Mighty Heart lived up to his name with a dominating score in the 161st running of the Queen’s Plate Sept. 12 at Woodbine, where the one-eyed colt trounced 13 opponents as a 13-1 longshot. Originally slated for June 27, North America’s oldest continually run race was moved to Saturday due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the connections of Mighty Heart, it was well worth the wait.
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Mizzen Beau Wires Bison City Field, Giving Norm Casse First Canadian Triumph
Mizzen Beau, under Steve Bahen, was strong early and powerful late in taking Saturday's $250,000 Bison City Stakes presented by Rethink Breast Cancer, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.
The mile and one-sixteenth Bison City, second leg of the Triple Tiara for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies, was missing Curlin's Voyage, who won the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser on August 15. The daughter of Curlin instead contested the 161st running of the Queen's Plate today, finishing fifth.
Trained by Norm Casse, Mizzen Beau arrived at the Bison City off a fourth-place effort in the Woodbine Oaks. It was the second consecutive start at Woodbine for the Daniel Investment Holdings' grey, who finished fifth in the Fury Stakes on July 5.
The third time at the Toronto oval proved to be the charm.
Breaking sharply from the gate, Mizzen Beau was guided towards the rail by Bahen, as Infinite Patience and Truth Hurts settled in second and third, respectively, around the first turn and through an opening quarter-mile in :23.49. Mutuel favorite Afleet Katherine, who was runner-up to Curlin's Voyage in the Woodbine Oaks, sat fifth along the rail.
It was status quo for the top flight after a half-mile clip in :47.68, as Mizzen Beau maintained a comfortable one-length lead.
As the eight-horse field began the turn for home, Afleet Katherine and jockey Justin Stein looked for a seam to take aim at the leader, while Truth Hurts attempted an inside bid.
Any thoughts of corralling Mizzen Beau were quickly dashed, as Bahen and the Richard Lister-bred filly dashed away from their rivals with ease, widening their advantage down the lane.
At the wire, Mizzen Beau, who delivered Casse his first Canadian win, was 4 3/4-lengths ahead of Afleet Katherine. Truth Hurts was a head back in third, with Gun Society finishing fourth.
The final time over the Tapeta was 1:44.35.
“She broke real sharp, and she's kind of a small little filly,” said Bahen, who teamed with Silent Fleet to win the 1996 Bison City. “Norm [Casse] just said kind of let her be happy where she is like last time, and she was up there kind of tugging on me so I said, 'OK, this is where we're going to be' just hoping she'd settle down, and she did down the backside. Was perfect.”
Just as it was down the stretch.
“I didn't hear anybody behind me,” noted Bahen. “I kind of smooched to her to make her pick it up a little bit just on her own, and when we turned for home we went.”
The win was the third from nine starts for the daughter of Mizzen Mast, who debuted last July with a fourth-place finish at Ellis Park.
Mizzen Beau broke her maiden in her third career start, a sharp 2 3/4-length score over seven panels on the Keeneland dirt on October 11.
The third and final leg in the series is the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at one mile and one-quarter on the turf, on October 25.
Mizzen Beau returned $19.10, $5.80 and $3.60, combining with Afleet Katherine ($2.80, $2.10) for a $42.90 (4-2) exactor. A 4-2-3 (Truth Hurts, $3.40 to show) triactor paid $143.60, while a $1 superfecta [4-2-3-8 (Gun Society)] was worth $413.40.
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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.
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Replacement jockey Tom Marquand lands first classic win with Galileo Chrome in the St Leger
COVID-19 prevented crowds at Doncaster and the pandemic also played a part in the result of the final Classic of the season with late substitute jockey Tom Marquand stepping in on winner Galileo Chrome.
