The first telephone call Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse regularly receives each Christmas morning comes from jockey and longtime friend Patrick Husbands, sometimes at an hour earlier than he would prefer.
Just as he did in the Plate Trial on July 23, Michael J. Langlois and Gary Barber's Paramount Prince went straight to the front and was never seriously threatened en route to a 1 1/2-length victory in the 164th running of the CAN$1-million King's Plate at Woodbine in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday.
Previously run as the Queen's Plate during the reign of England's Queen Elizabeth, the race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds was the highlight of a 13-race program that included several other stakes, including the Grade 2 Dance Smartly for fillies and mares.
Seven-time Sovereign Award winner Patrick Husbands was aboard the son of Society's Chairman for trainer Mark Casse, who has 15 Sovereign Awards to his credit, including the last 12 in succession. It was the third Plate victory for both Husbands and Casse, the two having teamed up previously with the filly Lexie Lou in 2014. Both of Casse's previous plate winners were fillies, the other coming with Wonder Gadot in 2018.
Another Casse-trained filly, Elysian Field, finished second under Sahin Civaci after looming a menacing threat at the top of the stretch. Stanley House, the beaten favorite in the Plate Trial, finished third. They were followed by Velocitor (one of five runners from the barn of Kevin Attard), Touch'n Ride, Enjoythesilent, Cool Kiss, Twin City, Philip My Dear, Moon Landing, Wickenheiser, Twowaycerossing, Kalik (the slight favorite at 4-1 and the only U.S.-based runner in the field), Morstachy's, Kaukokaipuu, Silent Miracle, and Midnight in Malibu.
Paramount Prince ran the 1 1/4 miles on the Tapeta all-weather surface in 2:01.93 after setting all the fractions: :23.28, :47.41, 1:11.81, and 1:36.47. Paramount Prince paid $18 as the fifth wagering choice in the field of 17.
There were two horses on the also-eligible list that did not draw in: El Cohete and Runaway Charlie. El Cohete was originally in the body of the race when entries were drawn, but a discrepancy in qualifying earnings was noticed that relegated El Cohete to the also-eligible list and allowed Enjoythesilent to start.
The post Paramount Prince Gives Casse, Husbands Third Victory In King’s Plate appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Having steadily earned the respect of the horsemen, as well as the bettors, at Gulfstream Park, Leonel Reyes is on the verge of capturing the Royal Palm Meet riding title.
With three programs remaining in the 2023 Royal Palm Meet, Leonel Reyes is well on his way to clinching his first title in the U.S. since venturing from Venezuela in 2016, holding an 87-71 lead over Edwin Gonzalez after riding two winners Sunday.
Reyes had ridden more than 1,400 winners in Venezuela before making South Florida his home and establishing himself as a smart and seasoned professional.
“My agent has done a great job. The key is to work hard every day, every morning,” said the 37-year-old journeyman after guiding Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Li Li Bear to a hard-fought front-running triumph in Race 2 on Sunday's program. “I've won titles in Venezuela, but this is my first here. I thank the owners and the trainers, my team and my family for all the support.”
Reyes, who is represented by agent Jose Sanchez, has surpassed the 100-win mark for the second time in two years while winning the confidence of Gulfstream's top stables.
Meanwhile, Joseph has his seventh consecutive training title at Gulfstream virtually wrapped up.
Joseph, who has won back-to-back Championship Meet titles, has separated himself from Jose D'Angelo in recent weeks to hold a 64-51 lead.
Gulfstream's Sunshine Meet will get underway Friday, Sept. 1.
The post Jockey Reyes Enjoying Breakthrough Meet At Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
