Page 27 - The Game May 2006

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, May 2006 27
~ Road to The Queen’s Plate ~
Atlas Shrugs an Astute Claim
Double the Prospects for Mike DePaulo
Bad Hat, a son of Bold Executive - Seventy Two Below, by Far North, is owned by Gerry Belanger, A&W Hutichson, Farr Bloodstock & trainer Mike DePaulo who
is pointing the horse towards a 2006 debut in the Queenston Stakes on Saturday, May 6 at Woodbine.
After a very good
winter in Ocala
Florida, Bad Hat will
try to maintain his
undefeated streak,
which has included
wins in both the
$125,000 Frost King
(7 furlongs
November 23, 2005)
and the $125,000
Kingarvie Stakes
(1 1/16 mile
December 11, 2005)
after breaking his
maiden in a $62,000
MSW (5 1/2 furlongs November 2, 2005).
Mike commented that he didn’t want to run Bad Hat any shorter than 7/8 mile in an effort to stretch him out and mentioned that the horse has shown him that he can lay off the bridle a little, so he isn’t too worried about getting the distance in the Plate. “He’s a cool guy. He’s been there so far and we’re hoping he’ll get the distance.”
Mike DePaulo, who has participated in three Queen’s Plate races in the past, his most notable was a 5th place finish with Festive Knight, has a total of four hopefuls this year: Bad Hat, Shillelagh Slew, Golden Mood and Another Ascot each of which could be something special.
7 furlong allowance for $62,800 which attracted a 14 horse field including many other Queen’s Plate hopefuls.
Shillelagh Slew was an easy winner coming off the pace between horses to gain the lead at the 1/8 pole and then cruise away under a hand ride by Jockey
Groom Lascelles “Skinner” Pownall with Queen’s Plate hopeful Bad Hat. Skinner, who has been a groom for more than 20 years for the likes of top trainers as Frank Merrill, says that Bad Hat is a brilliant horse and is “honestly the best I have ever rubbed right now.”
Dino Luciani.
How he comes
out of the race will determine where he will run next.
Golden Mood is a son of Golden Missile - Bar U Mood, by Saratoga Six and was pur- chased by owner David James for $55,000 as a year- ling at Keeneland’s September sale. Mike is anxious to try this versatile run-
ner going long after he broke his maiden at 7 furlongs on November 5, 2005. “I am dying to try him 2 turns and I would like to try him on the turf as well.”
According to Mike, Another Ascot has all kinds of conditions available to him in the Ontario Sire program however after a good second place finish going 5 furlongs in a $62,800 allowance race on April 14
Shillelagh Slew is the
son of Chief Seattle -
Frippalina, by Theatrical
who broke his maiden in a
$60,000 MSW on October
2, 2005 and finished a
really close third behind Thinking Out Loud and Pyramid Park in the 1 1/8 mile Coronation Futurity on November 10, 2005.
“He is the type of horse that will dazzle you in the morning.” says Mike, “He is a very good work horse. I can’t say enough about him.”
Assistant Trainer Josie DePaulo, who grooms the horse commented, “I’ve rubbed other stakes horses before but rubbing him is like being in the presence of greatness.”
Shillelagh Slew is a Quebec-bred, owned by David James and is in the top ten of the winterbook favourites at 15-1.
After wintering in Ocala Florida, Shillelagh Slew made his 2006 debut on Saturday, April 29. The morning line favourite did not disappoint in the
Assistant Josie DePaulo with Shillelagh Slew
with apprentice Justin Stein in the irons, Mike says he is going to see what happens as they go along. Another Ascot is the gelded son of Ascot Knight and is owned by California Stable.
In his first start as a three-year-old, Atlas Shrugs with jockey Corey Fraser in the irons was the winner of the $126,200 Woodstock Stakes on April 22 over the sloppy going at Woodbine for owners Charles Roberts and John Pepper. Heavily raced as a two-year-old Atlas Shrugs was an astute $50,000 claim by champion conditioner Reade Baker last December 11.
According to the
Woodbine website, in the
last half of 2005, Reade
Baker combed the entries in search of a horse that had a chance to make the 2006 Queens Plate.
“(Owner) John Pepper said there was some money in the account and he wanted me to claim a horse that could run in this year’s Queen’s Plate,” explained Baker in the website interview. “He said that in about August.”
Finally on the last day of the 2005 season, he spotted Atlas Shrugs, “The only thing was he looked so good I didn’t know if we were getting a Queen’s Plate hopeful or a $50,000 riding horse,” said Baker. “He almost looked too good to be true because there was a stakes race (Kingarvie) the
Atlas Shrugs winning the Woodstock Stakes at Woodbine
same day and the same connections had a maiden in the race. I said ‘Well, it’s our only shot, so we’ll take a shot.’”
Atlas Shrugs, who now has four wins from 10 lifetime starts, collected $75,000 for the Woodstock win, to raise his career earnings to $227,052. He was listed as a 50-1 shot in this year’s Queen’s Plate winterbook.
“I watched the replay (of the Woodstock). It was pretty impressive. Could he beat those horses everyday? I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll have to tell. If everything goes right, it’s the Queenston, Plate Trial and Plate – three Canadian-bred races.” said Reade.
Michael Burns Photo - courtesy of WEG
A Salty Prospect
Groom Sherlock McLeod “Whiteman” with the King Serpico Stable owned, Salty Earle
Trainer Norm DeSouza has never trained a horse to the Queen’s Plate until this year.
The 51-year-old has been training horses for the past seventeen years and says that although it is every trainers dream to go to the Plate, you want to have a shot and not just to enter.
And it looks like he might just have a shot with the King Serpico owned, Salty Earle, who was listed at 30-1 in this year’s Queen’s Plate winterbook.
The son of Salt Lake - Show Special by Smarten, shipped in to Woodbine on March 1 after spending the winter in light training at a farm in the Fort Erie area.
Salty Earle was claimed for $20,000 in his first lifetime start on November 23, 2005 where he finished second. He ran back in a $61,000 MSW on December 4, finishing 5th, and broke his maiden six days later for MSW $68,000 on December 10 defeating another Queen’s Plate hopeful Forest Light.
“He’s been working good and has been training good.” said Norm, “They have not
been bullet works but to me they have been excellent.”
Salty Earle’s 2006 debut was on April 29 in the 7 furlong $62,800 allowance where he was an impressive closing third behind winner Shillelagh Slew & Seeking Shelter. “I want to manage him the right way and get a couple of races in him to see what he can produce and then decide.” said Norm about his plans, “I don’t think he will disappoint us.”
Did You Know...
That in the 1984 Queen’s Plate, Jockey Larry Attard, aboard second place finisher
Let’s Go Blue (beaten 1/2 length), had claimed foul against the winner, jockey Robin Platts and Key to the Moon, stating that the winner had bothered Let’s Go Blue twice inside the seventy-yard pole. Robin Platts made a counter-claim on Attard’s horse. The Stewards found “insufficient reason” to alter the placings.
Janet Bedford was the trainer of Let’s Go Blue and had the result been altered, would
have been the first woman to train a Queen’s Plate winner. Instead she remains the first woman to train a Plate favourite.
Woodcrafter on the Shelf
Woodcrafter (by Woodman - Sharpening Up, by Sharpen Up(GB)), the full brother to 1999 Queen’s Plate winner, Woodcarver, has been “put on the shelf” at the Gus Schickedanz farm in Schomberg in April. “He’ll be back” said trainer Mike Keogh, “just not for the Plate.”
Meanwhile Wando’s half sister, aptly named, Half Sister, is being pointed to the Labatt Woodbine Oaks however Mike says it might prove to be a difficult task because she didn’t get run as a two-year- old due to shin problems. Half Sister finished a closing second on April 2 in a MSW for $61,600 going five furlongs.