Prince of Wales Preview: Who Will Head To The Fort?

The Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, will go to post at beautiful Fort Erie Race Track on Sunday afternoon. I made the rounds of the Woodbine backstretch on Monday morning to try and firm up which Queen's Plate entrants would make the trip to the border oval. Here are the results:

Will Queen's Plate winner Big Red Mike go wire-to-wire at Fort Erie this Sunday?


IN:
Big Red Mike (Winner of the Queen's Plate)
Hotep (2nd in the Queen's Plate, bulleted 5F in 59.80 on the Woodbine dirt on Sunday.)
Dark Cloud Dancer (*Will be entered, but may not go. Worked 5F in 1:00.80 on the Woodbine dirt on Sunday.)
Who We Gunna Call (Plate entrant worked 5F in 1:02.20 at the Fort on Sunday.)
Captain Canuck (Worked a bullet 5F in 59.80 at the Fort on Sunday.)
Mobil Unit (Keogh trainee breezed 6F in 1:12 on the Woodbine dirt on Saturday.)
Mobthewarrior (Plate entrant breezed 5F in 59.80 on the Woodbine poly on Sunday.)

Who We Gunna Call is asking for a little more speed to chase on Sunday


OUT:
Giant's Tomb (Finished fourth in the Queen's Plate.)
D's Wando (Could be racing on the turf this weekend.)
Vicar Street (Plate entrant will look to break his maiden elsewhere.)
Mobilizer (Plate entrant on a break.)
Moment of Majesty (Plate entrant)
Roan Inish (Plate entrant is pointed to the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga on August 21st.)

Oaks winning filly Roan Inish has her sights set on Saratoga


UNCONFIRMED - (Conditioners Mike Doyle and Sid Attard managed to avoid me!)
Ghost Fleet (Plate entrant breezed 5F in 1:02.40 on the Woodbine dirt on Monday morning.)
Smart Sky (Plate entrant.)

Trainer Mike Doyle was tipped off that a backstretch blogger was trying to find him


As well, there is one not-so-secret mystery entrant that is likely to be entered by trainer Brian Lynch once he's considered his options over a cup of coffee.

*UPDATE: Bill Tallon has now confirmed my not-so-subtle hint regarding Golden Moka. For details, click here.

The full field should be firmed up no later than Wednesday of this week and I'll keep the blog updated accordingly. Be sure to add Fort Erie Race Track on your Facebook for daily updates.

While doing the rounds I had a quick word* with trainers Mike Keogh and Greg de Gannes regarding their entrants Mobil Unit and Mobthewarrior.

*One of the greatest answers ever offered to a reporter was by Scottish footballing legend Gordon Strachan. As the story goes:
Reporter: "Gordon, can we have a quick word please?"
Strachan: "Velocity" [walks off]

For more genius from Strachan click on this link.

And now a few words with Mike Keogh who will ship Mobil Unit to Fort Erie early Sunday morning.

TDH: First, how is Artic Fern doing?
MK: He's good. We sent him for a scintigraphy and he lit up on his pastern so we brought him back and bucked the pastern and he was sound as a bell. We've x-rayed it four times now and still can't find anything. I'm not going to bring him back this year. I'm going to give him this year off.

Artic Fern will return in 2011


TDH: Why the long layoff?
MK: I'm just scared that just because it's not showing on x-ray that it still might be something underlying. I don't want to take the chance. For him to be that lame it had to be something and I just don't want to take a chance.

TDH: Why have you decided to start Mobil Unit in the Prince of Wales?
MK: Actually, when he won his last start if it hadn't been so close to the Plate I would have run him. The main reason for going is that I always train them on the training track and he always works very well. Down in Aiken, it's a dirt track, where I train them in the Winter he does very well there so I thought I'd give him a chance.

Mike Keogh and Mobil Unit head to Fort Erie on Sunday


TDH: Do you expect Mobil Unit to rate in the Prince of Wales?
MK: He's usually fairly close to the pace and the way the speed is holding down there at the moment you don't think you'd want to be too far off.

TDH: Was there any though of starting Woodland Flute as well?
MK: I think he's strictly turf. Omar (Moreno) worked him for me two days ago on the training track and he said 'what a difference on turf to the poly or dirt'. I'm just going to keep him on the grass.

As I spoke with Keogh, this wee filly stuck her head out of her stall and rested it on my shoulder for the duration of the interview! Her name is Silver Spring and she's just a baby.


TDH: Would that mean there's a possibility we might see Woodland Flute in the Breeders Stakes. (3rd leg of the Triple Crown going a mile and a half on the turf.)
MK: I'm not sure if he wants to go that far. He's got Wando on the sire side so that gets you the trip for sure as he won it (the Breeders) but it bothers me a little that he's a half to Woodsmoke and you couldn't drag her a yard over seven eighths!

TDH: How do you feel about West Ham's summer signings?
MK: I like that little Mexican guy (Pable Barrera) that they signed. He looks like he might be alright. They won their first game against Borussia Monchengladbach the other day, beat them 2-0.

On my way out I ran into Keogh's super sleek First Circle who was out grazing. First Circle set the pace in Sunday's Dance Smartly Stakes.

Isn't she just a great looking filly?


*Moments after arriving back home I found out that my Liverpool had signed ex-Chelsea, and former West Ham prodigy, Joe Cole. At this point, I've almost completely blocked out Liverpool's 2009 campgaign and I can't wait for the new season to start. The Woodbine backstretch features a wide array of football supporters: Obviously, Keogh is a Hammers supporter. Conditioner Brian Lynch wears Liverpool gear frequently. Ian Black is a Reading man. Ex-Asmussen galloper Alex Brown is a Man City supporter. Perhaps I'll start to work some football analysis into future posts.
As I walked from Keogh's barn to the main track I caught up with Greg De Gannes - conditioner of Mobthewarrior.

TDH: How did Mob come out of the Queen's Plate?
GdG: Very well. He's put on weight. He's happy, healthy and we're heading to the Prince Of Wales with a strong hand.

Mobthewarrior will be prepared for battle on Sunday


TDH: What did you think of his Plate run?
GdG: I wasn't happy with the pace of the race. He needs a little more pace to run at but you play the cards you're dealt. He was wide throughout and forced (jockey Ramsammy) Emile's hand into moving him earlier than he wanted to but he fought hard and there is no disrespecting his effort.

TDH: It was difficult conditions in the Plate with the heat and the crowd...
GdG: He seemed to handle it all and he's a pretty cool customer so I wasn't worried about how he'd handle the whole ordeal.

There's a chance Mobthewarrior could clean up on the dirt at Fort Erie


TDH: Do you think Mob will handle the dirt?
GdG: He trained all winter really well at Palm Meadows on the dirt. He's such an easy moving horse. I've trained out here a few times on the training track and he's such an easy going horse it doesn't seem to make a difference what surface he's on.

TDH: Do you think the pace of the Prince of Wales will be quicker?
GdG: I hope so. Hopefully someone will go up and take Big Red Mike off the bit a little bit. They usually have that track pretty fast on Prince of Wales day, so we'll see what happens.

Maybe he'll win by a head...


TDH: When does Mob leave for Fort Erie?
GdG: I'm not going until the morning of the race. He does well here at home and it's his own environment.

I'll have more notes on the Prince of Wales Stakes throughout the week so keep checking back.

* * *

Gus Shickendanz turfer Marlang notched a victory in the $100K G3 Sunset at Hollywood Park on the closing day of their meet. Marlang led throughout under a confident ride by Joel Rosario for trainer Neil Drysdale. The five year-old Langfuhr horse out of Marienburg held off a late challenge from Champ Pegasus in the final eighth of a mile for the win. The Canadian-bred last won on August 31, 2008 when he captured the G3 Saranac at Saratoga.

Marlang wins the $100K Sunset at Hollywood Park


* * *

Grand Adventure will be one of several contesting the Nijinksy Stakes this weekend at Woodbine. More on that event to come throughout the week.
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Keep track of the latest goings on in the world of horse racing by clicking into TripleDeadHeat's Woodbine News page.

Queen's Plate Profiler: The Versatile Artic Fern

Artic Fern had a rather shy beginning to the Queen’s Plate trail finishing second in his lone start as a two year-old while battling shin issues. The Mike Keogh fellow goes by the barn name of “Bobby”, after the timid Howie Mandel character from the cartoon Bobby’s World.

“When I first started riding him all the other horses were geldings and he was a colt and had to be in a paddock on his own,” explained “Bobby’s” one-time exercise rider Kevin Pasher. And then putting on his best Howie Mandel impression Pasher added, “I would get up to ride him in the morning and ask the other horses ‘would you be my friend’. But now he’s gelded and made a few more friends.”

You got a friend in me - Kevin Pasher and Artic Fern ham it up


The Langfuhr gelding has certainly made new friends at the ticket window. Artic Fern opened his 2010 campaign with a smart victory over touted Sam-Son Farms runner Dark Cloud Dancer at odds of 10-1 on April 17th and followed that performance with a surprise two and a quarter length victory over the much-hyped Mobilizer on May 23rd at odds of 6-1.

Artic Fern is one of two Queen’s Plate contenders in Keogh’s barn, the other being Mobil Unit, and it is telling how much Artic Fern has improved given that the 2010 Queen’s Plate winter book listed Mobil Unit at 12-1 while his quiet stable mate was offered at a generous 250-1.

Trainer Mike Keogh and Mobil Unit


In speaking with Keogh at his barn back in early May on a stormy morning, the conditioner spoke cautiously about his two star three year-olds.

“Mobil Unit just ran at the weekend (finishing 5th on May 9th.) We had to take chips out of his knee last year so he got a late start to training,” stated Keogh. “That’s the only thing that concerns me with him. Also his form looks better on the turf and I’m not so sure he’s not a better turf horse. I think we’ll still point him that way and see.”

Artic Fern and groom Kevin Adams


Keogh’s assessment of Mobil Unit as a turfer proved true when he ran the Mobil gelding in the Bold Ruckus Stakes this past weekend. Mobil Unit would finish eighth over a yielding course and appears to be off the Plate trail for now.

Artic Fern and Pasher pose for the camera


In hindsight, Keogh seemed optimistic about Artic Fern’s chances for the Queen’s Plate.

“The other little guy, Artic Fern, I was very impressed with his first race against the highly regarded Sam-Son horse (Dark Cloud Dancer) so it looks good on him,” said Keogh. “He worked back well so I’ve got some high hopes for him but whether he can go that far is another matter.”

Wando wins the 2003 Queen's Plate for trainer Mike Keogh


Keogh has won the Queen’s Plate twice previously with Woodcarver in 1999 and Wando in 2003, the latter going on to win the Canadian Triple Crown. Keogh would not compare Artic Fern’s running style to that of Wando.

“They’re all individuals and just because you win it a couple times doesn’t mean you can train them the same way,” stated Keogh. “They’re all different. Race wise with Wando I had a plan as I wanted to be six weeks out at the Plate - win the Marine and then six weeks to the Plate but these guys (Mobil Unit and Artic Fern) didn’t get to run as well. Artic Fern only ran once as a two year-old so the schedule is a little tighter for me and I didn’t want to run him in the Queenston because i think that’ll be way too tough for his second start. So I ‘m gonna duck that and there’s an allowance race the following week going two turns. I was hoping there would be a seven furlong race the same day as the Queenston but there wasn’t.”

At the end of the rainbow, you'll find the hind end of Artic Fern


While Essence Hit Man romped the Queenston on May 15th, Artic Fern bided his time and waited for a May 23rd allowance event which he won comfortably by two and a quarter lengths once again on the engine as Mobilizer closed in vain. Artic Fern earned a 97 Beyer figure in a dominant display.

Artic Fern leads the field through the stretch as Mobilizer chases..


Keogh enjoyed Artic Fern's effort that day and watched the replay from the rail with owner/breeder Gus Shickendanz who was recently elected to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

"I was very pleased with it, he did all the donkey work," smiled Keogh on the day. "He's still a little green but he galloped out very well."

At the wire it's Artic Fern by a comfortable margin over Mobilizer


The May 23rd victory dismissed any questions that might have existed regarding the class of Artic Fern but it also opened the gelding up to the query of whether or not he needed the lead to succeed. A question well worth asking given Essence Hit Man’s rumble in the Queenston and the emergence of fast filly Embur’s Song.

Artic Fern defeats Mobilizer in a 1/16M Allowance event


Keogh addressed the topic on that rainy May morning on the backstretch.

“He works in behind horses,” said Keogh. “I’ve worked him 3/4 of a mile twice now on the training track and I’ve worked him in behind horses and then let him come and join them down the lane and finish up with them. He’s done it very well. I don’t know if he can do it in the afternoon as he breaks so sharply from the gate. He leaves there like a rocket so we’ll have to wait and see on that.”

Happy connections pose with the gelded son of Langfuhr


The conditioner had to wait until June 5th for a response but the answer was well worth the wait. In a six horse field routing a mile and a sixteenth, Artic Fern was content to stalk the lead of the tough True Metropolitan through fractions of 24.1, 48 and 1:12. As True Metropolitan led the field through the final turn, jockey David Clark asked Artic Fern for more and his charge responded easily dismissing the field in a time of 1:44.3.

Artic Fern stalks to victory over True Metropolitan


The win goes a long way toward convincing potential backers of Artic Fern’s versatility under a potentially flammable Plate pace. But even back in May, Keogh wasn’t that concerned about leading the pack.

“My two Plate winners were on the lead, right,” shrugged Keogh. “It’s not the be all and end all.”

Perhaps more important than pace scenario is that Artic Fern’s pedigree appears to stand the test of class as well. His sire, Langfuhr, provided Plate winner Wando and his dam, Wood Fern, is a full sister to the Plate winner Woodcarver.

A race so nice, they'll watch it twice - Owner/Breeder Gus Schickendanz and trainer Mike Keogh enjoy the replay of Artic Fern's win over Mobilizer

The Epsom born conditioner, and avid West Ham supporter, has enjoyed several splashes of success at Woodbine with a trio of stallions in Langfuhr, Wando and Mobil for owner/breeder Gus Schickendanz. On July 4th, Keogh will look to complete a triple of another sort when Artic Fern tries to become his third Queen’s Plate winner. Should the stars align, writers could well make mention of how good things come in threes as Keogh and Shickendanz share two Plate wins with Woodcarver and Wando while their jockey David Clark already a winner of two Plates with Fiddle Dancer Boy and the filly La Lorgnette seek a classic hat trick.

To be sure, Keogh won't care if the race is won on the lead or from out of the clouds.

* * *

For more on the 2010 Queen's Plate including profiles of Captain Canuck, Roan Inish, Essence Hit Man, Race For Gold and Big Red Mike click on the link to view TripleDeadHeat's Plate Contender page.