Queen's Plate Profiler: Hotep Leads Sam-Son Triple Threat

When it comes to analyzing the Queen's Plate, handicappers go back and forth trying to sort out if the pace scenario will better benefit a front-runner, a stalker or a closer. In Sunday's Gallop For The Guineas, Sam-Son Farms conditioner Mark Frostad has effectively tapped the "ALL" button with his three colts Dark Cloud Dancer, Hotep and Giant's Tomb.

Patrick Husbands has chosen Hotep from three prominent Sam-Son entrants


Frostad doesn't disagree with that analysis.

"That's why it's alright to run them all in the same race," explained Frostad. "They're not going to kill each other off. Giant's Tomb is definitely come from behind. If it's a real fast pace he'll be a factor I would think. Hotep can rate pretty well and same with Dark Cloud Dancer. We'll see how it pans out. Hopefully everybody gets a trip."

Dark Cloud Dancer would like to get his photo taken Sunday as well


Of the trio, Dark Cloud Dancer is the most lightly raced with a win and two seconds in just three starts. However, his pedigree suggests the son of Storm Cat is well suited to the Queen's Plate.

"He's a very nice horse. His dam (Dancethruthedawn) won the Plate," agreed Frostad. "I have no doubt he'll get the mile and a quarter. The only problem with him is seasoning. Hopefully he gets a good easy trip."

Dark Cloud Dancer stares down his shed row at stalls belonging to Giant's Tomb, Hotep and Grand Adventure


The colt has been near the lead in all three lifetime starts which include a solid second place effort first out against the now injured Artic Fern on May 16th; a maiden breaking performance at seven furlongs on May 16th; and most recently a second place finish going a mile and eighth that earned Dark Cloud Dancer an 81 Beyer in a race where the colt hung late.

Javier Castellano will ride Dark Cloud Dancer in the Queen's Plate and the jock has some history with the horse having worked the colt earlier this year at Keeneland. Patrick Husbands was aboard for all three previous starts.

Dark Cloud Dancer hopes to win the Queen's Plate by a nose


Giant's Tomb will also have the benefit of a new jockey on Sunday when Mike Smith flies in to Woodbine to pick up the mount. Frostad is hoping that a little of Smith's magic touch with Zenyatta might rub off on his late-running colt.

Giant's Tomb shows us his good side


"He's a good money rider," stated Frostad about the veteran Smith. "He won the Belmont this year and he rides Zenyatta so I guess it's alright to let him on our horse. He rode very well in the Plate last year (finishing second on Mr. Foricos Two U) and he'll suit the horse. He can come from behind and is experienced that way. A top rider."

Fans of Giant's Tomb will hope Husbands made the wrong choice


While Smith will give added oomph to the stock of Giant's Tomb, it seems that once again the colt is entered in a race that lacks the pace to suit his closing style. This plodding son of Awesome Again will have to hope another horse steps up to take on the lone speed, on paper at least, of Plate Trial winner Big Red Mike.

A curious Giant's Tomb eyes the camera


Frostad was pleased with the efforts of Giant's Tomb in the Plate Trial when Husbands and the chestnut colt closed seven-wide to finish fourth.

"He ran a lot further than everyone else," said Frostad. "If you go by the sheets he got the best number in either the Plate Trial or the Oaks. Whether that means a whole lot depends on if you're a real advocate or fan of the sheets. He certainly fits in that group. Everything would have to go his way but it just might well go his way."

Giant's Tomb always makes a lovely paddock presentation


Upon review of the historical Trackus Charts for the June 13th Plate Trial (Race 8) it stands out that Giant’s Tomb and Mobthewarrior raced 61 and 51 feet further than the winner respectively. That’s a significant amount of added distance. (For added analysis, you can download a free copy of the Thorograph Sheets for the Queen's Plate by clicking here)

Hotep and his groom Chico


The likely pick of the three Sam-Son entrants is Hotep who won the Wando Stakes on May 8th. The son of A.P. Indy is a full brother to 2009 Queen's Plate winner Eye of the Leopard. Hotep is an excitable horse and gets extremely charged on race day. Last time out, the colt finished second to the excellent Exhi in the mile and a sixteenth Marine Stakes.

"He was coming back three weeks weeks off the Wando," recalled Frostad. "He needs a little more time before a race as he gets pretty revved up for a race and we went to the Marine which gave us five weeks to prepare for the Plate. I think he'll be set to go."

A recent six furlong workout pitted all three Sam-Son entrants against each other with Hotep squeezing through before the wire to “win”. Both Hotep and Dark Cloud Dancer appeared to gallop out stronger than Giant's Tomb. You can watch the workout by clicking here.

Frostad is quick to point out that Hotep is a very different horse from his Plate winning brother.

"He's a nice horse and very fit. The only questions is will he get a mile and a quarter," said Frostad. "His brother did it, but his brother was a different type altogether. He (Eye of the Leopard) was 17 hands and had more of a grinding style. This guy has actually got some pretty good kick. He's more difficult to ride than our other horses. You have to get him settled and wait."

That Husbands has chosen Hotep from the trio of entrants is telling. And without getting too far ahead of ourselves, Frostad does believe the horse has some turf pedigree for the Breeder's Stakes should his charge fare well in the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown.

"He's out of a Smart Strike mare (Eye of the Sphinx) who was second in the Wonder Where," stated Frostad. "Turf shouldn't be a problem.

A shy Hotep emerges from the shadows


Sam-Son Farms will be trying to win its sixth Queen's Plate on Sunday and Frostad will be hoping that one of his troika of thoroughbreds will join Regal Intention, Dance Smartly, Scatter The Gold, Dancethruthedawn and Eye of the Leopard in the record books - and Frostad won't care if the trip to the winners circle is by stalking or closing just as long as he gets there.

Hotep won't be celebrating in front of an empty grandstand this Sunday


* * *

There is no shortage of news stories making the rounds at Woodbine this week.

First the negative:

A Bloodhorse.Com report advises that owner Bruno Shickedanz has been banned from Woodbine following the tragic death of 13 yo Wake At noon earlier this week:

The ban came three days after Wake At Noon, the 2002 Canadian Horse of the Year, was euthanized after breaking down on the Woodbine training track. Wake At Noon, who was 13, had been sent from owner Bruno Schickedanz’ Select Stud near Ketteby, Ontario, for a workout.

"We have completed our investigation, and as far as the discussions I've had with the various people involved, I think this is the right approach," Jamie Martin, Woodbine’s executive vice president of racing, told the Form. "The horses (Schickedanz) has racing today and tomorrow will be allowed to run, but we are no longer accepting entries for any of his horses, and he's going to have to move his horses off the backstretch."

The Ontario Racing Commission is investigating the incident.

Tom Marino, who was Wake At Noon's trainer of record at the time of the breakdown, has been ruled off for an indefinite period, according to the Form.

On July 2nd, Bill Tallon reported for ESPN.Comthat jockey Kent Desormeaux failed a breathalyzer on Canada Day and was removed from his mount on Hold Me Back in the Dominion Day Stakes. (Jockey Tyler Pizarro reaped the benefits and won the $125K event.)

"I've never been so embarrassed," Desormeaux said Friday morning at Belmont Park where he was scheduled to ride three horses. "Very unprofessional."
Desormeaux said he had a drink the night before at a birthday party for a friend, but did not drink on the plane ride from New York to Canada.
The maximum allowed under the breathalyzer test, which is administered by clerk of the scales Bobby Bertrand and is required to be taken by all jockeys and racing officials prior to the day's racing, is .02 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood.
Ontario Racing Commission stewards confirmed that Desormeaux had blown the .02 maximum when he arrived at approximately 12:20 p.m. and again when retested 15 minutes later.
Desormeaux had until one hour prior to post time, which was scheduled for 4:34 p.m., to take the test.
"Once you've presented yourself, and you've blown, there's no going back," said an ORC steward who requested anonymity.

Hold Me Back wins the Dominion Day Stakes under Tyler Pizarro


On the positive side, a bundle of Queen's Plate stories are piling up in the papers as excitement builds for the 2010 Gallop For The Guineas.

Jeff Blair of the Globe & Mail filed a report on Smart Sky.

Bill Tallon of the Daily Racing Form piped up on Vicar Street's road to the Plate.

The busy Tallon also reported in the DRF that Who We Gunna Call, Mobilizer and Ghost Fleet will wear blinkers in the Plate.

Check out my Woodbine News page for more racing stories.

* * *

The good folks at LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation are teaming up with Woodbine to auction off Queen's Plate worn saddle cloths to raise money for the charitable organization that provides homes for ex-racehorses. A news release from Woodbine Entertainment Group advises:

Each of the starters in the 151st edition of the Plate will wear customized saddlecloths that will be autographed by the riding jockey following the race and then auctioned exclusively on eBay during the week of July 5-July 11 with all proceeds going to LongRun Retirement Society (longrunretirement.com).

The opening bid for each saddlecloth is $250.

“This is a particularly significant Queen's Plate with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11 and His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh in attendance,” said Jane Holmes, Woodbine Entertainment Group’s VP Corporate Affairs. “We expect the saddlecloths will be a valuable collector’s item and with the number of horses in the race, they will generate significant revenue for LongRun.”

Vicki Pappas, Chairperson of LongRun, also expects another huge response to the highly sought-after collectible saddlecloths.

“We and our horses at LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society are most fortunate to be operating within the Ontario racing industry, perhaps the most compassionate and generous group of horse people anywhere,” said Pappas.

“Woodbine has always been a leader in assisting with the placement of our deserving athletes once their racing careers are over,” continued Pappas. “The innovative idea of auctioning off those beautiful saddlecloths worn by entrants in our most prestigious race, The Queen’s Plate, was hatched three years ago by WEG’s Jane Holmes and Steven Koch.”

A table staffed by LongRun will be set up at the Queen’s Plate breakfast (July 1) with last year’s winning saddlecloth (Eye of the Leopard) on display.

There will also be a LongRun kiosk set up in Woodbine’s Hall of Fame area with the Eye of the Leopard saddlecloth on display, along with information on the bidding.

What a great gift one of these saddle cloths would make for a fan of Woodbine horse racing. Bid often and be generous!

* * *

As always, you can keep track of the latest goings on in the world of horse racing by clicking into my Woodbine News page or backtrack though information on Sunday's contenders by clicking into my Queen's Plate contender page.

You can catch up on previous Queen's Plate profiles by clicking on the links below:

Queen's Plate Profiler: Mobthewarrior Ready For Battle

Queen's Plate Profiler: Who We Gunna Call Won't Mind The Long Distance

Queen's Plate Profiler: D's Wando A Wonder For DiPaola

Ex-NHL Goalie Curtis Joseph Hopes to Score in the $500K Woodbine Oaks with Moment of Majesty

The Ish on Carolyn Costigan, Twitter and the Training of Roan Inish

Queen's Plate Profiler: Big Red Mike, Essence Hit Man and Joey's Best

Two more sleeps to the Queen's Plate. Happy handicapping good readers!

Queen's Plate Profiler: Mobthewarrior Ready For Battle

To win the Queen's Plate you need a horse that can survive a ten furlong battle while carrying 126lbs. Fortunately for trainer Greg De Gannes, he has a warrior on his side - Mobthewarrior, that is.

"I wouldn't trade places with anybody," said De Gannes on the Woodbine backstretch earlier this week. "I respect my competitors, but I don't want to trade places with them."

Mobthewarrior ain't backing down without a fight


And you can hardly blame the conditioner for being so confident when you see the big gelding in person.

"He's got good acceleration," stated De Gannes. "A good turn of foot. The 126lbs and ten furlongs will stop the majority of them but it wont stop him."

De Gannes has held the horse they call Mob in high regard from early days.

"Before he ran for the first time we knew he was a pretty decent horse," admitted De Gannes. "He's exceeded our expectations. We thought we'd have a good Ontario sired horse but he's competitive with the rest of the Canadian bred three year olds - Ontario sired or not."

Emile Ramsammy plans to go on a Queen's Plate rampage with Mobthewarrior


Mobthewarrior was a runaway winner in his first lifetime start defeating Grittani in a four and a half furlong tilt by more than six lengths. In his next start, Mob went off as the favourite in the five and a half furlong Clarendon Stakes finishing fifth but only a length and a half behind the winner, Who's Big Daddy.

Mobthewarrior likes the suds


The Mobil gelding would run a streak of four consecutive stakes events following that first defeat. Mob ran third in the Vandal won by Ghost Fleet; second to Fastin Bear in the Simcoe; an impressive third against open company in the G3 Grey won by Florida-bred Bear Tough Guy; and finished the sequence, and his 2009 campaign, with a win in the restricted Frost King in front of Bold Canadian and the excellent D's Legend Storm at seven furlongs.

Mobthewarrior finishes third in the Queen's Plate Trial won by Big Red Mike


Over the off season, Mobthewarrior grew in stature while spending time in Florida at Palm Meadows.

"He got thicker. He really developed into a man," began De Gannes. "He got wider, he got thicker and his whole attitude toward training improved. He doesn't have the little boyish tricks anymore. He knows what his job is and he's very serious about it."

Mobthewarrior strikes his "E.T. phone home pose..."


Mob is so serious about the racing part of his job that he can't wait to get going once loaded into the gate.

"I gate schooled him this morning as he's had a problem in the gate," said De Gannes. "He's a very anxious horse. When he gets in there he wants to get going. He doesn't want to stand around. It's not such a bad habit to have but sometimes it can detract from his start. I think if we'd had a little better start last time (in the Plate Trial), although he was drawn outside and loaded late he'd have done better. He got a little impatient in the gate and that takes away a little bit of energy and that takes a bit from your race. I just want to make sure that all stones are turned over for Plate day and everything is prepared."

Mobthewarrior gets to the wire in front of Giant's Tomb in the Plate Trial


After losing his three year-old debut by a nose, a determined Mobthewarrior surprised plenty of Woodbine patrons with a third place finish in the Plate Trial at odds of 11-1.

"He didn't surprise me," grinned the conditioner. "By the numbers he was just as good as any of the other horses. It was just a case of what type of trip he got. It was a race that had no pace in it and he enjoys having a little speed to run at which I think we'll get in the Plate. He was a little closer than I figured he would be (in the Plate Trial) but that's alright. He has a talented rider who knows the horse very well and we left it in his capable hands."

Mobthewarrior on his soapbox getting ready to state his Queen's Plate credentials


Talented jockey Emile Ramsammy has won the Queen's Plate twice previously with Victor Cooley and Edenwold. On Sunday, Ramsammy and Mobthewarrior will be the last pair loaded into the gate starting from post twelve which should allow the jock plenty of time to pick his spot.

"It's a long run down the first two furlongs that if you can't get yourself sorted out and into a decent position...," trailed off the trainer. "It's typically not as roughly run a race as the Kentucky Derby . Remember how Lookin at Lucky was bounced off the rail in the Derby this year? The Plate generally isn't that roughly run a race. They'll get themselves sorted out."

In terms of breeding, Mobthewarrior couldn't be better prepared for the Canadian classic.

"He has quite a bit of stamina from his sire and dam," agreed De Gannes. "The Woodman on his dam side provides a lot of stamina and that's why I'm confident the ten furlongs won't be a problem."

With De Gannes confident of Mob's abilities, the only remaining issues is his well-bred competitors.

"I think Mark's (Sam-Son Farms trainer Mark Frostad) horse Hotep is one of the more fancied," admitted De Gannes. "Mike's horse certainly hasn't done anything wrong. They're certainly well-bred talented horses and we'll have to run the race of our lives to beat them but my job is to make sure we're ready to run the race of our lives."

Handicappers looking for an edge on Sunday might take note that De Gannes and Ramsammy have combined for six wins in twenty-one starts thus far this meet. Perhaps Mobthewarrior will be lucky number seven for the pair.

In continuing with the bad '80s music theme from yesterday's post...Mob is The Warrior

* * *

The draw for the Queen's Plate was held this morning which was presided over by Canadian gold-medal winning Olympian Alexandre Bilodeau. The draw was played out in two parts. First, numbers were pulled to determine a "draft position" for each entrant. Then each entrant would have two minutes to consult with their owners and name their position.

Mike Doyle and Smart Sky "won" the lottery and with their first choice selected post position six. Catherine Day Phillips and the maiden Vicar Street earned the 13th position in the draw and with all slots taken were forced to select the rail and post position one. What follows is the post positions for the 2010 Queen's Plate with "draft position" in brackets so readers can determine how each entrant decided their starting point.

Vicar Street, Tyler Pizarro, 30-1 (13th)
Who We Gunna Call, Gerry Olguin, 30-1: (12th)
D's Wando, Emma-Jayne Wilson, 20-1; (11th)
Dark Cloud Dancer, Javier Castellano, 15-1; (5th)
Big Red Mike, Eurico Rosa da Silva, 6-1; (3rd)
Smart Sky, Chantal Sutherland, 30-1; (1st)
Ghost Fleet, Richard Dos Ramos, 20-1; (2nd)
Giant's Tomb, Mike Smith, 12-1; (7th)
Mobilizer, Jono Jones, 7-2; (9th)
Roan Inish, Davy Moran, 9-2; (4th)
Hotep, Patrick Husbands, 3-1; (8th)
Mobthewarrior, Emile Ramsammy, 10-1 (9th)
Moment of Majesty, Robert Landry, 12-1 (10th)

And now, here's some photos from the Queen's Plate Draw!


The tables were dressed in the silks of the contenders


Connections of the contenders milled about the Woodbine walking ring



Jockey Emile Ramsammy is proud be at Woodbine on Canada Day!


Woodbine security keep a close eye on known troublemaker Sandy Hawley


A gorgeous day to be at the Woodbine races


Alexandre Bilodeau talked about losing at ping pong to Sydney Crosby...



Trainer Roger Attfield is trying for his ninth Queen's Plate win - and Mobilizer will start from post nine!


Fortunately the four hooves of D's Wando are in good order for owner Carmen DiPaola and trainer Ian Black


Trainer Sue Leslie called Curtis Joseph to take part in the Queen's Plate draw. The duo know their filly, Moment of Majesty, won't be phoning it in on Sunday


Carolyn and Robert Costigan believe their filly Roan Inish is a perfect 10


Canadians went crazy when Alexandre Bilodeau became the first Canuck to win gold on home soil


Who will win the gold on Sunday?


* * *

As always, you can keep track of the latest goings on in the world of horse racing by clicking into my Woodbine News page or backtrack though information on Sunday's contenders by clicking into my Queen's Plate contender page.

Queen's Plate Profiler: Who We Gunna Call Won't Mind The Long Distance

Dan Loiselle is one of the best track announcers in the business. No doubt he does a fair bit of preparation for races with the history and magnitude of the Queen's Plate and when it comes to the subject of this profile, well, don't you just want to hear what Loiselle might come up with should Who We Gunna Call shake loose down the stretch?

Trainer Tino Attard and the best named horse in the Queen's Plate


I caught up with the trainer of Who We Gunna Call, Tino Attard, on a wet Saturday morning on the Woodbine backstretch. The veteran conditioner was busy checking on his horses in Barn 35 but was more than happy to pull the Plate contender from his stall to snap a few photos in a bit of a drizzle.

Attard has made five previous appearances in the Queen's Plate with a third place effort by Brushing Bully in 2001 his best result. But there's a certain sparkle in the trainer's eye as he talks about Who We Gunna Call that suggests he knows the horse is rounding into form.

"He's so good right now," grinned Attard. "He's been working great."

As we chat, Who We Gunna Call walks slow circles around the trainer occasionally stopping for a bite of grass or to nuzzle into his boss. But Attard hasn't always been the trainer of record.

On February 18th of this year, the brilliantly named Who We Gunna Call (he's a Ghostzapper, out of Touch Dial...get it?) broke his maiden as the even-money choice going 1M40 at Tampa Bay Downs for trainer William Phipps. Tahquamenon led the $17K MSW field as Who We Gunna Call, Who's There and Chabichou followed closely for some six furlongs before making their moves with Who We Gunna Call assuming the lead. Chabichou tried in vain, but Who We Gunna Call was determined and held strong to earn the honours. (To see the race video, click here.)

The win was a solid effort over a distance of ground in just the second lifetime race for the Adena Springs bred colt. Who We Gunna Call would re-surface two months later at Gulfstream Park finishing sixth in a N1X turf allowance and then promptly disappeared from the public eye.

"I ain't 'fraid of no colts..."


As it turns out the horse was quite ill and needed time to overcome a variety of nagging issues. Owners Castle Peak Farm eventually made the decision to ship Who We Gunna Call to Woodbine and the capable hands of trainer Tino Attard.

"When he came to Toronto, he was so sick," recalled Attard. "It took about six weeks to get him right. I was going to run him (on May 23, 2010) and he was in at a mile and an eighth. I came to the barn that afternoon and I see him coughing and full of mucus. I called my vet and we scratched him."

Apparently Who We Gunna Call had a bit of a 'Slimer' issue. Attard patiently waited until June 13th for his horse to be well enough to get into the starting gate in a mile and an eighth N1X allowance. Not unexpectedly, Who We Gunna Call went to post as a 20-1 long shot under jockey Gerry Olguin. After starting well enough, the colt found a bit of traffic trouble but rallied well late when asked to chase home a solid Mark Casse trainee named So Elite.

Who We Gunna Call (#2) rallies on the outside to finish third on June 13th


"He didn't like running inside," said Olguin of that June 13th trip. "So when I brought him outside he came with a good run, but he ran really spotty...but the horse is peaking now and he's going to run his best race on Queen's Plate day."

Olguin is encouraged by the colt's recent workouts.

"The last breeze he had was outstanding," gleamed Olguin this past Sunday at Woodbine. "He breezes again tomorrow. We'll send him five furlongs in company and he has blinkers on him so there's a little more focus on the horse. There's going to be a lot of horses in the race so I just hope to make a nice run with the horse and get lucky."

Who We Gunna Call raced third on June 13th at Woodbine


That breeze in company Olguin referred to was a solid one. The Ghostzapper fellow put in a sharp five furlong workout on June 28th in 1:00.80 that was ranked ninth out of 50 efforts for the morning. (You can watch Who We Gunna Call work six furlongs back on June 22nd by clicking here.)

This Sunday when the field bursts from the gate, Olguin hopes to take advantage of his horse's recent sharpness to find the perfect position.

"It all depends on pace," explained Olguin. "If they're going to go slow I'll be up close. If they're going to be fast upfront, I'll lay a little further back. I don't want to use the horse until the last quarter mile."

But does Olguin think the horse has the talent to win?

"We'll just have to wait and see on Sunday," smiled Olguin. "The horse can run, it just depends on who shows up that day. None of the horses have gone the distance before, but Tino has been galloping him two miles and when he works out he has a good gallop out."

Jockey Gerry Olguin guides the Ghostbuster in the Queen's Plate


Handicappers looking for odds this Sunday might look no further than a horse whose daddy was 2004's Champion Older Male and Horse of the Year after winning the G1 Woodward and the Breeders' Cup Classic - and just one further step back to grandpa Awesome Again who was a Queen's Plate winner in 1997. But Attard might prefer those long shot Plate day punters reference the dam of Who We Gunna Call, Touch Dial, who won the Woodbine Oaks for the conditioner in 1999 under jockey Mickey Walls. Given Who We Gunna Call's pedigree, it would not be a surprise to see the 62 year-old trainer coax a winning effort from his patient prodigy.

Ghostzapper wins the 2004 Breeders' Cup


As we stood in the rain behind Barn 35, I asked Attard what he wanted from his colt on Plate day and if his charge could put a scare into the field.

"I hope he has a safe trip and stays out of trouble," smiled Attard. "This is a top race against nice horses but you have to give him a shot right?"

That you do - and Attard will be hoping his horse fires full stream.

Who We Gunna Call? GHOSTBUSTERS!


* * *

There was some sad news to report yesterday as Canadian Triple Crown winner With Approval died at the age of 24. Blood-Horse.Com reports:

With Approval, a Canadian Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner as a homebred for the Willmot family’s Kinghaven Farm and a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, died June 21. The 24-year-old son of Caro stood at Kirsten Rausing’s Lanwades Stud near Newmarket, England.

“We will greatly miss With Approval at Lanwades,” Rausing said in a statement. “He was a true gentleman to work with; very fertile and a most attractive horse. We hope that the several fillies he sired whilst at Lanwades will continue to keep his name in lights, both whilst racing and in the future, as broodmares.”

Triple Crown Winner - With Approval - R.I.P


The galloping grey was a talented fellow on both surfaces and his races at Woodbine are burned into my memory. He'll be well missed.

* * *

It must be Queen's Plate week as the articles just keep on coming.

Beverley Smith of the Globe & Mail reminds us that Roger Attfield is chasing his record ninth Queen's Plate.

Bill Lankhof of the Toronto Sun also wants us to know that it's a big week for Roger Attfield.

Bill Tallon of the Daily Racing Form provides a deeper look into the conditioning of Roan Inish.

Dave Fuller of the Toronto Sun goes inside the world of "crazy" Big Red Mike.

Woodbine Media reported that Embur's Song will skip the Queen's Plate and head to the second leg of the Triple Tiara instead.

But perhaps the most important story I found on the wire yesterday, and good news for all the horses entered this Sunday, is that the Woodbine starting gate might just be the best in the biz. Deirdre Mills reported for thehorse.com on some encouraging comments about the Rexdale track by Keeneland's President Nick Nicholson, at the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit held June 25 at the Lexington track.

"The starting gate is probably the (site of the) most dangerous single moment (in racing), and yet we really haven't studied it over the years," he said. "Most of the starting gates are 50 years old or more. There has been very little improvement done from an engineering or analysis standpoint of the starting gate. Woodbine has done some very good work, which is a glaring, wonderful exception to that, but most improvements in starting gates have been slow to take place."

Woodbine's starting gate was a $400,000 investment last year and I spent a fun night last July following Woodbine's top notch crew go through their paces. The resulting story earned a Sovereign Award nomination. Click the link to read the piece entitled, They're REALLY at the post.

* * *

As always, you can keep track of the latest goings on in the world of horse racing by clicking into my Woodbine News page or backtrack though information on Sunday's contenders by clicking into my Queen's Plate contender page.

As it currently stands, the 2010 Queen's Plate field is:

Confirmed (12): Big Red Mike, D's Wando, Dark Cloud Dancer, Ghost Fleet, Giant's Tomb, Hotep, Mobilizer, Mobthewarrior, Roan Inish, Smart Sky, Vicar Street and Who We Gunna Call

On the bubble (2): Captain Canuck, Moment of Majesty

Queen's Plate Profiler: Big Red Mike, Essence Hit Man and Joey's Best

It's always a pleasure to speak to a trainer about a horse they're truly excited to be conditioning. On Wednesday morning, I was up early to visit the Woodbine backstretch and had a chance to speak with two trainers regarding a trio of Queen's Plate contenders.

Audre Cappuccitti smiles at Joey's Best


In Barn 5, I met up with Audre Cappuccitti to discuss the progress of Joey's Best and Essence Hit Man. A little later in the morning I sauntered over to Barn 25 and spoke with Martha Gonzalez regarding popular Plate pick Big Red Mike.

Martha Gonzalez with unraced two-year-old Glory Game


These mini-interviews are part of my ongoing Queen's Plate Profiler series. Please feel free to click on the links to read earlier profiles of Captain Canuck and Race for Gold.

As well, curious readers can click into the 2010 Queen's Plate Contenders page for the latest rankings, results and workouts of the horses making a push towards the Plate.

(As always, please double left click the photo to enlarge the photo and then use your "Back" button to return to the blog post. Enjoy!)

Neither of Joey's Best or Essence Hit Man are Queen's Plate eligible at this point. However, with a few good results to start the campaign it would not be surprising to see either horse supplemented to the big race for a fee - a not so uncommon practice.

After a pair of tough starts in 2009, Joey's Best broke his maiden in style triumping over a field of Ontario sired two-year-olds in the Kingarvie Stakes.

The Trajectory gelding was seventh and last at the half, but made a strong move on the second turn, taking over by midstretch for a commanding win over Frost King Stakes runner-up Bold Canadian covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.06.

Joey's Best made his first lifetime start from the one hole versus an inexperienced field who started left and pinned the young gelding to the rail effectively ending his chances. Next out, Joey's Best had an outside post in a six furlong event and managed a second place finish behind well-respected Dashing Tom.

Audre Cappuccitti and Joey's Best


Essence Hit Man broke his maiden August 6th in a five furlong sprint over Loveyouallthetime and Ready Response. The wellbred Speightstown colt (El Prado Essence) rocketed to the lead and never looked back winning in a time of :57.20.

Both horses are owned by Gordon Cappuccitti who is part of the Cappuccitti family’s potato business, operating in Alliston as Ontario Potato Distributing Inc. (Insert your own 'that's no small potatos joke here.')

TDH: Joey's Best is a homebred, right?
AC: Yes, my husband (Gordon) bred him. This is my first Trajectory. He's turned out pretty nice. I don't know if he'll be a Queen's Plate contender, but he will certainly go through his Ontario-sired conditions and we'll see how he does. There isn't anything for him right now in the book. Maybe we'll run him in a non-winners of three as he's certainly ready and it's only seven eighths and he wants to go long that's for sure.

It's easy to imagine Joey winning a race by a neck


TDH: He does have a long string of works on his form.
AC: Yes. There's just hasn't been anything for him. He's a non-winner of two and this book has a non-winner of three so we'll likely head there.

TDH: He had a nice win to start his career in the Kingarvie.
AC: That was a mile and a sixteenth but he's only had three races so it remains to be seen how good he is. He just got an excellent ride in that race. Patrick (Husbands) sat off the pace, moved outside, and just came running by them all and won easily.

TDH: You also have another excellent three year old named Essence Hit Man.
AC: Hit Man is probably going to go in the Stakes (Woodstock Stakes) race this Sunday. With Hit Man, he hasn't had a race this year which is unfortunate. I don't like running them in a Stake right off the hop. I sent him to Florida for six weeks and they started him up about the fifteenth of February for three or four weeks and then I got him and I was able to breeze him a couple of times but not enough to put him in the prep unfortunately. The Woodstock will be a really tough place to start but there's nothing else for him. It's been a long time since he's run... and it's certainly asking a lot but I think he'll run well. He's feeling good.

(TDH Note: The Woodstock is shaping up as a very tough race. Check out the Entries).

Essence Hit Man and his main man Errol


TDH: Hit Man is a Speightstown horse...
AC: They usually like to sprint....

TDH: And they also like the grass...
AC: He had one race on it and it wasn't really a fair shot so I'm going to try him again.

(TDH Note: Essence Hit Man's mum is El Prado Essence whom Cappuccitti trained to win back-to-back George C. Hendrie's in 2002-03.)

The famous Cappuccitti colours


TDH: Who will be riding this pair of horses for you?
AC: Patrick (Husbands) will be on Joey and Chantal (Sutherland) will be on Hit Man. Chantal has been breezing him and rode him last year. Todd (Kabel) won with him but unfortunately he's not here, but Chantal has been breezing him. Patrick - I put him on the horse and he'd never even sat on the horse before, but he's a good rider and just really fit with him so I'll keep him on as long as he's available.

Essence Hit Man plans to shoot down all comers in 2010 on the road to the Queen's Plate


If Joey's Best can improve upon his already solid 2009 form, no doubt Husbands will be keeping his dance card open for Joey's Best.

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Shuffling over a few streets, and a few dozen photos along the way (stay tuned for another photo essay tomorrow), I found myself in the barn of Nick Gonzalez which is overseen by his wife Martha.

Portrait of a Queen's Plate Contender


Big Red Mike has been a bit of a buzz horse locally and partnered up with jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson for a nice win last year for owners Terra Racing Stable. First time out, Big Red Mike settled into ninth position in a six and a half furlong event. Fellow Plate contender Roman Games was sitting in fifth position and stalking sharp fractions of 22.80 and 45.40. Into the stretch, Roman Games pounced first and assumed the lead hitting the wire first. Moving just a little too late, and from further back, Big Red Mike finished fast on the outside.

In his next start, Big Red Mike switched tactics and was in the lead by the half in a seven furlong MSW and simply pulled away from the field through the stretch hitting the wire in 1:23.20 for a nifty 77 Beyer Figure.

Big Red Mike recently made his first start of 2010 and fought gamely along the rail to finish second keeping nemesis Roman Games in his rear view.

TDH: Where did Big Red Mike spend the Winter?
MG: I have a farm in Ocala, Florida and he went there. He stayed there for thirty days and was turned out. We trained him there - we have a half-mile track - until he got to the point that he needed to be at a big track and then Brian Lynch had him (at Palm Meadows) and he came back in great shape. Brian did a great job with him.

TDH: Big Red Mike finished second in his first start of 2010. How did he come out of that race?

MG: He actually came out of that race great. He needed a race. The inside was terrible that day and he was pinned in the whole way. It was just one of those trips and the horse that beat him had already run a race. I'd run against him again and I think their roles would switch around.

Mike JUMPS the shadow as Florida-bred Just Call Me Roger got up in time for the win


TDH: It looked like he jumped a shadow at the wire...
MG: Actually, at the wire with those new finish posts quite a few horses do it depending on the point the sun's at. That's all he did. He saw the shadow and he wasn't very graceful about it! That was part of the problem as he caught his feet as he was doing it but we got lucky as a horse can hurt themselves but he didn't.

A distracted Big Red Mike reaches for my business card


TDH: What did you think about the distance?
MG: I think he'll go further. He just needed to get a race into him. He's training a lot more relaxed. He'll start to come good now.

Just Call Me Roger the victor over Big Red Mike and Roman Games


TDH: What's next for Big Red Mike.
MG: We're looking for a two-turn allowance race. We're debating on a couple stakes races, but I think he's going to head for a two-turn allowance and get that into him. If you're heading to the Plate, it's a long distance and you need to be tight and fit.

Big Red Mike made a big effort through tough fractions on this day


TDH: What's the personality of this horse?
MG: Mike's great! He had a little tendency, as you saw with him jumping the shadow, of over reacting to stuff so I wasn't surprised by that because it's kind of his nature. But he's a very kind horse. Just a big gentle horse.

Big Red Mike, tongue out, shows he has a big sense of humour


And I can add that after having spent just a little bit of time trying to capture a photo of the big fellow that he is certainly an active and alert horse!

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the mini-interviews. I'll try my best to catch up with more Queen's Plate contenders over the coming weeks. Don't forget, Mobilizer is entered in Keeneland's 7th race today- a 1 3/16M event on the all weather track. Also entered in this race is Chiefswood Ontario-bred Macallan. Corey Nakatani retains the mount on Mobilizer for trainer Roger Attfield. To see full entries, please CLICK HERE. (TDH Note: Mobilizer has been scratched. Bah.)

Queen's Plate Profiler: Captain Canuck

Woodbine released its annual Queen's Plate Winterbook on Wednesday afternoon listing Hollinger as 5-2 favourite. The 151st edition of the Queen’s Plate is set for July 4th at Woodbine.

I have been tracking many of the Plate hopefuls on my 2010 Queen's Plate contenders page. The page tracks workouts, results and information regarding the connections and breeding of the horse.

Going forward, I will attempt to profile some of the hopefuls as they work towards the starting gate for the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

While it's early days yet, the first edition of Queen's Plate Profiler focuses on Centennial Farms (Niagara) Inc hopeful Captain Canuck.

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If ever a horse was named to win Canada’s most prestigious race it is Centennial Farms (Niagara) Inc. charge Captain Canuck.

The Pulpit - Magna Cum Laude gelding debuted March 6th and he rallied to finish second in an MSW turf tilt at Gulfstream despite a troubled trip at odds of 26-1. Checked at the start of the 1M 1/16 turf event, jockey Eibar Coa showed remarkable patience racing from tenth position early before circling horses five-wide turning into the stretch failing only to pass the winner Beau Choix.

Captain Canuck earned a 73 Beyer Figure for his effort.

Captain Canuck skates home second at Gulfstream


I recently corresponded with Brandon Boone, a shareholder in Centennial Farms regarding their exciting Queen’s Plate prospect. The stable was represented in the 2008 Queen's Plate by Sebastian's Song and now look to have another very good horse on their hands.

TDH: How did you acquire Captain Canuck?

BB: He was purchased at the Ocala two year old in training sale last February for $190,000. I picked him out of the catalogue and our trainer, Donnie MacRae, inspected him and, ultimately, bid on and signed the ticket for him. Donnie did not go to Florida this year, so we sent the Captain down to Florida with Josie Carroll.

TDH: Who are your fellow partners in Captain Canuck - Centennial Farms. How did you meet?

BB: The sole shareholder, director and officer of Centennial Farms (Niagara) Inc. is Domenic DiLalla, who owns Centennial Construction and Contracting (Niagara) Inc. and a related group of companies, whose offices are in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
The shareholders of Farms were originally Domenic, Mario Formica, Dr. George Zimakas and I. Mario is a former electrician who has known Domenic for most of his adult life and now manages our farm.
George is a doctor of internal medicine in the Niagara Health System.
I am a real estate and business lawyer. Domenic, Mario and George are my clients. Dom took over sole ownership about a year and a half ago, but Mario, George and I are still very much involved, as are Domenic's nephews, Antony Candeloro and Joseph Candeloro, and future brother-in-law, Dino Sorge.

TDH: Initially, I thought that Captain Canuck was named for Vancouver Canuck legend Trevor Linden but that’s not the case is it?

BB: The Captain is named for our majority shareholder's nephew, Antony Candeloro, who was captain of our local junior B hockey team, the Niagara Falls Canucks, last year.

TDH - How did you first become interested in horse racing?

BB: Mario has been involved in horse racing for most of his adult life. He started to wind down his involvement in the early 2000's, but had a hard-knocking mare, Cinderita, who he bred to Trajectory, and later gave birth to a colt, Matty Gazoo.

Domenic and George agreed to go partners with Mario in Matty and put him in training with Alec Fehr. Alec convinced them to claim Colorful Judgement, who won the With Approval in his first start off the claim in August, 2006, and they were hooked. I got involved shortly thereafter and we went on a buying and claiming spree in late 2006 and early 2007.

Centennial Farms Sebastian's Song raced in the 2008 Queen's Plate won by Not Bourbon


If the Centennial Farms group sounds familiar to American readers it is because they had had a 1/3 interest in Patena prior to selling to IEAH. Click on this link read about the sale of Patena.

TDH: How did you select Patena?

BB: Patena was purchased by John Sikura and Glen Sikura at the Keeneland yearling sale in September, 2007. I believe that Hill n Dale (Kentucky) bred him. They were looking for a partner, so we jumped at the opportunity.

TDH. You picked Captain up at Ocala for $190K - what was it about the horse that stood out to you?

BB: Captain was Canadian bred and very well put together. First foal out of a well-bred stakes winning dam. Our research indicated that he had been purchased as a yearling for $225,000, so we set a ceiling price of $200,000 (the market had dropped since then) and were fortunate to get him.

TDH: Why is Captain only getting started now?

BB: Captain is a very big horse and we want to let him grow into himself. When he finally made it to the track, he got loose on Donnie and nearly ran through a fence. We had to lay him up for a few months and geld him.

TDH: I understand Captain Canuck is being pointed towards The Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland. (A race memorably won in 1990 by Izvestia.) - Do you think Captain is a potential turf specialist? How do you think his form will translate to synthetic?

BB: Captain has definite poly ability, according to Donnie. His work at Ocala (poly) was a good one and he trained on it, at various times, this year. It sounds like he will be equally talented on poly or turf. We are looking forward to Keeneland, that's for sure. Either the Transylvania Stakes on April 2 or the MSW on the 8th.

2009 Transylvania Stakes won by Stormalory


TDH: What other horses do you have in training currently? Which of them are you excited about?

BB: We have about 40 horses now, about 20 of which are runners. Niagara Thunder is also at Palm Meadows with Josie. We have 9 two year olds starting this year. Other runners include Abruptly, Bent Attorney, Luigi's Honour, Casimiro, Sebastian's Song, Salomea, Briskly.

*

Of that group above, particularly observant readers will notice the name Abruptly is also on my 2010 Queen's Plate contenders.

I was not alone in recognizing some potential in Captain Canuck. David Harris recently wrote the following piece for FoalTrack:

His female family is not exactly a conventional match for Pulpit: although his first four dams were all stakes horses, they did it in Michigan, where they run some of the slowest stakes. Captain Canuck’s dam Magna Cum Laude is by Pleasant Tap, but the dam sires before that are all the best of Michigan sires: Monetary Gift, Private Thoughts, and Rattle Dancer. You have another old Michigan sire, De Jeau, under the 4th dam. I’m afraid I’m probably the only one who understands the sheer improbability of anything coming to prominence out of a Michigan female family, but you’ll have to indulge me the space to try to convince you.

Captain Canuck breaks off the family tradition of Michigan breeding; he’s bred in Canada, and based on what I saw on Saturday, he’s my pick for the Queen’s Plate.

TripleDeadHeat will continue to keep tabs on Captain Canuck as he looks for a race at Keeneland.

***

In other Queen's Plate news it can be noted:

Flim Flam was a vet scratch in his scheduled race on March 10th at Tampa Bay.

Sam-Son Farms Cognashene is three deep on the AE list for a 1M1/16 turf tilt at the Fair Grounds on Saturday for trainer Malcolm Pierce.

The G2 winning filly Bickersons tries the Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday. The Ontario-bred is owned by George and Lori Hall and trained by Kelly Breen.

Bickersons wins the Forward Gal Stakes Jan 31/2010


Fastin Bear breezed 3F in 36 on the Woodbine dirt training track on March 11th. Rank 10/95

It's Time Bear breezed 3F in 36.60 on the Woodbine dirt training track on March 11th. Rank 39/95

Arepeatee breezed $F in 49.40 on the Woodbine dirt training track on March 11th. Rank 12/34

Dashing Tom breezed 3F in 35.40 on the Woodbine dirt training track on March 11th. Rank 4/95

Vicar Street breezed 5F in 1:02.00 on the Ocala Training Centre All Weather Track on March 10. Rank 9/11

Abogado breezed 3F in 38.20 on the Woodbine dirt training track on March 9, 2010. Rank 27/36

Race for Gold breezed 3F in 38.60 on the Woodbine dirt training track on March 8, 2010. Rank 25/51

Dixie Trouper bulleted 6F handily in 1:11.60 on the Santa Anita All Weather track on March 2010. Rank 1/31

Check out the Plate Contenders tab at the top of the page for more information regarding the above listed horses.

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Woodbine notes:

Roger Attfield sends out Lady Shakespeare on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in the G3 Hillsborough Stakes. Bill Mott's Mushka is the 5-2 favourite in a full twelve horse field travelling 1M and 1/8 on the turf. Click on the line to see the entries.

Careless Jewel, potentially headed to a matchup with Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom, bulleted 5F handily in 1:01.40 at Palm Meadows on March 11th.

***
Readers who enjoyed Tuesday's post regarding the dispersal auction for Windfields Farms may have missed the update regarding the mysterious number stamped on the silks I purchased.

An email from Woodbine advised:

Regarding your recent blog post about the Windfields dispersal, the number 0145 on the silks is their official 'silks number' by which the silks are indexed at the colours rooms at least at Woodbine and Fort Erie and perhaps at any other North American track. This number is assigned to the silks at the time that they are registered. As an indicator for how long Windfields has held that number, modern silks numbers are roughly issued in numerical order as new silks are registered and most silks numbers in the Woodbine colours room are 5 digits long.

You learn something new every day!

As an aside - The Windfields post received a record number of hits for this blog and I would like to thank Equidaily, Raceday360 and Het Nakoersen Forum for helping drive a great deal of readers to Triple Dead Heat.

The latter link belongs to a Dutch racing forum of which the content I cannot read. I can only hope it's complimentary as the only Dutch I know is Dirk Kuyt.

Cheers!