Page 24 - The Game June 2006

24 The Game, June 2006 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
~ Road to The Queen’s Plate ~
Wanna Runner, Malakoff head final list of Queen’s Plate nominees
Notes on who’s going to the Queen’s Plate
Trainer Robert Pion wasn’t aware that Luna Canyon was eligible for the Queen’s Plate when he claimed the gelding for $23,500 for FX Racing Stable in his first start in 2006 on April 16.
The horse was the winner of the race.
“It was a spur of the moment claim,” said Bob, who explained that the FX Racing Stable couldn’t hang on to their horses, and after having their only runner claimed from them days earlier, they needed a horse to stay in the game.
FX Racing Stable consists of Robert’s nephew, Carl Pion and his partner Sunny Chan.
Robert says Luna Canyon (Canyon Creek(IRE) - Moon Mist, by Key to the
Moon) is not going to the
Plate and will likely run in
his first start at 6 1/2 furlongs April 9.
However all is not lost in regard to the classic races
this year for Ian and Kinghaven Farms after an impressive win by 3-year-old filly, Seductively (Thunder Gulch - Torrid Affair, by Alydeed), in the Gr.3 Selene Stakes. Ian had said before the race that they would see how she handled two turns and make the decision to go to the Oaks from there.
The last three winners of the Selene (Too Late Now, Eye of the Sphynx, Gold Strike) have gone on to capture the Labatt Woodbine Oaks.
Trainer Mark Frostad said that none of Sam-Son Farms’ early eligible horses will be going to the Plate this year unless his Queens Plate eligible filly, Feathered Diamond wins the Labatt Woodbine Oaks on June 11, “Then we might consider
U.S.-based Wanna Runner and Marine Stakes hero, Malakoff, head a list of 53 horses kept eligible for the 147th edition of the Queen’s Plate, North America’s oldest continuously run stakes race.
The venerable 1 1⁄4-mile Plate is set for June 25 at Woodbine.
Wanna Runner is trained and owned in California by two high-profile names in the sport, Bob Baffert and Mike Pegram, respectively. The bay El Corredor gelding has two strong recent stakes wins on his resume this spring (WinStar Derby, Grade 3 Lone Star Derby) and is considered the top threat to take the $600,000 first-place prize in the $1-million event.
He would be the second straight American-based horse to take the annual “Gallop for the Guineas” after Wild Desert defeated King of Jazz by a half-length in the 2005 edition of the race.
Malakoff looks to give Stronach Stables its third Queen’s Plate (Awesome Again, 1997; Basqueian, 1994). The chestnut Lemon Drop Kid colt was a terrific 7 1⁄4-length winner of the 1 1/16-mile Marine Stakes on May 20 for trainer Brian Lynch. He would follow in the hoofsteps of Wando, who used the Marine as a stepping stone to a Plate win and a Triple Crown title, in 2003.
Many observers think the world of Atlas Shrugs, winner of the two key early Queen’s Plate preps, the Woodstock and Queenston Stakes. The bay Compadre colt is trained by Reade Baker for Charles Roberts and John Pepper.
Atlas Shrugs will make his next start in the $150,000 Plate Trial at Woodbine on June 4, while Wanna Runner and Malakoff will go straight into the Plate.
The entire list of Queen’s Plate nominees follows:
Queen's Plate nominees (53)
the Ontario Sire circuit. “These guys need some luck. We’ll run where they can do good with him.” says Robert, “They just wanted a
horse.”
Trainer Sid Attard confirmed that the George Bigliardi owned, Victoria’s Boy, would not be going to the Plate after racing him once this year with more problems, “nothing serious”, showing up after the race.
Sid did confirm however that the Tucci Stables had a couple of horses that they would like to see in the Plate. Blue Deputy has been eligible for the race however after a fourth place finish on May 19 in a MSW for $31,900, Sid mentioned that he is not sure yet if the Plate is where he will be going.
The Tucci Stables other
hopeful is Hot Deputy who
was made eligible after they paid the $15,000 supplemental fee in May. The colt by Silver Deputy - Astro Beauty, by Bold Laddie, broke his maiden in his last race on May 13 at Woodbine going 1 1/16 mile for $66,000. He was coming off of a third place finish at the same distance on April 30 when he finished behind the winner Malakoff and second place finisher Stormkick. Hot Deputy had spent the winter in Florida and made one start at Tampa in March.
Trainer Ian Black has two horses that are on the final nomination list for this year’s Plate however he says that both horses would have to win in order to continue on that route.
Ian said before Great Torrington’s latest race on May 22, the Kinghaven Farms owned son of Gulch - Forty Gran, by El Gran Senor, would have to do some- thing special to be considered a Plate contender. His lackluster performance in the 7 furlong MSW $60,000 race was anything but special finishing well back in seventh.
Another Kinghaven owned maiden gelding, Forest Light (Forest Wildcat - Light Show, by Pleasant Colony), will likely run again soon and they are hoping to break his maiden after finishing second behind Hot Deputy on May 13. In his two previous starts this season he finished out of the money on April 30 in the same race that Malakoff won, and fourth in
running in the Plate.” Sam-Son Farms home-
breds, Sail from Seattle (Gone West - Seattle Classic, by Seattle Slew) is on the shelf, while Looktotherainbow is suited for the turf, according to Mark.
Trainer Danny Vella confirmed that the Hill ‘N’ Dale homebred, Igali, owned by Glenn Sikura and Four Score Racing Stable, was a step behind in getting ready for the Plate.
“At this point we’re a step behind.” said Danny about the son of Forest Wildcat - Schonbrunn, by Val de l’Orne, “It is tough getting ready unless everything goes perfect.”
Igali was scheduled to run his third start of 2006 in May when he was scratched at the gate after finishing fourth behind Malakoff, Stormkick and Hot Deputy on April 30. “We were scrambling to make it anyway. That just put us behind.” said Danny, “We’re hoping to see him later in the Triple Crown series.” Igali was slated to run on the turf at Woodbine, June 1.
Igali was named after Olympic Wrestler, Daniel Igali, who won gold for Canada at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Glenn Sikura, who was an Ontario Champion wrestler himself, named the horse after the native of Nigeria who now lives in Surrey, BC.
According to trainer Mike Doyle, the next start for the Eaton Hall Farm homebred, Pyramid Park, will be in either the Plate Trial Stakes on June 4 or an allowance a couple of days earlier.
This son of Tethra - Heavenly Lark, by Septieme Ciel, is coming off an impressive win on May 12 in a 1 1/16 Allowance race for $69,500 after finishing second in his first start of the season on April 23.
“I always thought he was a really nice horse.” said Mike.
Pyramid Park broke his maiden in the $250,000 Cup and Saucer in 2005 on the turf and followed that up with a second in the Coronation Futurity and a....
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
Groom Monica Knowland with Ascot Bill
Ascot Bill Atlas Shrugs Bad Hat
Bajan Blue Bayberry Bay Blue Deputy Bold Comment Bridgecut Broad Range Celebrate Cifercat
Claire the Deputy Clara Sonja
Colleton
Dream of Victory Edenwold
Etruscan
Feathered Diamond (f) Forest Light
French Beret Great Torrington Gumboots (f) Hot Deputy (Ms) Impossible Carat Kapazunder Langenau Malakoff
Pipers Thunder Pleasant Amelia Port Renfrew Prattle
Prized Conquest Pyramid Park Queen’s College River Heights
Royal Autumn
Salty Earle
Seeking Shelter Shillelagh Slew Shine like the Sun (f) Society's Chairman Spring Farm Sterwins
Stormkick Tailsiwinhedsulose Thinking Out Loud (Ms) Thorpes Cottage
Town Thief
Unification
Vibank
Wanna Runner (s)
Well Whoopdeedoo Wooden
Groom Steve Mullett and Pyramid Park
(f): denotes filly
(s): denotes supplemental nomination; not originally nominat- ed or sustained, but now eligible after a payment of $7,500 was made on February 1, 2006
(Ms): denotes May supplemental nomination; not originally nominated or sustained, but now eligible after a payment of $15,000 was made on May 15, 2006
Information courtesy of WEG Media Relations
Did You Know.....
That H.C. Harch, breeder and owner of the winner of the 1945 King’s Plate, Uttermost, had once remarked “He’s the sorriest looking two-year-old we have in the barn.” -
Taken from The Plate/A Royal Tradition, by Louis Cauz