X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and SF Racing LLC’s Moira (Ghostzapper) were listed as favorites on the morning of February 5 in the Queen’s Plate draw on Wednesday morning, held at Woodbine’s newly opened Stella Artois Terrace. In addition to winner Woodbine Oaks, who will exit gate #8 with regular pilot Rafael Hernandez on board, a total of 10 ponies signed on for Sunday’s $1 million long-haired Classic, the jewel. first in the Canadian Triple Crown.
Coach Kevin Attard, who is looking for the first Plate win, said: “Usually, when you win the Oaks, depending on how impressive they are, you always have to think about The Queen’s Plate. “It’s something we’ve always had in mind and we’ve oriented her campaign so Tam will be her third race of the season and she’ll be fresh.”
A double draw format was applied to the session, with the order of selection established first before allowing connections to choose their posting locations.
Likely to garner plenty of support on Sunday, Borders Racing Stable Ltd.’s Rondure (Oxbow) has been allocated post 6. Trained by Katerina Vassilieva, GIII winner Marine S. will be accompanied by Flavien Prat.
Vassilieva said: “He is not too big in terms of physique, but he is very chubby. “He has a stout, muscular body and a big heart. He likes to sleep. Every day, around 10:30 or 11 o’clock, he eats breakfast and then goes to bed. You’ll find him around that time, every day, sprawled out in his stall. It’s always a good sign to me, that he knows how to rest and relax.”
No stranger to Queen’s Plate, coach Mark Casse, who won Plate with Lexie Lou (2014) and Wonder Gadot (2018), will be represented by Heste Sport Inc. Sir for sure (Sligo Bay {Ire}) who will leave 10th as well as Gary Barber, Wachtel Stables, Peter Deutsch and Leonard Schleifer’s Hall of Dreams (Lemon Drop Kid), who jumped off the tracks. Stable members finished 1-2 in the July 24 Plate Trial.
“The Plate trial was really my second choice,” the dual Hall of Fame moderator said of the two more likely Casse athletes. “Two days before the Plate Trial, there was a grant for an Ontario breeder who walked a mile and a half, and I was trying to find the easiest route to The Queen’s Plate because he was a bit behind after the injury. love. But the race did not take place. [Owner] Rene [Hunderup] very good with running him in the Plate Trial, so we did. I don’t need him to win, I just need him to show that he still wants to play the game. I think it’s very powerful and he had a great ride from [jockey] Declan [Carroll]. “
Always a dominant force south of the border, Hall of Fame coach Todd Pletcher will attempt to score another second victory at Plate with the Chiefwood Stables’ Causin ‘Mayhem (Into Mischief), who broke her maidenhood at Belmont before finishing third last in the Plate Challenge. Pletcher previously won with Archers Bay in 1998.
Rounding this field is Shamateur (Shaman Ghost) (8-1, Lesson 2); Ironstone (Mr. Speaker) (12-1, Lesson 3); Minkster (English Channel) (10-1, Lesson 4); Duke of Love (Cupid) (5-1 Lesson 5); Dancin in Da’nile (Pioneerof the Nile) (30-1, Post 7) and Hunter (Hunter’s Bay) (30-1, Lesson 9).
