Queen’s Plate Scheduled for Aug. 22

The 162nd running of the $1-million Queen’s Plate, the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, will be held Sunday, Aug. 22 at Woodbine, Woodbine Entertainment announced Tuesday. Contested annually to showcase Canada’s finest 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, The Queen’s Plate is one of the country’s premier sporting events and North America’s oldest continuously run stakes horse race.

Held at the end of June in past years, The Queen’s Plate was moved to late summer in 2020 and run Sept. 12 without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One-eyed champion Mighty Heart (Dramedy) scored a dominant victory in the race, which produced the third highest wagering handle in its history.

“While it is clear the impact of COVID-19 will continue to be felt into the new year, we are optimistic that this timing for The Queen’s Plate could give us the best opportunity to welcome guests back at Woodbine Racetrack for the most exciting event on the Canadian horse racing calendar,” said Jim Lawson, President and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. “We look forward to the 2021 racing season and the opportunity to restore The Queen’s Plate as one of the top social events in Toronto.”

Details regarding attendance and ticket sales will be announced in the coming months, along with Woodbine’s full Thoroughbred stakes schedule for the 2021 meet, which is expected to begin Saturday, Apr. 17.

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Lawson: 2021 Queen’s Plate May Again Be Held In September

Due to COVID-19 delaying the start of the 2020 racing season at Woodbine, the Queen's Plate was pushed back from it's usual date in late June to Sept. 12. The race was held without fans, as was the rest of the season at the Ontario track.

Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson told canadianthoroughbred.com the track is considering scheduling the premier race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds in September once again for 2021, in the hopes that fans may be able to attend.

“I don't have any expectations that in May or June we are going to have [fans] back,” Lawson told Canadian Thoroughbred. “I could see the Plate returning to its late June, early July date [in 2022] but for 2021 it is likely we will see a late stakes schedule again.”

Read more at the Canadian Thoroughbred.

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar Ship & Win: Calm Before The Storm

Graded stakes action is light stateside in the weekend leading up to the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland, but on Sunday in Japan, seven-time G1 winner Almond Eye will start in the G1 Tenno Sho.

A pair of listed stakes are featured on opening weekend at Del Mar, one Saturday and one Sunday. Also this weekend, a pair of stakes for 2-year-olds at Woodbine will begin the roads toward the 2021 Woodbine Oaks and Queen's Plate.

Racing from Belmont Park is televised on “America's Day at the Races” on FS2. “America's Day at the Races” will also broadcast races from the Churchill Downs' fall meet.

Saturday, Oct. 31

4:57 p.m.-$100,000 Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park

Trained by Daniel Velazquez, the 6-year-old Arch Cat will be making his 38th career start in the seven-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up on Big Sandy. The hard-knocking Arch gelding, who sports a record of 13-3-12 with purse earnings of $363,485, was claimed for $16,000 in June 2019 at Parx and has since won 6-of-14 starts for the new connections.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL103120USA-EQB.html#RACE9

5:15 p.m.-$250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Woodbine

Dreaming of Drew, a two-year-old daughter of Speightster, chases her first added-money title in the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, one of two ($100,000 Overskate) features on Saturday's 11-race card at Woodbine. Eight starters are slated to go postward in the 75th renewal of the Princess Elizabeth, a 1 1/16-mile main track race for Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies. Trained by Barbara Minshall, who has 380 career victories, Dreaming of Drew arrives at Saturday's engagement off a fourth-place finish in the Natalma Stakes (G1T) on Sept. 20 at Woodbine.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO103120CAN-EQB.html#RACE9

6:30 p.m.-$75,000 Kathryn Crosby Stakes at Del Mar

The Bing Crosby Season kicks off with a salute to the classy wife of the late singer and track co-founder – Kathryn Crosby – with a stakes race named in her honor and limited to fillies and mare aged 3 and up. Pick a filly or mare in this lineup and you can make a ready case why she could or should win. Morning line maker Jon White gave just the slightest of edges for favoritism to Donnie Crevier's veteran mare Cordiality as he hung her at a lukewarm 7-2. He put Branham, Baltas or McClanahan's Colonial Creed next at 4-1, then put a 5-1 projection on four different horses. It figures to be a tight one in the wagering and just as tight out on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR103120USA-EQB.html#RACE7

Sunday, Nov. 1

1:40 a.m.-about $3,104,299 G1 Tenno Sho Autumn At Tokyo Racecourse

The “Emperor's Cup,” run over 2,000 meters of turf, will feature 12 horses including seven-time Grade 1 winner Almond Eye. A total of seven Grade 1 winners will be participating, including double Tenno Sho (Spring) winner Fierement and Chrono Genesis, who crushed the competition in the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at the end of June. Ages range from 4 to 6, with three females and one gelding competing against the boys.

4:48 p.m.-$250,000 Coronation Futurity at Woodbine

Eight hopefuls, including Barb Minshall trainees British Royalty and Threefiftyseven, and Gail Cox charge Tio Magico, square off in Sunday's $250,000 Coronation Futurity Stakes, at Woodbine. The 1 1/8-mile Tapeta event for Canadian-foaled 2-year-olds is a significant race on the road to the 162nd running of the Queen's Plate, first jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

Minshall, in the midst of a strong campaign, packs a powerful punch in the form of British Royalty and Threefiftyseven. British Royalty, an Ontario-bred son of English Channel, impressed in his career bow on October 11 at Woodbine. Under Jerome Lermyte, who once again gets the call in the Coronation Futurity, the Bruce Lunsford-owned gelding was pinched back at the start of the 1 mile and 70 yard main track race. Last of nine early, British Royalty steadily gained on his eight rivals, and was travelling well around the final turn. Sixth at the stretch call, he continued to gobble up ground and went on to a 1 ¾-length score in a time of 1:43.74.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO110120CAN-EQB.html#RACE8

7:00 p.m.-$75,000 Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar

Alfred Pais homebred Margot's Boy was a tabbed a narrow 3-1 favorite in a competitive field of 10 on oddsmaker Jon White's morning line for Sunday's featured $75,000 Let It Ride Stakes at one mile on turf for 3-year-olds. A son of Clubhouse Ride out of the English-bred mare Margot Machance trained by Craig Lewis, Margot's Boy has three wins from nine career starts and earnings of $172,020. He shortens up from 1 1/8-mile assignments in the Grade II, $200,000 Del Mar Derby on September 6 (2nd) and Grade II, $200,000 Twilight Derby (7th) on October 18 at Santa Anita.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR110120USA-EQB.html#RACE8

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Woodbine: Rookies Race For Top Prize In Sunday’s $250,000 Coronation Futurity

Eight hopefuls, including Barb Minshall trainees British Royalty and Threefiftyseven, and Gail Cox charge Tio Magico, square off in Sunday's $250,000 Coronation Futurity Stakes, at Woodbine.

The 1 1/8-mile Tapeta event for Canadian-foaled 2-year-olds is a significant race on the road to the 162nd running of the Queen's Plate, first jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

Minshall, in the midst of a strong campaign, packs a powerful punch in the form of British Royalty and Threefiftyseven.

British Royalty, an Ontario-bred son of English Channel, impressed in his career bow on October 11 at Woodbine.

Under Jerome Lermyte, who once again gets the call in the Coronation Futurity, the Bruce Lunsford-owned gelding was pinched back at the start of the 1 mile and 70 yard main track race. Last of nine early, British Royalty steadily gained on his eight rivals, and was travelling well around the final turn. Sixth at the stretch call, he continued to gobble up ground and went on to a 1 ¾-length score in a time of 1:43.74.

For Minshall, the ending was far more pleasing than the start.

“It was quite the effort. His effort is almost exactly him. He's a very tall, lanky, green horse. He was bought later in the year, so he wasn't as advanced as my other babies. He was the only baby that I've had in probably 10 years who had a bit of a shin. So, I had to stop on him for 45 days. He definitely got a little bit behind the eight ball.”

Bred by Richard Lister, British Royalty now gets a sterner test in his second outing.

Minshall believes her young pupil is up to the task.

“He has a lot of ability and he showed it. Being an English Channel, I think, definitely as he gets older, things should really start to come together. Here, there's not really anywhere else we could run him, if I want to give him another race. So, he'll race in here and then we'll go from there.”

A less complicated trip would be ideal.

“When he broke out of the gate and he was really far behind, I was thinking, 'Oh, no. Am I going to be embarrassed here with a horse I told the owner I like?' But I thought Jerome did a good job. He didn't rush him. He let him get his legs going. Once he found his stride and weaved his way through some traffic, he just took off like a bat out of hell. He's a talented horse, but I don't know if he really knew what he did. He's going to appreciate every bit of the distance and he's a nice two-year-old who needs another race. We're going to take a shot. There's a lot of money on the line and he's a nice horse.”

The multiple graded stakes winning conditioner also sends Threefiftyseven postward.

A son of Run Away and Hide, the gelding, whom Minshall owns and also co-bred (with Bruce Lunsford), is 1-2-0 from four starts.

The bay's most recent effort was a runner-up result in the 1 1/16-mile turf Cup & Saucer Stakes on October 10. Sent off at 8-1, Threefiftyseven crossed the wire 3 ¼ lengths behind the Mark Casse-conditioned winner Master Spy, who will also compete in the Coronation Futurity.

Finishing fourth in his debut, a five-furlong Inner Turf race on July 12, Threefiftyseven finished second in his following start on August 9, breaking his maiden the next time out, a 1 ¼-length triumph at 6 ½ panels on the Toronto oval Tapeta.

“He [British Royalty] is the total opposite of Threefiftyseven, who has had a few races,” noted Minshall. “He's a very professional horse, a very strong horse. He hasn't put – knock on wood – a foot wrong since he's started. He's also going into the race in really good order. “They're both very different horses on a very different level of knowledge, but we're going to take a shot with both of them and see what happens. I really, really like 2-year-olds and I love training them.”

Gail Cox, also in the midst of a successful season, will turn to Tio Magico to deliver her first Coronation Futurity title.

The Sam-Son Farm homebred finished sixth to Threefiftyseven in his debut on September 7.

“He got in a bit of trouble early,” noted Cox. “Then he made a great, big middle move, and I think he just got a little bit tired.”

The dark bay son of Uncle Mo was magic in his second start, a 1 1/16-mile main track race that was originally scheduled for the turf. Tio Magico, despite ducking in twice, held a 5 ½-length lead at the stretch call, and secured a half-length victory in a time of 1:44.85 ahead of the Kevin Attard-trained Coronation Futurity contender Stephen.

“He's doing great,” said Cox, who is one win shy of tying the career-best 15 victories she posted in 2011. “He's really good. After it came off the turf, I was thinking that you have to look ahead to the future. He trains well on the surface, so I wasn't really that worried about it. The only thing you question is, 'Now we're going two turns.' As it worked out, it was great that he had the opportunity to do that.”

The multiple graded stakes winning trainer, who has a personal-best four stakes scores this season, is excited to see what's in store for her young charge.

“He's a very nice horse and I think he's very talented. He's got a great mind… easy to train. He's still a colt and he's pretty good about it. He can run. He's always worked really well.”

Ayrshire Lad won the first running of the Coronation Futurity in 1902. The late Avelino Gomez won four straight (1964-67) editions of the race, a feat also achieved by Sandy Hawley (1973-76). Last year, Halo Again won the race in a time of 1:51.82. The last horse to notch the Futurity-Plate double was Norcliffe in 1975-76.

The 117th running of the Coronation Futurity is slated as race eight on Sunday's 11-race card. First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

$250,000 CORONATION FUTURITY

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Master Spy – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

2 – Tio Magico – Luis Contreras – Gail Cox

3 – One Flint – Emma-Jayne Wilson – John LeBlanc Jr.

4 – Giant Waters – Rafael Hernandez – Daniel Vella

5 – British Royalty – Jerome Lermyte – Barbara Minshall

6 – Threefiftyseven – David Moran – Barbara Minshall

7 – Flex – Slade Callaghan – Michael De Paulo

8 – Stephen – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

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