MIKE, MORGAN AND E.J.

The sights and sounds of the Queen's Plate - renewal n. 148, yesterday at Woodbine..

A very large crowd packed all the levels of the Woodbine grandstand and for every race, the cheering was deafening as the horses came to the wire.

Big money was bet too - Overall betting on the Woodbine card was $5,5 million, up from $4.9 last year..this despite the fact that perhaps more could be done to promote the race and racing at Woodbine in general. Billboards for the track and its big races are located where? On the track property. Why not in the small cities around the Greater Toronto Area?

Morgan Firestone was overcome with emotion as he was taken to the winner's circle in a golf cart after his homebred Mike Fox won the Plate. The crowd's response to Emma-Jayne Wilson as she rode the big and bouncy colt back to the grandstand was stunning.
No doubt Mike Fox knew he had done something special - for his owner who has been in the game a long time, for his young rider just getting on her way to being one of the best Canadian sports has seen, for her trainer Ian Black, only 2 years into training after 30 years living on the farm.

On the backstretch last night after the race, a wide variety of barns hosted parties with food and drink. Horsepeople were still celebrating the popular win some four hours after the race ended.


M.F.

MORGAN FIRESTONE

MICHAEL FOXTROT

MIKE FOX

90 Beyer Figure for Plate winner

One year after Josie Carroll became the first woman to ever train a Queen’s Plate winner, popular Emma-Jayne Wilson followed up by becoming the first female jockey to win Canada’s most famous horse race.

Wilson used every ounce of her strength to push the giant 3-year-old colt Mike Fox, a 16 to 1 longshot, across the wire in the final strides to win a thrilling Plate finish by half a length over another longshot, Alezzandro, owned by the late Steve Stavro.

Heavy favourite Jiggs Coz held for third just less than two lengths from the winner.

“History has been made,” said Wilson, 25, who led all Woodbine jockeys the last two consecutive seasons. “First female rider, ya, girl power go for it, but I’m just so glad it’s the last time it will ever be said.”

Wilson, who has never been interested in playing the female jockey card, was riding in only her second Plate in her first full season as a journeyman rider.

She was an apprentice jockey through late last summer.

The victory was also popular since the $600,000 winner’s share for the 1 ¼ mile race stayed in Ontario (there were three American-based, Canadian-bred horses) and went to Morgan Firestone, who has plunged millions of dollars into the local racing and breeding industry.

And ironically, Mike Fox is a homebred for Firestone, the first foal of his prized mare Alexis, who won the Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine six years ago.

The colt’s trainer, Ian Black, was lured into training racehorses just two years ago by Woodbine’s chief executive officer David Willmot, who employed Black at his Kinghaven Farms as farm manager for 30 years.

“I have been in the Plate winner’s circle five times before as farm manager for Kinghaven but the involvement here is a little different,” said Black. “It’s very satisfying, especially to win it for Mr. Firestone.”

Mike Fox, a lively son of the high class American stallion Giant’s Causeway, was parked in third early in the running of the Plate while Alezzandro set an honest pace under jockey Todd Kabel.

Twilight Meteor, trained by top American conditioner Todd Pletcher, pressed the pace for half of the race before his rider John Velazquez started scrubbing hard as the colt tired.

Jiggs Coz, owned by Mel Lawson, was four paths out and in close attendance to the pace but jockey David Clark too started running out of horsepower.

And Wilson wasn’t certain she was going anywhere with her colt as the field turned for home.

“I started hard riding my horse hard on the last turn and he kept chugging along,” said Wilson. “At the quarter pole I thought we might have to settle for third but then at the eighth-pole I thought we could get second.”

Less than one furlong from the wire, Alezzandro started to wobble and Jiggs Coz was stalling, allowing Mike Fox to surge late for the win.

“Coming to the 16th pole he found another reservoir of energy – those last few jumps were unbelievable.”

The time of 2:05 2/5 was on par for the race compared to the last 10 runnings.

Alezzandro’s trainer Kevin Attard, who had a whirlwind week that had him start the week, lose one when Leonnatus Anteas was injured yesterday and then losing the Plate in the last few jumps.

“It’s a tough way to get beat,” said an emotional Attard. “But he ran a super race and what a great ride he got from Kabel.”

As for Jiggs Coz, Clark said he knew early in the race he was in trouble.

“He just wasn’t himself today, not at all. I don’t know why, he just didn’t have it,” said Clark.

MORE STUFF

The winning Plate Beyer Figure was the lowest since T J's Lucky Moon in 2002. The 'sheet' number for the race could be better, however, since the winds may have played a role in the winning time.

New York invader DAAHER was bet down to 7 to 2 and attracted a ton of hype - he ran well, but could hit the top three.

Trainer Ritchie Scherer hopes to bring COBRADOR back for the 1 1/2 mile Breeders' Stakes on turf in August...

Popular Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion was among the thousands at the Plate yesterday...jockey Mike Smith was in town too...

Lost in the shuffle was the first career win for jockey STEPHANIE FEDORA in her 122nd mount. The jockey rode Black Tea to win the day's first race..

Old horses did well on the very fast Polytrack yesterday - COOL SELECTION (8), paired up 96 Beyer Figures with another win yesterday - in an allowance/optional claiming event.

PELLIGRINO won the Singspiel Stakes at 1 1/2 miles - holding off Royal Challenger.

And BEAR HOLIDAY, by 1st crop sire Harlan's Holiday, ran a 75 Beyer Figure to win his career debut for the Bear Stables. The colt was ridden by Jerry Baird, in his first assignment for trainer Reade Baker.

More happy people...Edith Dixon came from the U.S. and was thrilled when her super homebred gelding SMART ENOUGH won another stakes race - this time in the Grade 3 Scotts Highlander at 6 furlongs on turf. The Horse Chestnut 4yo came into the race with 6 wins in 9 starts and 4 course records.


Smart Enough ran a 101 Beyer Figure yesterday..