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Lemon Drop Kid’s Belichick Upsets Mighty Heart in Breeders S.

Heading into Saturday’s final jewel in Canada’s 2020 Triple Crown, trainer Josie Carroll appeared poised to collect the 129th renewal of the Breeders’ S. And while most thought that Queen’s Plate S. and Prince of Wales S. hero Mighty Heart (Dramedy) was the most likely to accomplish the feat as even-money choice, it was his stablemate Belichick (Lemon Drop Kid) who landed the Canadian Classic in fine style.

Given a 3-1 chance here, Belichick raced two wide in mid-pack as his favored barnmate-prompted by longshot Kunal (Temple City)–blazed through swift early fractions of :23,69, :47.45 and 1:13.02. The field began to converge on the leaders, with Contreras steering Belichick to the outside to take aim at the tiring front-runners. Just before the turn for home, Belichick took command as Mighty Heart began to fade to the inside. Full of run from there, the $300,000 KEESEP buy struck the front in early stretch and charged clear to win by an easy four-length margin over 54-1 longshot Meyer (Singing Saint) and English Conqueror (English Channel) back in third. Mighty Heart tired through the lane, finishing seventh.

“They kind of broke early in the race so I just tried to see them and relax my horse as much as I can,” said winning rider Luis Contreras of the early speed up front. “He was very uncomfortable; this horse has a different style to run, so I just let him be happy wherever he wants to be.”

“Turning for home, I was just in hand all the way to the quarter pole and I asked him to run from the stretch home and he did. I was just watching, just feeling my horse at the same time. And he was doing great the whole way. He came into this race very ready, good thing for Josie and all the crew.”

Third on debut sprinting on the local lawn July 4, the NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods representative was second next out in a nine-panel maiden special weight on the synthetic here Aug. 1. Most recently, he finished second–beaten 7 1/2 lengths-to Mighty Heart in the Queen’s Plate Sept. 12.

“I’ve said from the very start that Belichick is a very, very special horse that’s just coming into his own and I think he showed that today,” said Carroll. “He’s a powerful horse. The Queen’s Plate was a breakout race for him and we couldn’t come back that quickly in the Prince of Wales. A horse needs a little time to regroup from something like that, a young, inexperienced horse. And regroup he did.”

As for the beaten favorite who was looking to become the first Canadian Triple Crown winner since Wando in 2003, Carroll said, “I told him [jockey Daisuke Fukumoto], ‘Let’s see how this falls out. If you make the lead, watch your fractions..it’s a long, long race.’ The horse broke well, he found himself up there, unfortunately, another horse dogged him the whole way and he couldn’t get the horse to come off the bridle and relax.”

Pedigree Notes:
Belichick, a $300,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, is a full-brother to the stakes-winning filly Season Ticket and a half to Broken Game (Broken Vow), a listed winner and group placed filly in Peru. Game produced a colt by Distorted Humor in 2019 followed by a full-sister to Belichick earlier this season. The French-bred mare was returned to Flintshire (GB) this year.

Saturday, Woodbine
BREEDERS’ S., C$401,200, Woodbine, 10-24, (S), 3yo, 1 1/2mT, 2:32.51, gd.
1–BELICHICK, 126, c, 3, by Lemon Drop Kid
                1st Dam: Game (Fr), by Montjeu (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Pretty (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
                3rd Dam: Lady Nessa, by Al Nasr (Fr)
($300,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-NK Racing
& LNJ Foxwoods; B-Sean Fitzhenry (ON); T-Josie Carroll; J-Luis
Contreras. C$240,000. Lifetime Record: 4-1-2-1, $357,666.
*1/2 to Broken Game (Broken Vow), MSW & MGSP-Per; Full to
Season Ticket, SW, $280,171.
2–Meyer, 126, g, 3, Singing Saint–Malibu Sunrise, by Malibu
Moon. O-Bruno Schickedanz; B-Gabe Grossberg (ON); T-Martin
Drexler. C$80,000.
3–English Conqueror, 126, g, 3, English Channel–Regal
Conqueror, by Sky Conqueror. O/B-JWS Farms (ON); T-Darwin
Banach. C$40,000.
Margins: 4, 3, HF. Odds: 3.35, 54.65, 12.50.
Also Ran: Deviant, Clayton, Enchant Me, Mighty Heart, Muskoka Giant, Told It All, Glorious Tribute, Kunal. Scratched: Olliemyboy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Josie Carroll Wins Third Queen’s Plate As Mighty Heart Romps In 161st Running Of Canadian Classic

Mighty Heart lived up to his name in a dominating score in the 161st running of the Queen's Plate, as the one-eyed colt trounced his 13 rivals on Saturday at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

Originally slated for June 27, North America's oldest continually run race was moved to September 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the connections of Mighty Heart, it was well worth the wait.

Bred and owned by Lawrence Cordes, the son of Dramedy flew under the radar leading up to the Plate, but the Ontario-bred bay, in his first stakes test, landed in the winner's circle courtesy of a sensational coast-to-coast score in the $1 million classic.

Sent off at 13-1, Mighty Heart, trained by Josie Carroll, was directed to the front from post 13 as first-time Plate jockey Daisuke Fukumoto guided his charge over to the rail as the field passed the wire for the first time.

Mighty Heart was joined to the outside by Tecumseh's War, while Truebelieve sat third, with Plate Trial champion Clayton settling in fourth. Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser champ and Plate mutuel favorite Curlin's Voyage was forced into an outside journey as the field headed into the first turn of the 1 1/4-mile Tapeta test.

There was no change in the top four positions as Mighty Heart led the field through an opening quarter-mile in :23.57.

One-length on top after a half-mile in :47.61, Mighty Heart was still yet to be tested, but just after the 1:12.70 three-quarters mark, Curlin's Voyage, under Patrick Husbands, began a bid from eighth. Rafael Hernandez, aboard Clayton, attempted to get the jump on the Oaks champ, and soon engaged the pacesetter.

As the field turned for home, Clayton was roused to engage Mighty Heart, but to no avail, as the leader easily repelled the challenge and rocketed home to a rousing 7 1/2-length victory.

Belichick, under Slade Callaghan, rallied to grab second spot, while Clayton settled for third, a neck in front of Tecumseh's War. Curlin's Voyage, Canada's champion two-year-old filly, was a head back in fifth.

It was a one-two Plate finish for Carroll, who celebrated her third “Gallop for the Guineas” crown. The Canadian Hall of Fame inductee took the 2006 edition with Edenwold and the 2011 running with filly Inglorious.

The final time was 2:01.98, the second fastest Plate run since 1957. Izvestia, who went on to win the 1990 Triple Crown, won in 2:01 4/5.

“I was concerned for a minute or two with the quick fractions but he looked like he was settling and doing it easily,” said Carroll. “We knew he'd go all day and he sure did. You know what, he's just a very exciting horse who's come a long way for Mr. Cordes, who's had a lot of confidence in him from the start.”

Fukumoto and Carroll are now a perfect three-for-three when teaming together.

“Unbelievable,” said Fukumoto, making his first Plate start. “I can't explain…he's feeling good today, he bolt good. I saw that nobody [was leaving] so I just sent him and he just kept going. After the wire, he still kept going, he didn't stop there.”

Mighty Heart is now 2-0-1 from five starts. He broke his maiden in his third start, a 4 1/4-length score at 1 1/16 miles on July 11 at Woodbine, and arrived at the Plate off a third-place performance at the same distance.

“He was sharp today,” praised Fukumoto. “I thought it was fast but I took the lead so I can't do anything, you know…I let him go. He only has one eye, but he's got a big heart, a mighty heart.”

The $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, a 1 3/16-mile race over Fort Erie's dirt oval, is the next race in the tri-surface OLG Canadian Triple Crown series, which winds up with the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Wando, in 2003, was the last horse to sweep the series and the seventh since its exception in 1959.

Mighty Heart returned $28.50, $13.80 and $8.20, combining with Belichick ($20.90, $12.10) for a $730.40 (13-3) exactor. A 13-3-12 (Clayton, $4.20 to show) triactor paid $1,878.70 for a $1 ticket, while a $1 Superfecta [13-3-12-14 (Tecumseh's War)] was worth $19,389.75.

The post Josie Carroll Wins Third Queen’s Plate As Mighty Heart Romps In 161st Running Of Canadian Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A ‘Mighty’ Upset in the Queen’s Plate

Odds were that if Hall of Fame trainer Josie Carroll was going to win her third Queen’s Plate, it’d come with heavy favorite and Woodbine Oaks winner Curlin’s Voyage. Instead, her other two entrants made up a longshot exacta, with lightly raced and one-eyed Mighty Heart dominating the Canadian Classic. Fourth in a rained-off Fair Grounds mile event in February, the bay colt bore out on the turn and crossed the wire 11th when getting on the grass there a month later (he was later officially moved up one spot due to a medication DQ). He broke through by daylight over a couple of these foes going 8 1/2 panels on the Tapeta July 11 and was most recently third–one slot behind Tecumseh’s War (Summer Front)–in a nine-furlong allowance Aug. 1.

Tugging his way to the front from the 13 hole while on his incorrect lead, the homebred settled somewhat and continued along on an uncontested lead through splits of :23.57, :47.61 and 1:12.70. He was briefly headed by Plate Trial winner Clayton around the bend as Curlin’s Voyage revved up wider, but swatted them all away and ran up the score from there. Maiden Belichick made a good late run to round out a C$961 triactor.

“I was concerned for a minute or two with the quick fractions but he looked like he was settling and doing it easily,” said Carroll. “We knew he’d go all day and he sure did. You know what, he’s just a very exciting horse who’s come a long way for [owner/breeder Larry] Cordes, who’s had a lot of confidence in him from the start.”

It was winning rider Daisuke Fukumoto’s first Queen’s Plate ride.

“Unbelievable,” said Fukumoto. “I can’t explain…he’s feeling good today… I saw that nobody [was going for the lead] so I just sent him and he just kept going. After the wire, he still kept going, he didn’t stop there.”

The young pilot, who notched his first-ever stakes win Aug. 22, continued, “He was sharp today. I thought it was fast but I took the lead so I can’t do anything, you know…I let him go. He only has one eye, but he’s got a big heart, a mighty heart.”

Pedigree Notes:

Mighty Heart is the second of two black-type winners for the Distorted Humor stallion Dramedy, winner of the 2015 GII Dixiana Elkhorn S. at Keeneland. Dramedy originally stood his first two years at War Horse Place in Kentucky, then moved to River Oaks Farm in Oklahoma for another two seasons prior to being sold to Saudi Arabia for the 2020 season. With a mere 29 foals from his two crops of racing age, Dramedy has had nine individual winners from 16 starters. His other stakes winner is Southgate, who broke his maiden last year in the restricted Iowa Stallion Futurity. Mighty Heart’s modest female side was void of black-type after his fourth dam until Saturday’s score, while his unraced broodmare sire, the Storm Cat stallion City Place, has three stakes winners out of his daughters, including the Queen’s Plate winner. Emma’s Bullseye’s most recent foal is the unraced 2-year-old filly Evelyn’s Delight (Silver Max).

Saturday, Woodbine
QUEEN’S PLATE S., C$1,002,400, Woodbine, 9-12, (C), 3yo, 1 1/4m (AWT), 2:01.98, ft.
1–MIGHTY HEART, 126, c, 3, by Dramedy
1st Dam: Emma’s Bullseye, by City Place
2nd Dam: Fleeting April, by Northern Afleet
3rd Dam: April’s Luci, by Sunny Clime
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Lawrence Cordes; B-Larry Cordes
(ON); T-Josie Carroll; J-Daisuke Fukumoto. C$600,000. Lifetime
Record: 5-2-0-1, $508,506.
2–Belichick, 126, c, 3, Lemon Drop Kid–Game (Fr), by Montjeu
(Ire). ($300,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-NK Racing & LNJ Foxwoods;
B-Sean Fitzhenry (ON); T-Josie Carroll. C$200,000.
3–Clayton, 126, c, 3, Bodemeister–Smarthalf, by Smart Strike.
($16,000 Wlg ’17 KEENOV; $50,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Donato
Lanni & Daniel Plouffe; B-Bernard & Karen McCormack (ON);
T-Kevin Attard. C$100,000.
Margins: 7HF, 2 1/4, NK. Odds: 13.25, 26.60, 3.00.
Also Ran: Tecumseh’s War, Curlin’s Voyage, Merveilleux, Dotted Line, Glorious Tribute, Truebelieve, Holyfield, Olliemyboy, F F Rocket, Sweepin Hard, Halo Again.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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