Kevin Attard | Horse Racing Free Tips

Munnyfor Ro Best In Woodbine Oaks

Munnyfor Ro, under a patient ride from Justin Stein, took the 66th running of the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser Sunday at Woodbine Race Track in Toronto, Ontario.

Trained by Kevin Attard for Raroma Stable Inc., Munnyfor Ro was the last to load in the first leg of the Triple Tiara for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies, but was first when it counted most, perhaps setting herself up for a shot at Queen's Plate glory on August 22.

It was Lorena, undefeated in three starts coming into the Oaks, who was put on the front end by Gary Boulanger. Emmeline, under Emma-Jayne Wilson, settled into second, with Miss Marie and Il Malocchio racing side-by-side just off the leaders.

After a quarter-mile in :24.35, Lorena was still in command as Emmeline, to her outside, remained squarely in contention. Munnyfor Ro, with Justin Stein aboard, was cruising comfortably in the eighth spot, and was still there after a half-mile clocked in :48.41.

As the field began to envelop Lorena, Stein and Munnyfor Ro, sixth after three-quarters in 1:12.35, began to pick off their rivals one-by-one and were full of run around the turn for home. At the stretch call, the pair was a half-length ahead of a determined Emmeline, who continued to fight on along the rail.

At the wire, Munnyfor Ro was a 1 ¼-length winner. Emmeline stayed on for second, a nose ahead of Il Malocchio, with 85-1 Youens taking fourth. The final time was 1:50.31.

Munnyfor Ro, the 3-1 third choice, returned $8.70 for the win.

“I was told the key with her is to have her settled,” noted Stein. “The pace… it looked like there was probably some possibility of them stopping, which we didn't want to be in behind them. I put her in a spot that we could tip out in the turn when it came time to ask her to run from the quarter-pole home. We had a dream trip; worked out perfect.”

It was an Oaks first for Attard and a second for Stein, who teamed with Academic to take the 2015 running.

“We were expecting a good performance out of her,” said Attard. “She came up here this season in good shape from [trainer] Brian Lynch – had a great campaign over the wintertime. She ran a fabulous race [second] in the [Grade 3] Selene. I thought she'd move off that race forwardly enough to kind of be really competitive here today. Had a good interim breeze and put it all together.”

For owner Rajendra Maharajh, it was a perfect day from start to finish.

“My good buddy Art Fisher from Ocala picked her out for me,” said Maharajh, who named the horse for his son 'Ro.' “She came up here [last year] and ran two races. She was a little immature at the time. We sent her down to Florida and gave her the winter off and then with COVID, my other trainer, Brian Lynch, took her over and prepped her up and we were always planning for this race. Brian did a fabulous job getting her ready and then she came over just about a month ago and Kevin did the final touches on her and he did a fabulous job.”

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The Oaks win wasn't the only icing on the cake.

“It's just a wonderful story and today's my mom's 80th birthday,” shared Maharajh. “Everybody is here with us, so it's a family day and a lovely day.”

The decision to run Munnyfor Ro, now 2-2-2 from nine starts, in the $1 million Queen's Plate, will be made by the filly's connections in the coming days.

“These are the races you want to win growing up as a kid here in Ontario,” said Attard. “With Woodbine my home, the Oaks and the Plate are obviously those pinnacle races for those 3-year-olds – just really happy and satisfied to get it done today.

“A mile and a quarter is going to be her trip; I'm not worried about the distance. We'll see how she comes out of the race and then we're going to have to sit down and talk, and see if supplementing her is the next move.”

The Woodbine Oaks has served as a Queen's Plate stepping-stone for fillies. Oaks-Plate champions include Holy Helena (2017), Lexie Lou (2014), Inglorious (2011), and Dancethruthedawn (2001). In 2018, Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot went on to win the Queen's Plate.

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Amalfi Coast Nips Jeanie B At Wire To Win Royal North

Riding the rail throughout much of the six-furlong Grade 2 Royal North, Amalfi Coast dug in and nipped Jeanie B at the wire, the margin of victory a nose in a photo finish at Woodbine Race Track in Toronto, Ontario.

Hanging out mid-pack throughout much of the race, Justin Stein kept Amalfi Coast steady behind front runners Sister Peacock and Jeanie B until the field of eight hit the stretch on the E. P. Taylor Turf Course at Woodbine. In the straight, Jeanie B took over the lead, with the favorite Change of Control sprinting on her outside. Stein and Amalfi Coast made their big run on the inside, steadily shortening Jeanie B's advantage in the last sixteenth of a mile. At the wire, the two seemed to be on even terms, a photo deciding the winner. In only her second start of 2021, Amalfi Coast gets her first win of the year in the G2 Royal North, with Jeanie B second and Change of Control third.

The final time for the six-furlong turf stakes was 1:09.15. Lady Grace, Fairywren, Sister Peacock, Lead Guitar, and Jeannie's Beepbeep rounded out the field.

Find this race's chart here.

Amalfi Coast paid $9.60, $6.30, and $2.60. Jeanie B paid $7.30 and $3.10. Change of Control paid $2.10. Wagers on Lead Guitar, who broke awkwardly and was never a factor, were refunded after the stewards declared that she did not get a fair start.

Bred in Ontario by Terra Farms, Amalfi Coast is by Tapizar out of Include Katherine, by Include. The 5-year-old mare was third in the Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes last out, with her win in the G2 Royal North improving her to 1-0-1 in 2021 and 6-2-3 in 15 lifetime starts for career earnings of $480,367.

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Queen’s Plate Trail Heats Up Sunday With Marine, Queenston Stakes At Woodbine

The $150,000 Grade 3 Marine Stakes and $125,000 Queenston Stakes share the spotlight this Sunday at Woodbine.

A key prep on the road to this year's Queen's Plate (August 22, at Woodbine), the 1 1/16-mile main track Marine, for three-year-olds, has attracted some notable Canadian-breds hoping for a shot at Plate glory.

The Marine is complemented by the Queenston, a seven-furlong race over the Tapeta for Canadian-bred three-year-old colts & geldings, also an important race ahead of the Plate.

Kevin Attard, in search of his first Marine crown, will send out Haddassah, a bay son of Air Force Blue, who will be making his first stakes appearance.

Bred and owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Haddassah is listed as the 8-1 fourth choice in the Queen's Plate Winterbook.

The bay gelding's first career start came last November at Woodbine, in a 1 mile and 70-yard main track race that had originally been scheduled for the turf.

Second at the stretch call, Haddassah rallied to secure a half-length win as the 9-5 mutuel choice.

After a series of steady spring works, the Ontario-bred finished a solid third in his 3-year-old debut on June 13, a 1 1/16-mile test over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

“With Haddassah, we had to run him against older horses,” noted Attard. “The scheduling with everything doesn't leave much time or room for error. We had to get him going and it was against older horses, and on the turf. It wasn't ideal, but all things considered, I thought he ran a good race. He's come back and worked really well in the interim. We're excited to see him run against his own age group, going a mile and a sixteenth. We're looking forward to it.”

Attard won't make any Queen's Plate plans quite yet.

“He's a horse that has a lot of raw talent, but I don't know if a mile and quarter is going to be in his realm. He has a lot of ability and talent. He enjoys what he does, so hopefully, everything comes together for him.”

Candy Overload, Easy Time, Frosted Over, Keep Grinding [trained by Attard's father, Tino, and owned by Attard's son, Joshua] and Tidal Forces comprise the rest of the Marine field.

Sam-Son Farm has the most Marine wins (six) for owners, while Sandy Hawley holds the riding record with five Marine crowns. The most recent horse to notch the Marine-Plate double was Shaman Ghost, who achieved the feat in 2015.

Attard will be represented in the Queenston – a race that features several Plate hopefuls – in the form of Red River Rebel.

Tabbed at 25-1 in the Queen's Plate Winterbook, the son of Reload has already experienced stakes success having taken last year's running of the Frost King.

Red River Rebel finished fourth in his first start of 2021, a 6 ½-furlong test on the Tapeta.

“I've only had him for about three weeks,” said Attard. “He's settled in well and obviously, he's an exciting horse to have. We're going to give him a shot here. He's had a race under his belt and we have him good and tight. We gave him a little blowout this morning [Wednesday] and he went a nice and easy half-mile with Rafael Hernandez, who will be riding him on Sunday. I'm excited to see him run. He's a very impressive-looking individual. Hopefully, he runs a big race.”

Artie's Storm, Candy Overload (cross-entered), first-time winner Del Griffith, Download, Gretzky the Great, Canada's champion 2-year-old male, Master Spy, winner of the 2020 Cup & Saucer Stakes, and stakes-placed Tio Magico complete the Queenston field.

Last year, Halo Again, under Rafael Hernandez, won the Queenston in a time of 1:23.63.

The Marine is race seven on Sunday's 11-race card. The Queenston is race eight. First post time is 1:20 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE $150,000 GRADE 3 MARINE

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Tidal Forces – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Gail Cox

2 – Frosted Over – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

3 – Easy Time – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

*4 – Candy Overload – Daisuke Fukumoto – Krista Cole-Simpson

5 – Haddassah – Keveh Nicholls – Kevin Attard

6 – Keep Grinding – Justin Stein – Tino Attard

* cross-entered in Queenston

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 QUEENSTON

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Candy Overload – Daisuke Fukumoto – Krista Cole-Simpson

2 – Red River Rebel – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard

3 – Artie's Storm – David Moran – Paul Buttigieg

4 – Master Spy – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

5 – Del Griffith (S) – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Timothy Hamm

6 – Gretzky the Great – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

7 – Download (S) – Justin Stein – Michael De Paulo

8 – Tio Magico – Luis Contreras – Gail Cox

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A 17-Year-Old Owner, A 3-Year-Old Colt, And One Queen’s Plate Dream

Joshua Attard knew the dark bay colt would be on the list, but he wanted to see it for himself.

In between his virtual online classes, the 17-year-old high school student from Brampton, Ontario, took a few seconds out of a full day to click on the Woodbine Racetrack website.

After another click, he landed on the page he was looking for, the one that heralded the arrival of the Queen's Plate Winterbook, the annual list of predictive rankings for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds nominated to the Canadian Triple Crown.

Attard scanned the page to find his horse.

That's right… his horse.

“It feels great, to be honest with you,” said the son of high-profile Woodbine trainer Kevin Attard. “I never expected at my age that I could own a horse that could be in the Queen's Plate.”

His hopes of being represented in Canada's iconic horse race (August 22 at Woodbine) lies on the hooves of Keep Grinding, listed at 25-1 in the Winterbook.

The Ontario-bred son of Tizway broke his maiden in impressive fashion last November to close out his 2020 campaign. Under jockey Justin Stein, Keep Grinding prevailed by a neck in the 1 1/16 mile main track maiden special weight race at Woodbine.

Bred by Huntington Stud Farm Corp, the 3-year-old is trained by Attard's grandfather, longtime horseman Tino Attard.

“I'm proud of my horse and I'm proud to share this journey with my father and his father, my grandfather. I couldn't ask for anything better. It feels really great. I knew he might be a Plate-caliber horse when he started to work as a 2-year-old last year. I worked on the backstretch at Woodbine last summer, so I had the chance to watch him work and he would put on a show. His first race on the grass, I knew he had some talent because he came from far out of it and the race was a little short for him. He's a two-turn horse. When he broke his maiden, that's when I said I had a Queen's Plate prospect.”

The name of the horse, who has one win from three career starts, is a nod to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner.

Attard came up with the idea after watching the young NHL star over the past few NHL seasons.

“I wanted to name my horse something that motivated me. I play hockey. When I go into the corners, I always tell myself to keep grinding for the puck. So, if I ever had the chance to own a horse I would name it Keep Grinding. It's something that motivates me and I hope it motivates other people.”

The thought of having a horse load into the starting gate for the $1 million classic is anything but a recent goal for Attard.

That dream came to light well before his first year of high school.

“I started going to the racetrack when I was around 10. I remember wanting to go because I was a little bored and I wanted to get out of the house. And the first time I went, it was the greatest feeling. I went to the backstretch to see the horses. I loved them. I would pet them and just enjoy spending time with them. I had a strong connection with them from the start and every year, my love of the horses and horse racing has grown.”

Attard, who was three when his father finished second with Alezzandro in the 2007 Queen's Plate, is hoping that this year's edition of the “Gallop for the Guineas” will see his family name written in the history books.

If Keep Grinding isn't the one crowned Plate champion, the younger Attard would be equally ecstatic to see his father lead a horse into the Woodbine winner's circle.

That would hardly be a longshot.

Kevin Attard has a pair of horses, namely, Stephen, and Haddassah, in the top five of the Queen's Plate Winterbook. He also has Truffle King (25-1), a dark bay son of Giant Gizmo, being pointed towards the Plate as well.

A bay son of Constitution-Naughty Holiday, Stephen is the second choice in the Winterbook at 4-1. He ended his 2-year-old campaign in style, taking all the spoils in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity Stakes.

Haddassah, a gelded son of Air Force Blue-Lady Haddassah, is listed as the 8-1 fourth choice in the Winterbook.

Stephen and Haddassah are both owned by the father-son team of Al and Bill Ulwelling.

“I'd still be cheering for whatever horse or horses my dad has in the Plate. If my dad has those three in the race and I have mine, I'll find a way to cheer for all four of them. Just because I own Keep Grinding doesn't mean I won't be rooting for my dad. But I know there's a long way to go before the big day.”

Until then, Attard will endeavor to keep the date of August 22nd in the back of his mind. Admittedly, it hasn't been an easy task and he knows it will only get tougher in the days and weeks ahead.

“I never would have expected, to be honest, to have a horse like this at my age. I'm really excited to have a horse that is eligible for the Queen's Plate, and that has a chance to be in the race. I know it's a hard road to get to the Queen's Plate, so we'll just hope the horse keeps developing and getting better each week.”

He likes what he's seeing in Keep Grinding.

“He's getting better each day, I think. He's bigger and stronger now and looks like he can handle the mile-and-a-quarter Plate distance. Hopefully, he keeps training well and he can be in the Queen's Plate. If I could win it, that would be even better. I'd probably start crying if we won.”

Attard is certain of one thing.

“If he does run in the Plate, I know he'll try his best and I'll be proud of him wherever he finishes. I know he'll live up to his name.”

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