

 

 

 

 

RETHINK BREAST CANCER – 

One dollar from every ticket sold to the Plate and every program sold, will be donated to Rethink Breast Cancer.

 

IF YOU ONLY EAT FROM ONE FOOD TRUCK MAKE IT…

 

 

Woodbine jockey GERRY OLGUIN is a part owner of Nathan’s Hot Dogs Food Truck and 50 cents from every hot dog sold will go to LONGRUN THOROUGHBRED RETIREMENT SOCIETY.

Do your best Joey Chestnut impersonation and come and chow down on this unique treat with some awesome toppings!

Good lucky to Gerry Olguin in the Queen’s Plate on NIIGON EXPRESS!

 

REMEMBERING THE DANCER – His legacy put the love of horse racing into all of our blood

 

You talk to anyone who has a passion for horse racing, Canadian horse racing, and the name NORTHERN DANCER is always front and centre.

In fact,  if you were lucky enough to be watching racing in 1964 when the Dancer enthralled a nation by winning the Kentucky Derby and then came to Canada for the Queen’s Plate, you are most certainly a true racing lover.

The Dancer’s win in the Plate was not only  a celebration of a great Canadian racehorse but his exploits that year made him one of the finest sporting heroes this country has ever produced. And then he went on to influence the world’s Thoroughbred breed.

That  was 50 years ago and we remember this great horse on Plate day with a fine field of Canadian-bred colts and one filly who are descendants of the legend. The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame will have items for sale to honour the Dancer. Look for the display at Woodbine on Sunday.

 

MARK CASSE HOPING FOR HIS FIRST PLATE WIN

His Plate starters have been getting closer to the big prize and perhaps tomorrow is the day Mark Casse will win his first Plate. LEXIE LOU, owned by film producer GARY BARBER is going to be a hot item on the tote board after a sizzling Woodbine Oaks win. MATADOR romped in his return to Woodbine after a busy spring. And MAJESTIC SUNSET is coming around.

Patrick Husbands elected to ride Lexie Lou, who should be close to the pace and, should the track be speedy and kind to pace runners and press runners, look out.

Casse has been training for Barber who is from South Africa for about three years. Barber owns part of Patrioticandproud, who came to race with the Casse stable early in his career. Barber and Casse got to talking and soon Barber was sending the trainer more horses to race at Woodbine. LEXIE LOU interested Barber as she ran against his fast filly Zensational Bunny earlier this year. At the March 2yo sale this spring, Barber mentioned to Casse that he liked the filly and thought she would do well on the grass. Casse contacted John Ross, who bought Lexie Lou for just $5,500, Ross revealed a selling price and the deal was done.

Two starts later, Lexie Lou won the Woodbine Oaks in stunning fashion.

“I was a bit surprised by her authority and how fast she ran,” said Casse about the Sligo Bay (Ire) filly and her Oaks run. “And then she kind of later acted like she did it with some ease.”

While Barber cannot be in attendance on Plate day, he did watch the post position draw on the Internet and will no doubt be glued to something come Plate time.

“He’s a sharp guy and a wonderful person,” said Casse, who attended Barber’s film premiere of MGM-financed James Bond film Skyfall, which grossed over $1.1 billion.
Casse is dearly hoping to get the Plate prize after 17 previous starters. He said he would not be surprised if Matador won for John Oxley. Julien Leparoux comes in to ride the Bill Graham-bred runner. And Majestic Sunset, another Oxley runner, is still a maiden but a guy who is figuring things out.

 

ALL HAIL THE BREEDERS OF THE PLATE STARTERS

 

Who brought these wonderful horses into the world? We cheer for the owners, trainers, jockeys and caretakers of the Plate horses but let’s not forget the BREEDERS, who planned the matings of sires and dams and brought these horses into the world in 2011. These 15 came from some 2,050 born in Canada that year.

1  – CAP IN HAND – Glenn Harvey, Kelynack Racing Stable. The mare, Heyahohowdy, was a multiple stakes winner on grass by the late Domasca Dan.

2 – COLTIMUS PRIME – Jayson Horner, relatively new to the business, he has done well with his mare Certainly Special (corrected)

3 – ATHENIAN GUARD – Knob Hill Stable, founded by the late Steve Stavro raced both the sire, Leonnatus Anteas, a champion, and the dam, Chopinina, also a champion

4 – ASSERTING BEAR – John Carey, owned of T C Westmeath Farm in Shelburne, a longtime consignor and stallion manager

5 – MAN O’ BEAR – Bill Graham’s Windhaven in Caledon ON, a Sovereign Award winning breeder

6 – WE MISS ARTIE – Richard Lister, longtime breeder and owner, colt was foaled at Mike Carroll’s Grandview Farm

7 – MAJESTIC SUNSET – Ron Clarkson, another longtime Ontario breeder and owner

8 – LIONS BAY – Martin and Victoria Earle who have raced lots of Lions in Ontario

9 – HEART TO HEART – Darrell Bauder’s Red Hawk Ranch in Manitoba, raised by Steve Kemp’s Ballcroy Training Centre

10 – MATADOR – Bill Graham, again!

11 – MINSHALL FARMS – Shaun Minshall and Barb Minshall are now the heads of Minshall Farms (was also owned by Patrick Minshall, founded by Aubrey)

12 – TOWER OF TEXAS – Anderson Farms, founded by the late Bob Anderson, and also bred by Rod Ferguson

13 – NIIGON EXPRESS – Robert and Mark Krembil’s CHiefswood Stable of King, ON, won the Plate with the late Niigon

14 – LEXIE LOU – Paradox Farm in Caledon east,of the late Dr. Mike Colterjohn, who planned the mating, and Moira Gunn. Sherry MacLean, farm manager

15 – AMI’S HOLIDAY – Ivan Dalos’ Tall Oaks Farm, longtime Ontario and Kentucky breeder

Jayson Horner, breeder of Coltimus Prime

 

GOOD LUCK to everybody!

 

 

HERE ARE SOME SELECTIONS BY SOME OF THE SMARTEST HANDICAPPERS AROUND…

 

*RYAN DICKEY President of Firehouse Racing Stables, LLC (@firehouseracing)

Queen’s Plate Preview

Woodbine Race 11 | 5:38 pm ET
$1,000,000 Queen’s Plate for 3 yo Canadian­foals going 1­1/4 mi. (Synthetic)

This edition of the $1 Million Queen’s Plate has some live long­shots. I’m going to take a shot with one of them.

MOST PROBABLE WINNER: 6­ – We Miss Artie (8­-5)
Taking a quick­look at the Queen’s Plate entries, and it’s no wonder We Miss Artie is the odds­-on morning­ line favorite. The Ramsey­-owned, Pletcher­-trained Kentucky Derby runner has Castellano back on board where he won the Queen’s Plate Trial at Woodbine on June 15th. Although We Miss Artie has more wins than any other colt in this race (and the same number of wins as the filly Lexie Lou), he also has an equal number of poor performances. He finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby, which isn’t terrible. He finished 8th in the Fountain of Youth. And, he finished 7th in the B.C. Juvenile. At 8­-5 on the morning line, he’s unbettable, although he may win the race.

VALUE HORSE: 8­ – Lions Bay (30­-1)
It’s a pretty tall order for a horse that has only raced three times in his career to win a $1 Million dollar stakes race in his first race outside of allowance company. Lions Bay may be that one horse that does it. He’s racing third off the layoff. He is on a two­race win streak. His trainer, although not sending a ton of runners to the starting gate is having a very quiet, very successful year. Lions Bay’s sire, Sligo Bay was a quick study himself, not finishing out­of­the­money until his 7th career start, the G2 American Derby in 2001. In his last start, Lions Bay showed he could handle route races, going 4­ wide and one point and driving to the finish line. His work tabs have been stellar, and he’s as live as a 30­1 shot can be. Expect his odds to be juicy.

OTHERS TO CONSIDER: 14 – ­Lexie Lou (4­- 1) and 15 – ­Ami’s Holiday (10-­1)
Don’t dismiss the filly Lexie Lou because she’s a girl. The Queen’s Plate has been won 34 times by fillies since 1860. The last to do it was Inglorious in 2011. Although she has the ability to do well here, the outside post may prevent her from winning, but not from hitting the board or filling out a superfecta.
Ami’s Holiday is a nice horse as well, but, again, the far outside post is a daunting task to say the least. Play in exotics.

WAGERING OPTIONS FOR $20 PLAYERS

$5 WIN/PLACE 8 ($10)
$4 SHOW 8 ($4)
$2 Exacta 6 over 8,14,15 ($6­­total $20)

WAGERING OPTIONS FOR $50 PLAYERS

$10 WIN 8 ($10)
$5 PLACE/SHOW 8 ($10)
$2 Exacta 6 over 8,14,15 ($6)
$1 Trifecta box 6,8,14,15 ($24­total $50)

Ryan Dickey @rdickey249

*SAL BRUNO – racing fan

In the queen’s plate, i’m going for a longshot which is [9] Heart to Heart who’s 30-1 on the morning line! that is my upset pick in the Queen’s Plate on sunday! good luck!

*NORM FILES – racing fan, photographer:
We Miss Artie. Looks to be the best from here in a long time.

*SANTINO DIPAOLA –  @SantinoD94, blogger

Lexie Lou – Heart to heart –  Matador

*SID FERNANDO – Sid Fernando is an internationally known pedigree writer. He also is president of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks. He blogs at Sid Fernando + Observations (www.sidfernando.wordpress.com) and is on Twitter at @sidfernando.

1. Majestic Sunset
2. We Miss Artie
3. Lexie Lou

 

*JEFF BRATT – Woodbine commentator

An all-encompassing handicapper, Jeff prides himself on his race-watching. ” Biggest thing is I like to handicap with my eyes.  What I see on the track during races means more to me than anything else.”
Jeff spends up to four hours handicapping a card of racing and he has to have his picks in 3 days before the race date. Jeff likes We Miss Artie and Ami’s Holiday in the Plate.

*JIM BANNON – WEG HANDICAPPER

1 – WE MISS ARTIE
2 LEXIE LOU
3 – ASSERTING BEAR

*JEFF BOWEN – assistant trainer, Ian Black racing:
We Miss Artie , Matador, Asserting Bear .

*ED DE ROSA HANDICAPS THE PICK 4’S at Woodbine Sunday
keying Lexie Lou on some tickets

Fifteen horses can always make a race seem daunting, but there are some pretty obvious contenders in the Queen’s Plate Stakes starting with favorite We Miss Artie and second choice Lexie Lou—winners of the Plate Trial and Woodbine Oaks, respectively, on Plate Preview day three weeks ago. The former is 8-to-5, and the latter is 4-to-1, and it’s Lexie Lou who earns the top pick designation receiving five pounds from her foes while sporting the best last-out Brisnet.com Speed Rating and a tactical advantage (assuming the post doesn’t hurt too much) as one of only two “E” pace types in the field.

I’m not sure the top two’s odds will be as far apart as the morning line suggests when the gates open, but they’ll unquestionably be the top two wagering choices, and while We Miss Artie wouldn’t shock me, he’s definitely unplayable at the price, which makes Lexie Lou a single on most tickets.
– See more at: http://www.twinspires.com/blog/2014/7/4/lexie-lou-key-queens-plate-day-pick-4-riches#sthash.Eky0OC7t.dpuf

*JAMES SCULLY’S PICK 5 PLAYS

http://www.twinspires.com/blog/2014/7/4/lexie-lou-top-james-scullys-queens-plate-super-hi-5-analysis

*DAILY RACING FORM VIDEO HANDICAPPING BY ILLMAN and BERNIER

The boys pick the same horse – MATADOR! A little harsh on the field but check out their info!

http://www.drf.com/events/weekend-stakes-previews-picks-analysis-more