queen's plate | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Scrappy Little Horse’ Mighty Heart Up For The Challenge In Saturday’s Harlan’s Holiday

Lawrence Cordes' Mighty Heart will keep an eye on the prize – literally – after the 4-year-old son of Dramedy leaves the starting gate in Saturday's $150,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Although he has the use of only one eye, the over-achieving colt has persevered to become a multiple graded-stakes winner with purse earnings over $1 million. The homebred colt, whose left eye had to be removed following a paddock accident when he was only two-weeks old, reached the pinnacle of Canadian racing when he won the 2020 Queen's Plate, the first leg of the Triple Crown for Ontario-bred 3-year-olds. The homebred colt also won the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie on his way to being honored as the 2020 Canadian Horse of the Year.

“He has been a lot of fun for us. He was the underdog in the Queen's Plate and he ran the race of his life,” trainer Jose Carroll said. “He always shows up. I call him a scrappy little horse. He loves to go head-and-head. He's a trying little horse.”

Mighty Heart will carry highweight of 126 pounds in the Harlan's Holiday, a 1 1/16-mile prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational [(G1), Jan. 29], on Saturday's 11-race program with five stakes, four graded, including the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale, a 1 1/8-mile prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

The ultra-consistent Mighty Heart, who is coming off a victory in the Autumn Stakes (G2) on Woodbine's Tapeta surface over which he won the Queen's Plate. The resilient colt captured the Prince of Wales, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown on dirt but failed to pull off a series sweep, finishing far back in the Breeders' Stakes over Woodbine's turf.

“I don't think the turf was the reason. He broke sharply and was headed by a longshot, and he never came off the bridle. He galloped right along early and got tired,” Carroll said.

Mighty Heart is rated second in the morning-line at 9-5 behind Todd Pletcher-trained Fearless, the 8-5 favorite who captured the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) last season.

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Queen’s Plate 2022 To Remain In Late August At Woodbine

Woodbine Entertainment today announced the 163rd running of the $1 million Queen's Plate, first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, will be held on Sunday, August 21, 2022 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.

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 race.

Following a successful 162nd running in August 2021, The Queen's Plate will remain in a late-August position for the 2022 racing season at Woodbine. The most recent edition of the prestigious race generated the second highest wagering handle in event history and saw Safe Conduct defeat a dozen rivals to capture the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

“We're excited about the prospects of another tremendous running of The Queen's Plate in August 2022,” said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. “The new date was very successful, as evident by the wagering numbers and the large competitive field that provided a thrilling race from start to finish.

“Welcoming fans to our facility for this year's Queen's Plate brought an electric feeling back to Woodbine and we have our eyes set on producing one of Toronto's top sporting and social events for the summer of 2022.”

Ticket details for the 163rd running of The Queen's Plate will be released in the coming months.

Woodbine Entertainment also announced Wednesday the intentions to run a 133-date Thoroughbred meet next season. The 2022 racing season is tentatively scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 16 and conclude on Sunday, December 11.

Race dates for the 2022 season are currently being reviewed for final approval by the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

Fans and racing participants can visit Woodbine.com or follow @WoodbineTB on social media for the latest news and updates regarding live racing at Woodbine Racetrack.

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Hall of Fame Jockey Hugo Dittfach Passes Away

Canadian Hall of Fame jockey Hugo Dittfach passed away at the age of 85. A refugee from East Germany, Dittfach spent three years in a Russian concentration camp in Poland during World War II before emigrating to Canada. He began his riding career in 1956 and was a leading rider in Western Canada before relocating to Ontario.

Dittfach won the 1961 Queen's Plate aboard 20-1 longshot Blue Light. The pair just edged the world's leading race-winning jockey Johnny Longden and race-favorite Just Don't Shove in one of the closest finishes in the Classic race's history.

Dittfach remained a fixture and leading rider at Woodbine, Greenwood and Fort Erie for many years, winning numerous stakes, including the Prince of Wales S. a record five times. He retired from riding in 1989 to become a trainer.

“So many individuals in our racing industry, including myself, are lucky to have cherished memories of Hugo,” said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. “Hugo was a hard-working, earnest man, that gave his all every time he got on the back of a horse. Hugo rode regularly for Jim Dandy Stable and I fondly remember his ride on Ruthie's Run to win the Princess Elizabeth S. in 1974.

“A true gentleman, Hugo made an incredible contribution to our sport in Ontario and will be missed by all.”

'Hustlin' Hugo won the Sovereign Award as Canada's Outstanding Jockey in 1975, was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1983 and received the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award in 1991 for his contributions to the sport.

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Safe Conduct Targets Gio Ponti At Aqueduct For Next Start

Safe Conduct wrote his name into the history books in August with a game head score in the $1 million Queen's Plate, first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown at 10 furlongs over Tapeta at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Trained by Phil Serpe, the Bodemeister sophomore followed with a fading eighth in the 1 1/2-mile Breeders' Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown contested over a yielding E. P. Taylor Turf Course.

“He just doesn't want any part of soft ground,” Serpe said. “It had rained a lot up there and he just wasn't getting a hold of the track.”

Safe Conduct has kept good company through his sophomore season, winning a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer over firm Belmont turf in May by 2 1/2-lengths over Public Sector, who has won his last three starts in graded company including Saturday's Grade 2 Hill Prince at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Safe Conduct exited that effort to finish fourth in the off-the-turf Grade 3 Pennine Ridge in May and faded to eighth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational in July over good going.

Serpe said he is hopeful Safe Conduct will find firm footing in the $150,000 Gio Ponti, a 1 1/16-mile test for sophomores on November 26 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

“If you look back at his last race on a firm turf, it was an impressive race. He flew home. That's the type of race we're looking forward to seeing him running on the grass,” Serpe said. “We were very happy to win Canada's biggest race. There's a lot of prestige behind it. I'd love to see him come back now and get his turf races sorted out.”

Safe Conduct worked a half-mile in :51.69 Sunday over the Belmont inner turf.

“He went a nice easy half, but he did it well,” Serpe said.

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