Bowman's Causeway: Live longhot in Plate?
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Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
Bowman’s Causeway is a reluctant addition to the cream of this crop, if for no other reason that at first blush he appeared to be under a stiffer drive to finish a clear second in the Plate Trial than Check Your Soul, who was under wraps in mid-stretch and receiving pats on the neck from jockey Patrick Husbands inside the final furlong.
At second blush, however, Bowman’s Causeway’s form had waned since his victory on February 11. He was off the board twice in key Kentucky Derby and third in an allowance. Moved to the barn of trainer Chad Brown, the chestnut needed a wake-up call and that’s exactly what occurred in the Plate Trial.
New pilot Eurico Rosa da Silva gave him a nice trip and he responded well around the second turn when collaring favorite Bear’s Chill who basically hit the wall after seven furlongs or so. Bowman’s Causeway proved no match for the Check Your Soul blur that circled him on the outside at the top of the stretch. While Check Your Soul drew off with spine-tingling ease, Bowman’s Causeway stayed on willingly for second and could have a peak effort in him on Sunday.
The Trial was the son of Giant Causeway’s first ever trip over the Woodbine Polytrack and many horses move up in their second try over the surface. The Brown trainee would certainly need to improve to test the same Check Your Soul that showed up three weeks ago, but it’s uncertain where he stands in relation to Inglorious and Queen’splatekitten since he’s never faced them. It's not improbable that the top two (of the four) are exiting the Plate Trial.
Having won the last two editions, Da Silva is no stranger to winning the Plate, even if it means breaking the Ontario Racing Commission’s whipping regulations to make it happen. He has a built-in incentive to defeat Queen’splatekitten, the steed he rode perfectly in the Marine only to lose the mount to Todd Pletcher’s main rider John Velazquez. Once somebody tells him that no jockey in Canadian racing history – not even Avelino Gomez or Sandy Hawley – has won three consecutive Plates, he’ll be even hungrier to make it a three-peat.
It wouldn’t be a new thing for the Plate Trial runner-up to turn the tables on the Plate Trial winner with $1 million on the line (five times in last 20 years: Basqueian, Peteski, Archer’s Bay, Woodcarver, Niigon). So, should anything happen that delays Check Your Soul’s rally or if he just happens to have an off day, Bowman’s Causeway has the tactical speed to get the early jump. He could be the value in the 9-1 range, if Soul, Kitten and Inglorious take the lion’s share of the action, as expected. Just an opinion, but can’t see him going off near his ML quote of 6-1.
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