Beyond the Finish Line

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By BEVERLEY SMITH

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Start Your Engines for the 2019 Queen’s Plate

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Avie’s Flatter is the 5 to 2 morning line favourite for the Plate for his owner Ivan Dalos, who has tried four times to win this race, and finished second twice with Amis Gizmo three years ago and AMi’s Holiday in 2014.He was Canada’s outstanding breeder in 2017

This is a milestone year for the Queen’s Plate: it’s the 160th running, so many years from the first, won by Don Juan.

Don Juan had to run three heats to win it and defeat seven others in Toronto, which at the time had a population of 44,425.

This time, there are 14 horses, and it’s one dash for $1-million in front as the crowd tries to muster up the Royal Ascot flavour. Yes, there’s a Hats and Horseshoes party.

The record time for the 1 ¼ miles was set by the little grey Izvestia 29 years ago. The longest priced winner was T.J.’s Lucky Moon at 82 to 1 (he paid $166 for a $2 win ticket in 2002). The shortest price winner was Victoria Park in 1960, paying only $2.10 for that two buck ticket. The largest margin of victory was Izvestia’s 13-length romp in 1990. The smallest margin of victory was a nose, eeked out by three horses, Blue Light in 1961, Fiddle Dancer Boy in 1981, and With Approval, the grey who always liked to keep his owners on edge with close finishes, in 1989.

Avelino Gomez, Sandy Hawley and Robin Platts have each won four Plates. No jockey in the field today has won more than two: Patrick Husbands won with Wando in 2003, and Lexie Lou in 2014; Luis Contreras won with two fillies, Inglorious in 2011 and Holy Helena in 2017; and Eurico Rosa da Silva scored with Eye of the Leopard in 2009 and Big Red Mike in 2010.

They all hope to add to their totals: Husbands gets 15 to 1 shot He’s a Macho Man for trainer Josie Carroll, Contreras has Tone Broke, a 6 to 1 shot for Steve Asmussen that has never raced over a synthetic track. And Da Silva gets 4 to 1 shot Skywire, winner of the Wando Stakes, second in the Marine, for trainer Mark Casse, the guy who won the Preakness this year with War of Will and the Belmont Stakes with Sir Winston, both horses that raced at Woodbine last year.

Hall of Fame Roger Attfield is tied with Harry Giddings Jr., with the most winners of the Plate – eight – but Attfield doesn’t have a shot to break the record. Alas, he has no horse in the Plate. He has two interesting fillies in the Dance Smartly Stakes, probably one of the most intriguing races on the 13-race card.

So here are some of them, the contenders in a fascinating edition, whose owners all anted up $10,000 for the final entry fee:

Federal Law, a 15 to 1 shot, will be ridden by British star Jamie Spencer because the horse’s owner, Qatar Racing Ltd. Federal Law won the Queenston Stakes, but was outfooted as the favourite in the Plate Trial by longshot Pay for Peace. Federal Law is seen here in the post parade with jockey Gary Boulanger.
Desert Ride is the only filly in the field but this race has been won by 46 fillies, nine since the race moved to Woodbine, and three fillies have won in the past four years. Desert Ride is fresh from a win in the Woodbine Oaks, and gives the venerable Sam-Son Farms a boost.Sam Son has won five Plates, but not in 10 years. She has also helped bring a spark to jockey Steve Bahen’s career. At 8 to 1, he steered her to an upset neck win. She’s 8 to 1 here, too, and starts from the rail.
Jammin Still is a 30 to 1 shot that finished seventh in the Plate Trial. Trainer Kevin Attard always thought highly of the son of Take Charge Indy, a $87,000 Keeneland yearling purchase,. He won his first race on the turf last September, and then he was fifth in the Coronation Futurity. He has only one start under his belt this year and was second although he didn’t get the best of trips. Plate contender He’s a Macho Man defeated him by three-quarters of a length. He “threw craps” in the Plate Trial, Attard said. But he’s worked well since.
Krachenwagen is a 50 to 1 shot, but he’s like the little engine that could for first time Plate trainer Angus Buntain and first-time Plate jockey Jeffrey Alderson.
Moon Swings is one of two horses trained by Mike De Paulo in the Plate. He hasn’t won a race in nine starts, but he wouldn’t be the first to break his maiden in Canada’s biggest race. Scatter the Gold did it in 2001 and Golden Choice in 1986. Moon Swings was a pricey ($120,000) son of Malibu Moon at a Keenland yearling sale but comes from one of Canada’s top nurseries, the Bill Graham Stable. He finished fourth in the Plate Trial. Last year, he finished third in the Cup and Saucer and Coronation Futurity. “Every jock that’s been on him says there’s more there. He just hasn’t given it to us,” De Paulo said. He’s 30 to 1 with Jesse Campbell in the irons.

 

One Bad Boy, a ship-in from California, is best known for finishing second to one-time Kentucky Derby favourite Omaha Beach in a maiden race at Santa Anita. Omaha Beach defeated him by nine lengths. He has raced once on a synthetic track in his most recent start at Golden Gate Fields in California and has trained well on the Tapeta. He’s a powerful looking horse that loves to bite, hence the name His sister, Miss Bad Behaviour is a stakes winner, but has a sweeter disposition. California trainer Richard Baltas has a knack for turning a bargain horse into a money maker. One Bad Boy was a $65,000 yearling purchase from Ontario breeder Ron Clarkson. One Bad Boy is second choice at 7 to 2. (Michael Burns Photo)
Pay for Peace upset the cart in the Plate Trial, winning by almost two lengths as a 20 to 1 shot. Despite the win, he’s still 15 to 1 in the morning line for the Plate. “Off that last race, he deserves a chance, doesn’t he?” said trainer Rachel Halden. “It wasn’t expected, but we were hopeful of it. We’ve always believed in him and that’s why we’ve kept him eligible for the Plate.” Pay for Peace has taken a while to mature mentally. He might be coming around at the right time. He will relish the distance.

 

Rising Star hasn’t won a race in eight starts, but the son of Ghostzapper (who has sired two Queen’s Plate winners) originally sold for $325,000 and still eventually ended up in Mike De Paulo’s barn. He finished third in the Plate Trial, even after being bumped around and bounced off the rail on the backside. He galloped out well in the race and gets Justin Stein, winner of the 2012 Plate with Strait of Dover, in the saddle.
Pray for Peace, with Luis Contreras riding. In the Plate, he gets Rafael Hernandez

 

Desert Ride, before the Woodbine Oaks.
Jockey Steve Bahen last won a Plate in 2002 with T.J.’s Lucky Moon, the longest shot ever to win at 82 to 1. After 17 years, he’s ready for another. This will be his 13th mount in the Plate. Sam-Son Farm (and it’s famous gold and red colours) have started 42 horses in the Plate, and another two in partnership.
Bold Script is a talented grey filly that finished second in the Cup and Saucer to Avie’s Flatter, and then won the Princess Elizabeth Stakes by 7 1/2 lengths. She finished second to Desert Ride in the Woodbine Oaks, but will run in the Bison City on the weekend, to contest the second jewel in the filly Triple Crown, rather than face the colts in the Plate.
The stretch run of the Woodbine Oaks, with Bold Script to the inside and Desert Ride charging up on the outside.
Desert Ride, a gutsy filly, winning the Oaks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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