FEELIN FOXY

Some 15,000 at Woodbine went bananas for Emma-Jayne Wilson and MIKE FOX after their Plate win. Ms. Wilson told anyone who would listen at a seminar the day before the Plate that her colt could certainly win the classic.
(Photo from Terence Dulay - horse-races.net)

How popular was the Queen’s Plate last weekend?

The DAILY RACING FORM POLL at www.drf.com has listed many stakes races from last weekend and asked what everyone’s favourite was. As of 6:15 this morning, 50% of 913 people said the QUEEN’S PLATE was their favourite.

The Plate, at least in picture or story, made it on the front page of the TORONTO STAR and GLOBE AND MAIL and there was a headline on the TORONTO SUN front page.

EMMA-JAYNE WILSON, a true media darling since she is forthright in her comments, not aggressive but confident, and very intelligent about the sport. Hey, she has some marketing ideas folks.

Maybe she should be the one on the ads for horse racing sometimes – she’s smart and personable.

Emma was on a litany of radio stations and television broadcasts from morning until night yesterday.

Trainer IAN BLACK was the Trainer of the Week on the THOROUGBRED DAILY NEWS by THOROUGHBRED TIMES today.

Horse racing is dying? No, I think not.

PLATE WRAP

A good Monday morning wrap by The DRF’s Bill Tallon in tomorrow’s paper..

(Courtesy www.drf.com)

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Heading into the 2007 Woodbine meeting, trainer Ian Black and jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson did not have even a remote connection to Mike Fox.

But Black and Wilson now will be mentioned in the same breath as Mike Fox for years to come after the colt registered an upset victory here in Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate.

Owned by D. Morgan Firestone, Mike Fox was trained here last year by Reade Baker and over the winter in Florida by Cliff Hopmans.

Black had taken on a couple of other horses for Firestone here this spring but did not discover until mid-April that Mike Fox would be joining his string.

The trainer then approached Wilson's agent, Mike Luider, to see if Wilson might be interested in riding Mike Fox.

Wilson galloped Mike Fox shortly after his arrival here in late April, and breezed the colt for the first time on May 2.

The team that would give Wilson, Black, and Firestone their first Queen's Plate victory was in place.

Media flock toward Wilson

Wilson, 25, came into the current season off back-to-back Sovereign Awards as Canada's outstanding apprentice, and she also won an Eclipse Award in that category in 2005.

But becoming the first female jockey to win the Queen's Plate, just one year after trainer Josie Carroll made a similar breakthrough with Edenwold, put Wilson at the center of a media frenzy.

"It just seems like a dream," said Wilson, after making her first of what would be several television appearances and amidst a host of radio interviews here Monday morning while requests continued to pour in. "Part of the way I see it, this is a significant piece of history. I'm not one to play the 'female' card. I don't see myself as a female jockey, but as a jockey who happens to be female.

"But, I'm not going to overlook something that's so significant."

Mike Fox was the second Queen's Plate mount for Wilson, who had finished 12th of 13 aboard the 50-1 Bridgecut last year.

Black no stranger to Queen's Plate winner's circle

While Wilson found herself in the media spotlight Black was content to go about his business in relative anonymity here Monday morning.

Black, 63, lives at Kinghaven Farm and was the farm manager there for 30 years before taking out his trainer's license in 2005.

In his Kinghaven role, Black had been part of five Queen's Plate winner's circle celebrations with trainer Roger Attfield but Sunday's was his first in his own right.

Mike Fox was Black's 152nd career starter and 24th winner.

On Monday morning, Black was typically low-key and seemed most pleased for owner Firestone, racing manager Hugh Graham, and Wilson.

"It's amazing, for Morgan and Hugh, to breed a horse like this and have him turn out the way he did," said Black. "You imagine it happening, but you still find it hard to believe it when it does. And, I can't say enough about Emma."

Black also was quick to credit Bruce Smither, who also is a trainer here but galloped Mike Fox in Florida this past winter and since his return to Woodbine.

The Queen's Plate also was a family affair for Black, whose two daughters were raised at Kinghaven.

Sarah, his younger daughter, is married to Jeff Bowen, who is Black's valued assistant trainer. The couple has two children.

Firestone, a retired businessman who has been involved in racing since 1984 and has invested significant amounts through the ensuing years, was a popular winner, even among his Queen's Plate competitors.

Although in ill health and mostly confined to a wheelchair, Firestone was a presence at all the events building up to the Queen's Plate and was on the winner's circle stage to celebrate the victory.

Smart Enough may return for Woodbine Mile

Sunday could have been an even better day for Wilson but Stradivinsky, her mount in the $201,200 Highlander, finished third as the odds-on choice over six furlongs of turf.

Smart Enough, 4-year-old gelding based in Maryland, shipped in to capture the Highlander as the 5-2 second choice under Patrick Husbands.

"It's almost impossible to find a six-furlong turf race," said trainer John Fisher, citing that distance and the $200,000 pot as convincing reasons for bringing Smart Enough to Woodbine.

Smart Enough is scheduled to make his next appearance at Belmont in the Grade 3, $100,000 Poker, a one-mile turf race on July 14.

"If he ran well enough there we might consider him for the Woodbine Mile," said Fisher.

The Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, a $1 million turf race, will be run here Sept. 16.

Fisher also will be keeping a long-term eye on the Grade 2, $500,000 Nearctic, a six-furlong turf race here Oct. 21.

Handle up impressively

Business was brisk Sunday with all-sources handle of $5,525,468 on the 11-race Woodbine card, an 11 percent increase from last year's $4,967,164.

Of that total, $1,599,160 came ontrack, an increase of 33 percent from last year's $1,197,159.

Despite an eight-horse field as opposed to 13 last year, the 2007 Queen's Plate attracted $1,672,689 from all sources, an increase of 13 percent compared with $1,475,947 in 2006.

A crowd estimated at 15,500, which is a serious number in Woodbine's modern era, was on hand for the occasion.

(courtesy DRF)

ANSWERS TO READERS QUESTIONS

Thank you for your questions – I try to record them and then answer if I can unless another reader can pitch in and answer!

The speed figures/ratings in the track program at Woodbine versus the Beyer Speed Figures in the DAILY RACING FORM are completely different numbers.

One reader had mentioned that Daaher’s rating was higher than Alezzandro in the DRF but not in the track program.

In the Woodbine track program, the two bold numbers are a Trackmaster Pace number (the first number) and a Speed number. They are calculated much differently that Beyer Figs.

An explanation of these numbers is in the program or at trackmaster.com.

The Beyer Figures are hand calculated by a team of people who work for Andy Beyer who project a horse’s performance by par times constructed by Beyer years ago. Then the time is translated into a ‘raw’ Beyer and then a variant is constructed from all the results of one card to judge the speed of the track.

The Beyer Figures, in my opinion, are much more detailed and reliable.

The TSN broadcast of the Queen’s Plate has been getting good reviews – I have yet to view it.

Will Mike Fox skip the Prince of Wales and go right to the Breeders’ Stakes? Not likely. If the horse is well and sharp, no doubt the horse will go there but the race is on dirt and not Polytrack, the turns are a bit tighter and seemingly will not favour his one-paced style of running. With no Triple Crown bonus, why not skip the race and wait for the grass? You could view this either way I suppose.

KING EDDY SHOWDOWN

Let’s get right back into some madness – it’s a long weekend in Canada, three racing days with stakes this weekend, headed by the DOMINION DAY on Sunday (which is Dominion Day, Canada’s birthday!)

JAMBALAYA and SKY CONQUEROR both worked 5 furlongs yesterday as their finale major preps for the KING EDWARD BREEDERS’ CUP on Monday at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The former – 59 3/5 on the dirt training, the latter 1:01 2/5 on Polytrack,

Javiar Castellano has ridden both to Grade 1 wins this year and is committed to Jambalaya.

Sky Conqueror, coming off a typing up incident, does not have a rider confirmed – Todd Kabel has been his pilot in Canada but Jono Jones (who has ridden Jambalaya in most of his Woodbine outings) has been working him.

Other notes – VERNE’S BABY, the George Bigliardi homebred who came off a long layoff 2 weeks back and set his second consecutive track record, was injured in the race and will not return to racing this year.

CANADIAN-BRED WINNERS

Some horses that deserve mentioning..

IN A MINUTE left Woodbine in May after a tough trip for $16,000 claiming. She has raced 3 times south of the border since being sold by trainer Robert Tiller and won for the first time on the year in her latest. The Tethra-Our Connection, Great Gladiator 5yo win a 4 ½ furlong allowance race with an 81 Beyer Figure.

EXPLOSIVE HEAT – Stayed undefeated in 2007 at Monmouth on the weekend with his 2^nd straight win and a huge 97 Beyer Figure. The Touch Gold fellow is a delicate sort and is in the care of his 3^rd different trainer (Bruce Levine) but he’s a good one. He won his career debut at Woodbine and is a ½ brother to Grade 1 winner Sugar Shake.

DESPERADO KID – Bianconi - Tripp Trial, Skip Trial, a 6yo bred by Lucille Wakefield on Ontario. Won a $32,000allowance/optional claiming at Delaware worth $44,300 on Monday. His second win in succession at 5 furlong on turf – he won a NW of 1 other than at Pimlico in May. Monday’s Beyer for the Kid was 82.

Interestingly – the Kid won his career debut in 2004 at Churchill Downs with an 87 Beyer Figure, for maiden allowance. He was claimed for $10,000 last May by his current owner, Wags Bags Stable.

TOP SPEED – Stuart Hyman’s Chester House – National Treasure colt won his maiden with a 72 Beyer Figure at Indiana Downs on June 23.

WOLF HOWL – This 8yo by Wild Zone – Punchbowl, bred by Adena Springs has been around a long time and been a lot of places. He was racing for $4,000 claiming not long ago but won a $16,000 allowance/optional claimer at Suffolk Downs yesterday. He’s won 6 of 58 starts and $279,000.

**New poll, let's find out who's betting out there!