Starting from the far outside of the field of eight, jockey Patrick Husbands hustled Mighty Heart to the lead, with Primo Touch and Embolden following in second and third. Around the first turn and down the backstretch, Mighty Heart was a length to the good, running easily on the lead putting in fractions of :23.86, :47.23, and 1:11.36.

Entering the far turn, the field started to make their move, but Mighty Heart was steadfast in the lead. Sir Winston, sixth early, ran into traffic on the turn, going to the outside in the stretch to find a clear running lane. Special Forces and Halo Again were also challenging Mighty Heart in the stretch, Sir Winston driving late, but the 2020 Horse of the Year held the race safe. He was a half-length in front of Sir Winston at the wire, with Special Forces third and Halo Again fourth.

The final time was 1:42.51.

Mighty Heart paid  $9.20, $4.00, and $2.30. Sir Winston paid $2.60 and $2.10. Special Forces paid $2.20.

Bred in Ontario by his owner Larry Cordes, Mighty Heart is a 4-year-old colt by Dramedy out of the City Place mare Emma's Bullseye. He is trained by Josie Carroll. With his win in the G2 Autumn, Mighty Heart has three wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 15 starts.

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Under jockey Justin Stein, Special Forces ran last of five early, with Tap It to Win taking the lead in the race's opening strides. Stein kept the 6-year-old gelding on the outside of Sir Winston, waiting until the far turn to swing three-wide as Tap It to Win and Halo Again battled for the lead. In the stretch, the two leaders continued to duel, Halo Again taking over as Tap It to Win tired, with Mighty Heart, Sir Winston, and Special Forces bunched up to their outside. Stein sent Special Forces running up on Halo Again's outside in the final furlong, with Sir Winson trying to split them to bid for the lead.

When Halo Again lugged in slightly, bumping Sir Winston, Special Forces was able to pull ahead to hit the wire in front. Halo Again, Mighty Heart, and Tap It to Win rounded out the field. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.36 over the Woodbine all-weather course.

The inquiry sign went up after the contact between Halo Again and Sir Winson. Stewards made no change to the order of finish.

Special Forces paid $15.60, $4.80, and $4.10. Sir Winston paid $3.20 and $3.10. Halo Again paid $5.10.

Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall, Carrie Brogden, and Craig Brogden, Special Forces is by Candy Ride (ARG) out of the Unbridled's Song mare Special Me. He is co-owned by Soli Mehta and trainer Kevin Attard. Special Forces was consigned by Select Sales and sold to Global Thoroughbreds for $220,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The G3 Durham Cup is the gelding's first win of 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 20 starts.

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The connections of 58 Queen's Plate hopefuls made the July 1 sustaining payment with an additional three supplementing to the 1 1/4-mile opening leg of the Canadian Triple Crown for a fee of $5,000.

Halo Again is the 8-1 fourth choice in the 2020 Queen's Plate Winterbook. Nine of the top 10 Winterbook selections remain eligible including pre-season favourite Malibu Mambo, trained by Kevin Attard and owned by Stronach Stables.

The list of nominees includes 10 of the 36 fillies that remain eligible to the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, which will be contested on August 15.

Canadian Triple Crown-winning trainer and new Hall of Fame inductee Mike Keogh has a pair of contenders including Dr. Green, one of the three supplements. Other supplements include Canadian Pharoah, an unraced colt sired by the U.S. Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and Ennis the Menace.

An additional $10,000 payment or supplementary fee of $25,000 is due upon entry to the Queen's Plate on Wednesday, Sept. 9 by 8:30 a.m.

Ninety-two horses, including 14 fillies, were originally nominated to the 2020 Queen's Plate.

To view the full updated list of three-year-olds nominated to the Queen's Plate, visit Woodbine.com.

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Returning to the scene of his 2019 Coronation Futurity victory, Steve Asmussen trainee Halo Again delivered another winning performance on the road to The Queen's Plate (September 12), prevailing in the 65th edition of the $125,000 Queenston Stakes on Saturday afternoon.

With Hernandez aboard in the seven-furlong sprint for Canadian-foaled 3-year-olds, Halo Again pressed the pace three-wide through panels of :23.35 and :46.29 before eventually switching leads down the lane and drawing clear for the victory in 1:23.63.

Halo Again paid $4.70 to win as the 6-5 favorite. Golden Wave, who emerged along the rail with a short lead after the first quarter, stayed for second finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind, while Glorious Tribute headed See Forever for third another three lengths back. Dotted Line, Tecumseh's War, Deviant, Perfect Revenge and Ennis the Menace competed the order of finish.

“The main thing was putting him in a good position,” said Hernandez, noting the colt has matured since his juvenile campaign.  “It was clear all the way. We've got a long backstretch. So he just broke good, kept him comfortable, clear and he did the rest. Turning for home, he switched leads. He's a big horse, he's got a nice heart, good stride. He's does everything good.”

After going two-for-two last year for owners Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing, Halo Again was assessed as the 8-1 fourth choice in the 2020 Queen's Plate Winterbook. He opened his sophomore season in a pair of Grade 3 stakes events stateside, finishing eighth in the Lecomte in January and fourth in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks last time out on March 14.

Bred by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc., the son of Speightstown and Halo's Verse was a $600,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland sale. He is a half-brother to 2017 Wonder Where Stakes champion Inflexibility (by Scat Daddy), who was a top three finisher in both the Woodbine Oaks and Queen's Plate.

The most recent winner of both the Queenston Stakes and the Queen's Plate in the same year was Not Bourbon in 2008 for Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield, who also campaigned Norcliffe — the last horse to complete the rare Coronation Futurity and Queen's Plate double in 1976.

Skywire put Hernandez back in the stakes spotlight one race later as he hauled down the popular Josie Carroll trainees, Avie's Flatter and Mr Ritz, to spring a 17-1 surprise in the $175,000 Eclipse Stakes (Grade 2).

The Mark Casse trainee, who was the beaten favorite in last year's Queen's Plate, earned his first win since taking the Wando Stakes in April 2019 for owners Gary Barber and Lou Tucci.

Racing near the back the entire way while tracking Avie's Flatter along the rail, Skywire followed that foe wide turning for home in the 1-1/16-mile affair for older horses then hauled down the late leader in the stretch for the victory in 1:44.12.

The winner's stablemate, Uncle Bull, had set fractions of :25.16, :48.32 and 1:12.17 to three-quarters with 3-5 favourite Mr Ritz pressing the pace and Avie's Flatter stalking inside. Avie's Flatter tipped out three-wide on the final turn and took command in the stretch before Skywire came flying late on the far outside to finish 1-1/4 lengths in front. Mr Ritz held third while Journeyman, Uncle Bull, Solidify and Cooler Mike rounded out the field.

Overlooked by the betting public at 17-1, Skywire returned $36.10 to his backers while notching his fourth career win from 10 starts.

“You can't worry about [the odds] when you've got Casse in the race. He put him in there because he knows he belongs and he showed up,” said Hernandez, who noted the race set up perfectly as he was able to track Avie's Flatter the whole way while two horses set a good pace on the lead. “As soon as I put him clear, he just turned on and kept going.”

Bred in Ontario by William Graham, the 4-year-old Afleet Alex–Meandering Stream gelding helped Casse to successive scores in the Eclipse. Casse won this race in 2019 with Souper Tapit. He also trained the 2006 winner Arch Hall.

Hernandez, who concluded the 10-race card with five wins, picked up his second Eclipse title having also guided the Attfield-trained Are You Kidding Me to victory in the 2018 edition.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues, without spectators, on Sunday afternoon with a star-studded Fury Stakes for 3-year-old Canadian-foaled fillies headlining the 11-race card. Post time for the first race is 1 p.m., with the $125,000 seven-furlong stakes feature scheduled as the ninth race.

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