update – THURSDAY MORNING – POST POSITION DRAW 9:30 THIS MORNING, COULD BE HELD IN TENT, NOT WALKING RING (WEATHER), it will be live streamed on the Woodbine website…. probable field listed below with all kinds of news and notes..

 

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 Dramatic photos from Churchill Downs after barns flattened from tornado…Brooke Vitek posted this photo on Thoroughbred Champions forum

 

 

 

 

 

PLATE WEEK STARTS WED. NIGHT –

It was a dark and stormy night…okay, not really but later it was! Racing at Woodbine last night started off with  TRACK RECORD – Stronach Stables’

PEASANT won the 1 3/16 mile maiden allowance race in 1:57.83, better than the 1:58 mark. The track was not fast, it’s just that the distance is hardly ever run.

PEASANT was a predictable winner but he had to hold off a charging OBAN to win his maiden at 1 3/16 miles for Stronach Stables. The Awesome Again 3yo colt had a world of trouble in his lone Woodbine outing on May 23 and won last night at 2 to 1. OBAN showed good improvement to bounced back from a dull run when 7th beaten 12 lengths.

 

Race 2 went to favoured DULCE ESPERANZA, a homebred for Steve Owens. the filly is by Surviivalist and was winning for the 2nd time in 3 races and it was her first allowance win. Jesse Campbell rode the 3yo who is out of D’ohana.

 

Race 3 – another big fave – BUBBLES TO THE TOP, she finally won her maiden in her 9th outing and sprinting on the grass was the answer. The daughter of Bold Executive – swanky Bubbles, bred by Josham Farms, stormed from just off the pace for Overheath Stable and Luis Contreras was riding her for the first time; It was her grass debut and she was 6 to 5.

 

Race 4 – ALLEGATION, a 4yo filly by Closing Argument, was the easist of winners in a $40K claiming turf event at 1 mile; Beautifully handled by Patrick Husbands, the Florida bred was in mid pack around the turn and along the inside and she coasted up the rail path and won geared down. She had raced twicein 2009, just twice in 2010, and this was her 2nd start of this season. She is a half sister to stakes winner Grazettes landing. Quintessential racing Florida and Horsen around (Hippolytus in the Plate) were the winning owners and Mark Casse trains.

 

race 5 went to BIGASMAR for Steve Duffield – this leggy grey colt went to Fort Erie to try and win a maiden allowance and had a dreadful run but came back to Polytrack, dropped to just $12,500 and romped as the fave under, Luis Contreras.

 

The 6th race marked the 2nd win on the night for trainer READE BAKER as Harlequin Ranches MIDLAND EMPIRE (Include) swooped ’em from last place under Emma-Jayne Wilson and won his maiden for $11,500.

The final leg of the Pick 4 went to another closer, Plautia Uganulila, who scored for the Patton family for $11,500 and Quincy Welch gave the Yankee Gentleman filly a good ride.

 

In the finale, the MSW to maiden claiming move struck again at big odds as 15 to 1 TIME CAPSULE won for the Horsepower team of Bev Chubb and Tim Orlando. The winner is another one by Saffir, the young stallion at John Brown’s Spring Farm in Granton, Ontario. It was the filly’s 9th start and David Garcia gave her a good ride.

 

17 COULD START SUNDAY IN 152ND PLATE

$25,000 supplements would be Seawatch, Maple Leaf Kitten and Pender Harbour

QUEEN’S PLATE EXPECTED ENTRANTS

 How much they cost?    Horse     Trainer    Jockey     

$110,000 (US)     Bowman’s Causeway    Chad Brown     Eurico Rosa Da Silva      

HOMEBRED         Check Your Soul            Roger Attfield     Patrick Husbands      

HOMEBRED         Curgone                    Greg De Gannes     Garrett Gomez      

$4,000                Enduring Star            Mark Casse     Robby Albarado      

$100,000(can)     Head Honcho            Catherine Day Phillips     Jono Jones      

$15,000 (can)      Hippolytus            Mark Casse     Tyler Pizzaro      

HOMEBRED           Imhotep                    Todd Pletcher     Emile Ramsammy      

$90,000 (CAN)     Inglorious            Josie Carroll     Luis Contreras      

CLAIMED $75,000  Maple Leaf Kitten    Joe Woodard     Omar Moreno      

PRIVATE              Queensplatekitten    Todd Pletcher     John Velazquez      

HOMEBRED          Oh Canada            Robert Tiller     Emma-Jayne Wilson      

$22,000 (CAN)     Ojibway Signal            David Bell     Justin Stein      

$15,000 (CAN)     Okiyama                    John Mattine     Jesse Campbell      

$6,500 (CAN)      One Big Gator            John Ross     Jim McAleney      

$17,000 (CAN)     Pender Harbour            Mike DePaulo     Chantal Sutherland      

HOMEBRED          Seawatch            Josie Carroll     undecided      

$190,000 2YO      Strike Oil            Mark Casse     Willie Martinez      

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ROGER ATTFIELD, 71, GOING FOR 9 PLATES..girlfriend TINA KONYOT helps out with CHECK YOUR SOUL – Terence Dulay photo www.-horse races.net

 

 

ALBERTANS INVADE FOR CHANCE AT THE GUINEAS

Alberta’s business people have long been involved in thoroughbred racing and, until recently, the prvince had two

tracks racing furing the season, Stampede Park and Northlands. Stampede is now shut down for racing and Alberta

horsepeople have been pleading for a deal to get another track going, but meanwhile, some of the top stables from

the area are going to be on the big stage on Sunday at Woodbine. 

Denny Andrews, Sandra Lazaruk, Bob and Roberta Giffin, plus Verne and Donna and Dubinsky and Gus Vlahos all own

horses in the Queen’s Plate on Sunday.

It was back in 2006 with Jim and Alice Sapara, from Alberta, won the Plate with Edenwold. 

For Andrews, Lazaruk and the Giffins, the participation of Pender Harbour is as much as move for the gelding’s sire

as much as anything. While the sleek chestnut was not kept eligible for the Plate since he got started the year too

late, his finish in the Victoria Park Stakes behind Moonshine Mullin was encouraging.

Pender Harbour’s sire is PHILANTHROPIST, the Kris S.  – Hidden Reserve, Mr. Prospector stud at Gardiner Farms, was a

successful 1st crop sire last year and Andrews owns a share of the horse.

A late developing runner, Philanthropist sired speedy Medabuck plus stakes placed Wonder Wphil and winner Hippolytis

(also in the Plate) from his first crop.

Also, Andrews is part of the group that has OLD FORESTER, the hot Ontario sire who also has his 2nd crop racing. Old

Forester is represented by winner OKIYAMA in the Plate.

PENDER HARBOUR was a yearling purchase from breeder GARDINER FARMS, he cost $17,000.

The Dubinsky’s have a big chance to win their first Plate with Oaks winner INGLORIOUS. The daughter of Hennessy –

Noble Strike was a $90,000 yearling purchase and she has thrived this season under the patient handling of jockey

Luis Contreras.

Is she the next Dancethruthedawn, Dance Smartly, La Lorgnette? We will see.

And GUS VLAHOS will be in town to watch his OJIBWAY SIGNAL start in the Plate. The son of Queen’s Plate winner

NIIGON is a late running sort who has only nibbled this season and is just a 1-time winner, but the distance suits 

him. Vlahos owns the gelding with trainer David Bell.

ONTARIO SIRES WELL REPRESENTED

OLD FORESTER, NIIGON, PHILANTHROPIST, ONE WAY LOVE and STRUT THE STAGE, all Ontario stallions, account for 7 of the

17 early entrants for the Plate.

NOT BOURBON (Not Impossible) and T J’S LUCKY MOON (Tejabo) are the 2 Ontario sired Plate winners in the last deacde.

 

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TRIVIA…..Who was the last Queen’s Plate winner to SIRE A PLATE WINNER?

(Answer can be found somewhere on today’s post!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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CURGONE gets a kiss for luck from Mrs. Stritzl. Joe Stritzl bred the son of Niigon.

 

 

 

 

QUEEN’S PLATE WINNING BEYER SPEED FIGURE – PLATE TRIAL SPEED FIGURE (and its winner)

2011 ?                                             89 (Check Your Soul)           

2010 BIG RED MIKE              92        91 (Big Red Mike)

2009 EYE OF THE LEOPARD    92        85 (Eye of the Leopard)

2008 NOT BOURBON             93         88 (Not Bourbon)

2007 MIKE FOX                    90          88 (Jiggs Coz)

2006 EDENWOLD                 94           81 (Pipers Thunder)

2005 WILD DESERT             92           92 (Dance With Ravens)

2004 NIIGON                      97           97 (A Bit O’Gold)

2003 WANDO                     111          95 (Mobil)

2002 T J’S LUCKY MOON       86         89 (Shaws Creek)

2001 DANCETHRUTHEDAWN 94         96 (Win City)

2000 SCATTER THE GOLD    91         89 (Pete’s Sake)

 QUEEN’S PLATE POLL YIELDS INTERESTING RESULTS…

 

ONE BIG GATOR, 40% say he’s the Plate winner!

  http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/queensplate/Pages/default.aspx

 

WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS SYNDICATE  – 17 OWN ENDURING STAR

 

He might be on the small side, he may have cost just $4,000 but ENDURING STAR has a big heart and a big cheering section.

The little guy comes off an illness that he suffered following his maiden win.

West POint boss Terry Finley….“This is a very exciting time. We are so fortunate to be taking advantage of this lucrative Canadian bred program. There so so many opportunities for owners to run in restricted races with very nice purses. There aren’t many other places where you can have a horse eligible for a first level allowance that will be one of the picks in million dollar race. Buzz (Chace) and I loved this colt when we saw him in Ireland and he has really blossomed this year. It’s a good group of horses in the Queen’s Plate this year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you see our colt flying late.”

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ENDURING STAR, by Sir Shackleton, bred by Glenn Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm.

 

 

 

 

 

CANADIAN PRESS FEATURE

Veteran trainer Roger Attfield chasing record ninth Queen’s Plate victory

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press

TORONTO – He’s already one of Canada’s most accomplished horsemen and a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of

Fame. But on Sunday, Roger Attfield will look to become the most prolific trainer in Queen’s Plate history.

The native of Newbury, England, will attempt to win Canada’s most prized thoroughbred race for a record ninth time at Woodbine Racetrack. Attfield’s horse, Check Your Soul, tuned up for the $1-million 1 1/4-mile race with a convincing 3 1/4-length win in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial on June 5 at Woodbine.

“Well, the Queen’s Plate is Canada’s race, isn’t it?” Attfield said during the Plate barbecue Monday at Woodbine.  “There are people out there who have been training and owning horses for their lifetime and haven’t won the race and it’s a dream to win it.

“To go for my ninth is incredible and it would be great to break that record. It was set when I was born, I think so  t’s about time someone caught the old rascal.”

Attfield, who now calls Nobleton, Ont., home, moved into a tie with Harry Giddings Jr. for most career Plate wins by  a trainer in 2008 when Not Bourbon emerged victorious. Giddings Jr. registered his victories between 1911 (St. Bass)  and 1942 (Ten to Ace) before his death 1949.

He was inducted posthumously in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1985.

Attfield, 71, has enjoyed immense racing success in Canada. Three of his horses have captured the Canadian Triple Crown (With Approval in 1989, Izvestia in 1990 and Peteski in 1993) and he has conditioned six horses of the year and eight times received the Sovereign award as the country’s top trainer.

Check Your Soul should give Attfield more than a decent shot at making Queen’s Plate history. After not racing as a two-year-old, the dark bay colt has won his last three starts and has a disposition that reminds Attfield a lot of Izvestia.

“He’s got a very laid-back temperament,” Attfield said. “Izvestia was very similar to him in the respect that he’d more or less let me do what I wanted to do with him in the mornings.

“This guy, nothing seems to bother him at all.”

Check Your Soul also has history working in his favour. Five of Attfield’s eight previous Plate Trial victors went on to win the Queen’s Plate, the last being Not Bourbon. As well, the last three Plate Trail winners — Not Bourbon, Eye of the Leopard in 2009 and Big Red Mike in 2010 — have gone on to win the Plate.

Heady stuff indeed considering the son of Perfect Soul stepped on a racetrack for the first time in March. “He was very tall, backward and fast-growing horse and a big gangly kid, really,” Attfield sad. “He also had a bit of a chip in his ankle so we took it out and that made us slow up on him anyways, which was a blessing in disguise.

“But we weren’t really going to do much with him as a two-year-old anyways, he might’ve run once only. It’s quite a bit more difficult when they haven’t run as two-year-olds but we certainly had a program for him and he hasn’t skipped a beat.”

READ MORE – cANADIAN PRESS

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FORT ERIE TUESDAY

TYZACH (Sharp Humor) upset heavily favoured TIME MACHINE in the featyred race at the Fort yesterday and posted a 74 Beyer Figure to remain unbeaten. The 3yo, a $4,500 yearling purchase by Richard Hogan for Norm McKnight and partners, is out of Northlands Oaks winner Fantasy of Caro.

Tome Machine had won by 17 lengths in his previous race with an 80 Beyer Figure.

LUIS CONTRERAS was at Fort Erie yesterday to ride TYZACH who was 2 to 1. ( And by the way, Canadian star VICTORIA PARK SIRED pLATE WINNERS IN 1970, 71 AND 72 and was last Plate winner to sire a Plate winner)

 

RAPID REDUX IS 11 FOR 11 IN 2011

AND HE’S WON 13 RACES IN SUCCESSION!!!

 

THE KNIGHT SKY reports on this gelding…

http://theknightskyracing.blogspot.com/2011/06/rapid-redux-big-fishs-streak-reaches-13.html

 

 

 

HEADING INTO THIS WEEK’S RACING..

WOODBINE LEADING OWNERS

1    Bear Stables, Ltd.       64    16    4    5    $622,539    25%    25    39%

2    Donver Stable            16    5    0    1    $547,479    31%    6    38%

3    Stronach Stables         39    7    10    6    $421,744    18%    23    59%

4    Melnyk Racing StabInc   21    8    2    1    $416,137    38%    11    52%

5    Robert Smithen             6    1    2    2    $247,826    17%    5    83%

6    Cappuccitti,AudreGordon 24    3    3    4    $239,988    13%    10    42%

7    Windhaven                   19    2    5    2    $233,461    11%    9    47%

8    Frank D. Di Giulio, Jr.    16    1    1    5    $225,785    6%    7    44%

9    Charles E. Fipke             4    3    0    1    $212,618    75%    4    100%

10    Tucci Stables               36    4    6    11    $204,583    11%    21    58%

WOODBINE LEADING TRAINERS

1    Mark E. Casse    153    32    21    18    $1,655,485    21%    71    46%

2    Reade Baker        90    18    16    9    $943,625    20%    43    48%

3    Robert  Tiller        80    15    14    10    $750,289    19%    39    49%

4    Sid C. Attard        75    13    13    15    $805,407    17%    41    55%

5    Steven Asmussen  58    12    12    8    $408,722    21%    32    55%

5    Michael V. Pino      35    12    6    4    $275,414    34%    22    63%

7    Laurie Silvera       59    11    7    8    $448,529    19%    26    44%

8    Josie Carroll         41    10    2    6    $858,740    24%    18    44%

8    Michael Doyle       90    10    12    8    $578,905    11%    30    33%

8    Sam Di Pasquale   58    10    12    6    $400,961    17%    28    48%

11    Roger Attfield      46    9    12    9    $697,385    20%    30    65%

11    Scott Fairlie         77    9    8    13    $308,606    12%    30    39%

JOCKEYS

1    Luis Contreras        316    68    60    47    $3,449,037    22%    175    55%

2    Patrick Husbands    216    53    29    30    $2,520,671    25%    112    52%

3    Eurico Rosa Da Silva   251    50    42    31    $2,220,332    20%    123    49%

4    Emma-Jayne Wilson   232    32    43    31    $1,735,759    14%    106    46%

5    Tyler Pizarro             187    29    19    23    $1,423,539    16%    71    38%

6    Omar Moreno           203    24    27    25    $1,168,922    12%    76    37%

7    Emile Ramsammy     185    23    15    22    $1,047,161    12%    60    32%

8    Justin Stein               167    20    22    18    $1,012,475    12%    60    36%

9    David Clark              133    16    17    21    $898,727    12%    54    41%

10    James McAleney       116    15    12    14    $853,704    13%    41    35%

FORT ERIE LEADING JOCKEYS

1    Christopher Griffith    92    21    10    11    $194,300    23%    42    46%

2    Kirk Johnson    86    14    16    12    $173,620    16%    42    49%

2    Krista Carignan    106    14    16    12    $159,133    13%    42    40%

4    Real E. Simard    98    13    15    18    $158,427    13%    46    47%

5    Martin Ramos Ramirez    64    12    7    9    $115,356    19%    28    44%

6    Betty Jo Williams    37    9    5    8    $83,351    24%    22    59%

7    Brian A. Cheyne    84    8    18    9    $114,286    10%    35    42%

7    Terry Husbands    53    8    7    8    $96,978    15%    23    43%

7    Kristopher Robinson    88    8    4    13    $88,304    9%    25    28%

TRAINERS

1    John Simms    29    9    3    4    $68,648    31%    16    55%

2    Sam Di Pasquale    11    7    2    0    $47,333    64%    9    82%

3    Layne S. Giliforte    14    6    2    3    $49,834    43%    11    79%

4    Ross Armata    36    5    10    2    $70,256    14%    17    47%

4    Gary Chudobiak    33    5    7    3    $52,286    15%    15    45%

4    Marilyn G. McMullen    47    5    2    5    $50,169    11%    12    26%

4    Nicholas Gonzalez    31    5    4    2    $47,820    16%    11    35%

4    Anthony Husbands    13    5    2    1    $40,432    38%    8    62%