Three Turf Stakes On Queen's Plate Undercard

Beyond the hoopla and excitement surrounding the 156th Queen’s Plate, Canada’s most famous horse race on Sunday, there is also a trio of graded turf stakes on the excellent undercard.

The Grade 2, $200,000 Dance Smartly Stakes, for fillies and mares at one mile and one-eighth at 3:02 p.m., has a field of 10, headed by Watsdachances, who arrives at Woodbine from the New York barn of Chad Brown.   The race is named for Canada’s Horse of the Year in 1991, who was unbeaten that season while winning the Canadian Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Distaff, a member of both the Canadian and U.S. Racing Halls of Fame and the mother of two Queen’s Plate winners – Scatter The Gold and Dancethruthedawn.

Watsdachances, a five-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Diamond Green, sports five wins from 16 overall appearances.  After going winless in four starts last season, she won her debut this year, impressively taking the Grade 3 Gallorette, at one mile and one-sixteenth on the lawn at Pimlico on May 16.   Owned by Michael E. Kisber, Bradley Thoroughbreds and Nelson McMakin, the career earner of $707,082 is listed as the 2-1 morning line choice with Alan Garcia named to ride.

John Oxley’s Sky Treasure, winner of the Grade 2, seven furlong Nassau at Woodbine on May 23, is the 5-2 second choice.  To be ridden by Gary Boulanger for trainer Mark Casse, the Kentucky-bred five-year-old daughter of Sky Mesa is the race co-highweight at 122 pounds.   She’s won four of 15 career starts for earnings of $346,080.

John Unger’s homebred Strut the Course, trained by Barb Minshall, won a Sovereign Award last year as Canada’s top older female, when taking four of eight starts, $359,148 and two stakes, both over Woodbine’s Polytrack.   The five-year-old Ontario-bred daughter of Strut the Stage-Bold Course got her Dance Smartly tightener in when finishing a close fifth, just two lengths behind Sky Treasure in the Nassau in her season debut.   Overall, she’s won seven of 18, $625,948 and is one for four on the grass.  Luis Contreras rides the 6-1 third choice.

The Grade 3, $150,000 Singspiel, over one and one-half miles, goes postward at 4:18 p.m. with a field of eight, topped by another Chad Brown invader Hyper.  Now eight years old, the son of Victory Gallop finished an excellent second to Joshua Tree in the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International two years ago.

After being away from the races for all of 2014, the Ken and Sarah Ramsey silk-bearer has run twice this year, both in Grade 1’s at Belmont Park, finishing third to Twilight Eclipse in the Man O’ War on May 9, then eighth to Slumber in the Manhattan on June 6.   To be ridden by Alan Garcia, the 2-1 morning line choice is a 10-time winner in 25 starts with earnings of $815,415.

John Oxley’s Dynamic Sky, the field’s leading money winner with just over $1 million, is winless in six starts this year, but has been on the edges, including a fourth place finish in the Man O’ War.  The Sky Mesa-Murani five year-old Canadian-bred, who finished third in the 2013 Queen’s Plate, enjoyed an excellent 2014 campaign, winning the Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct, finishing second in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer and third in the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International, both at Woodbine, en route to a Sovereign Award as Canada’s best male turfer.   Patrick Husbands rides the 5-2 second choice.

The $200,000 Grade 2 Highlander, at six furlongs, goes at 4:53 p.m. and attracted seven speedsters, topped by the 123 pound race highweight and 2-1 morning line choice, Something Extra.   Closing in on $1 million in career earnings, presently with $958,831, the seven-year-old gelded son of Indian Charlie-Our Mariah is the defending champion, having won the Highlander by one and one-quarter lengths over Phil’s Dream last July.

This year, the Gail Cox co-owned (along with John Menary) and trained star opened his campaign with a win in the five and one-half furlong Grade 3 Shakertown at Keeneland on April 4, was third in the five furlong Grade 3 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on May 1 and most recently was a gallant second in the Grade 3 Jaipur at Belmont Park, leading for most of the six furlongs before succumbing late to Channel Marker.  Eurico Rosa da Silva will be aboard.

The second choice at 5-2 is Katie’s Eyes, a four-year-old daughter of 2005 Woodbine Mile winner Leroidesanimaux, who is unbeaten in four starts this year, including stakes at Keeneland and Churchill Downs for trainer Michael Stidham. Patrick Husbands rides.

There’s also another stakes race on the program, the $150,000 Clarendon for Ontario-bred two-year-olds, at five and one-half furlongs on the Poly.  The Mark Casse-trained Beliveau, disqualified winner of the recent Victoria Stakes, is the 2-1 choice.   The Clarendon goes as Race 4 at 1:26 p.m.

All of the added-money events lead, of course, to the Queen’s Plate, the annual classic for Canadian-foaled three-year-olds at one mile and one-quarter on Polytrack.  TSN will air the Plate live in a special 4:30 – 6:00 p.mtelecast in HD.  Post time for the Plate and its field of 14 hopefuls is 5:38 p.m., the 11th race in a 13-race program which begins with a first race post at 12 Noon.

CASSE DUO IN GOOD ORDER AHEAD OF QUEEN'S PLATE

Mark Casse, who won the 2014 Queen’s Plate with Lexie Lou, will send out Conquest Boogaloo and Oakton in Sunday's $1-million classic as he looks to defend his title in the 'Gallop for the Guineas.'

A third Casse trainee, Conquest Curlinate, was expected to be among the favourites for the 1 1/4-mile test, but was withdrawn following a morning training accident.

"He's getting around fine, it's just unfortunate," said Casse of Conquest Curlinate. "He cracked the bottom of his sesamoid. We've already taken phone calls about him becoming a stallion prospect.”

The Curlin grey graduated in impressive fashion at Oaklawn Park in February and later posted a trio of excellent place efforts when defeated just a nose, in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby to Whiskey Ticket; missing by a length to Madefromlucky in the Grade 2 Peter Pan; and again in the Plate Trial, just three-quarters of a length behind Queen's Plate favourite Danish Dynaformer.

"I think he'd be a great stallion in Ontario. He's a Curlin, a beautiful horse and raced against some of the best three-year-olds on the continent," said Casse of the Conquest Stables charge. "It's disappointing, but it's also a beginning."

Conquest Boogaloo, also owned by Conquest Stables, finished a closing third in the Plate Trial after encountering traffic trouble when veering to avoid the ill-fated Danzig Moon.

"'Boogaloo' is doing great. I was really pleased with him this week," said Casse.

Conquest Boogaloo breezed in company with Field of Courage on June 28, covering five furlongs in 1:01.40. The rail-breezing Field of Courage appeared to get the better of the workout, but Casse was pleased with the effort of both horses.

"Anytime you work two horses together, if one horse has speed, they have a big advantage going five-eighths of a mile," explained Casse. "For 'Boogaloo' to be competitive, he needs the pace scenario to set up for him. With 'Boogaloo', all winter long, I don't know that he ever won a work."

Field of Courage breezed five furlongs over Woodbine's dirt training track this morning in a swift 1:00 flat, best of 17 efforts at the distance.

"I was really impressed. He's going to the Prince of Wales Stakes," said Casse.

Flying under the radar this week is the other Casse charge, Oakton.  The Macho Uno grey, to be ridden by Tyler Pizarro for owners Bill and Vicki Poston Racing Inc., will leave from post two. Last time out, the maiden winner finished a good fourth in a 1 1/8-mile allowance route while tackling older company.

"I think Oakton is going to surprise everybody. His last race is much better than it looks," said Casse of the prominent colt. "He's not there just to set a pace. He's there to win. His best race was on the lead though, so he'll be up there."

Field for the 156th running of the Queen’s Plate to be held Sunday, July 5, 2015 at Woodbine:

For Three-Year-Olds, Foaled In Canada

One Mile and One-Quarter, Polytrack

All to carry 126 pounds except filly Academic (121 pounds)

PP / HORSE / OWNER / TRAINER / JOCKEY / ODDS

1 / Shaman Ghost / Stronach Stables / Brian Lynch / Rafael Hernandez / 7-2

2 / Oakton / Bill and Vicki Poston Racing / Mark Casse / Tyler Pizarro / 20-1

3 / Ault / Canyon Farms / Dan Vella / David Moran / 30-1

4 / Academic (f) / Bear Stables / Reade Baker / Justin Stein / 5-1

5 / Billy’s Star / Perfect Timber Partnership / Roger Attfield / Eurico da Silva / 15-1

6 / Sweet Grass Creek / Gus Schickedanz / Mike Keogh / Jesse Campbell / 20-1

7 / Danish Dynaformer / Charles Fipke / Roger Attfield / Patrick Husbands / 3-1

8 / Conquest Boogaloo / Conquest Stables / Mark Casse / Alan Garcia / 8-1

9 / Breaking Lucky / Gunpowder Farms / Reade Baker / Jim McAleney / 20-1

10 / Easy Indygo / Tucci Stables / Nick Gonzalez / Emma-Jayne Wilson / 30-1

11 / Portree / Chiefswood Stable / Stuart Simon / Gerry Olguin / 12-1

12 / Milwaukee Mist / Preston Stables / Pavel Matejka / Gary Boulanger / 30-1

13 / Bear At Last / Bear Stables / Reade Baker / Rico Walcott / 30-1

14 / Ami’s Flatter / Ivan Dalos / Josie Carroll / Luis Contreras / 6-1

(f): filly

MANY WAGERING OPTIONS ON SUNDAY'S PLATE CARD

Sunday’s 13-race program at Woodbine offers a number of options for horseplayers, including a Pick 5, two Pick 4s, and rolling Pick 3s all for a $.20 minimum, and for vertical players there are $.20 triactors and superfectas with an average field size of 10.1, including a late Pick 3 with 14 horses in each race.

The early Pick 4 starts in Race 4 with a guaranteed pool of $150,000, while the late Pick 4, starting in Race 10, is guaranteed at $300,000.

Source: Woodbine Communications Office

First race post time on Sunday is 12 p.m. EST. Watch and wager on all the action via HPIBet.com.