Page 4 - July 2007 The Game

4 The Game, July 2007 Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
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Emma-Jayne Wilson - continued from Page 3
“He dug down so deep and out of nowhere I knew that we were flying and it was unbelievable,” she exclaimed. “He wanted it just as bad as I did. He was moving so strong coming to the wire.”
And at this point, Wilson gave a yelp communicating her excitement across the country.
“Oh YEAH!!” she shouted into the microphone.
For Wilson, it had to be an extraordinary moment and afterwards she told the assembled press that her inspiration for this race had come....from herself.
“Last night I went through a book I bought called Women in Racing,” she said. “I was flipping through the pages and out fell a little slip of paper and it said, ‘on this day, I, Emma Jayne Wilson, promise to make it as a jockey.’ It was dated September 14, 2001. I read it before I went out and rode this race.”
Mike Fox had certainly flown under the radar before this race. The son of Giant’s Causeway was named by the wife of owner Morgan Firestone. She wanted to honour her husband and chose the phonetics used by the military to make alphabetic transmissions clear; hence - Mike Foxtrot (Morgan Firestone’s initials).
Mike Fox passed on the Plate Trial to run in an allowance race at a mile and 16th He won that race, but his time was slow- er than the fractions set in the Trial, won impressively by Jiggs Coz. Even so, trainer Black, who for 30 years managed the Kinghaven Farms operations, liked what he saw in a workout last week.
“I suspected he would run very every well the way he trained,” said Black. “If he ran like he trained, he would be very competitive.”
Black was acutely aware that ever since Don Juan won the initial Queen’s Plate in 1860, no lady had ever steered home a winner. Black believed that Wilson was the one to put an end to
that streak.
“When she left my office this morning, I shook her hand and
said, ‘Let’s make history today.’” related Black.
There were, of course, other factors that helped Mike Fox
win. A small field helped him get the trip envisioned by Wilson and Black. The eight starters matched the smallest Queen’s Plate field of all-time and the 45 races in the past performances are the fewest collective races in the history of this classic.
It was also a disappointing day at the office by all the race favorites. Jigg’s Coz was bet down to 6-5 and was in good position for the whole race, but couldn’t summon up a winning move even though the final quarter was run in a lethargic 28 seconds.
“I had no horse at any time,” said Jiggs Coz’ jockey David Clark.
Daaher, surprisingly went off at 7-2 (his morning line was 15-1), but was never a threat to hit the board, moving late to finish fourth. And both Marchfield (4-1) and Twilight Meteor (9-2) ran poorly, staggering in 6th and 7th respectively.
Veteran Todd Kabel did a fine job on the runner-up Alezzandro, almost stealing the race on the front end on a day when the speed seemed to be holding up.
But more than anything else, the 148th version of the Queen’s Plate should be remembered more for the work of the winning jockey. In typical Emma-Jayne style, she attempted to minimize her contribution to history.
“It was all him that last 16th of mile. I was just along for the ride,” she insisted when describing the winning gallop.
Sorry but I’m not buying it. I’ve seen a lot of these – my first Queen’s Plate was 1967; I saw Conn Smythe’s filly Jammed Lovely win a good fifteen years before the 2007 Plate winning jockey was born and I’ve never seen a stretch ride as determined and as unwavering as the one Wilson produced.
More so than any Queen’s Plate in forty years, this one was won by the jockey.
Stampede Park Wraps Up
June 17 was a nostalgic day in thor- oughbred racing as Alberta horsepeople bid farewell to racing at Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta. The new racetrack in Airdrie was scheduled to open in 2008, however rumours persist that it could be another year before the construction is complete.
The final thoroughbred race at the Park was won by Spirited Jack ridden by apprentice Johanne Duquet for owner, trainer and breeder, Jack Pozzo and track announcer Joe Carbury’s final words were, “It’s been a pleasure.”
The thoroughbred horsemen moved North to Northlands Park for the summer meet which opened on June 22 and will run through to September 30. After which some horses will head further north to Grand Prairie while others may travel to BC or Ontario for the remainder of the
year.
Jockey Quincy won his sixth consecu-
tive riding title in what was a very close race with Ricky Walcott throughout the 50 day meet.
Quincy was aboard for the final two stakes races of the meet, Stampede Park’s feature race, the Alberta Derby on June 16 and the Penny Ridge Stakes on June 17, which pushed his earnings above that of third ranked jockey Stephan Heiler.
Quincy finished with a record of 66- 33-39 and $849,944 in 267 starts; Rickey Walcott was second with 56-47-35 and $734,832 and Stephan Heiler was third with 51-39-45 and $804,416.
There was a familiar face on the train- er’s podium this year as Greg Tracy cap- tured his third straight title with 25 wins, 5 more than second place trainer, Ron Grieves. Greg finished with a record of
25-20-22 and $272,960; Ron Grieves was second with 20-18-21 and $292,006 and Ron Smith was third with 16-18-9 and $229,158.
The winningest horses of the meet were Ka Blui, Classic Connection and Laketon, each with 4 wins a piece.
Alberta Derby Winner Shipped In
A Western invader was the winner of the final Alberta Derby to be held at Stampede Park. Peter Redekop of BC’s Amazin Blue fought a hard battle to be victorious by half a length over a very game Footprint in the $125,000 featured stakes event. The Kentucky colt by Marquetry - Niner, by Forty Niner was trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and ridden by Quincy Welch.
Minor Fire Sparked by Fan
Partners create a one-of-a kind homework program
Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) has launched a new community partnership creating a safe-after school environment for children to continue their studies and provide much needed assistance with their homework.
The Woodbine Homework Club was initiated by Toronto Police Service 23 Division and Woodbine Entertainment Group with the strong support of Ontario Property Management Group providing the
space at Maurice Coulter Housing Co-operative. Microsoft Canada as well as other suppliers and businesses have also contributed to the project.
The Hon. Monte Kwinter, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services was on hand to officially open the Woodbine Homework Club at a special launch ceremony on June 25 at the Maurice Coulter Housing Co-operative, 174 John Garland Boulevard in North Etobicoke.
A fire, sparked by a faulty motor in a fan, caused minor injuries to Jinks, the stable pony of trainer John Servis, at Philadelphia Park on June 20.
The fire broke out in the barn and was quickly contained by several security guards who used fire extinguishers as well as the barns sprinkler system.
According to an article in the Bloodhorse, Servis, famous for his 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins with Smarty Jones, had said the straw in Jink’s stall caught fire around 3pm and singed the pony’s tail and mane and caused a blister on his hind left leg. No other horses were injured.
Woodbine Homework Club