ON TRIAL

WHAT WILL BE THE VERDICT?

Plate Trial goes today

Big race today at Woodbine folks. The Plate Trial is usually the definitive Plate prep
(the Plate goes June 24) and it goes for the 65th time today.

Mind you, the Trial winner has not won the Plate in….ready for it..15 years!
Alydeed was the last to do it.

Last year, EDENWOLD used his third place Trial finish to springboard him to a Plate win.

The presence of so many more American-based Canadian breds in the Plate
in recent years has, fortunately, left some mystery for the Plate. Years ago, the Plate Trial was essentially, the Plate, with the same horses coming back for the Plate.

How can we forget WILD DESERT parachuting in 2 years ago for the Plate
with a sketchy workout regime and winning anyway. That was a very modest
Plate to be sure.

This year, we have a nice set of colts in the Trial but the two favourites
in the winterbook – TWILIGHT METEOR and LEONNATUS ANTEAS are not in it.
But they figure to be in the Plate.

The former is trained By Todd Pletcher for American owner John Fort’s
Peachtree Stables and he has already had his Plate prep (3rd in a turf stake
at Belmont recently).

The latter races today at Woodbine in an allowance/optional claiming event
against older horses.

Word on the street is that the colt has been training like a machine
and many say he can still win the Plate, hands-down.

Here is a re-cap of Plate winners and their Beyer Figures and the

Trial winners and their Beyer Figures..

PLATE TRIAL (winner)

1988 REGAL INTENTION 102 -

1989 WITH APPROVAL 99 -

1990 IZVESTIA 113 -

1991 DANCE SMARTLY 102 100

1992 ALYDEED 105 105

1993 PETESKI 101 88 (Circulating)

1994 BASQUEIAN 103 93

1995 REGAL DISCOV’Y 99 96 (All Firmed Up)

1996 VICTOR COOLEY 102 103

1997 AWESOME AGAIN 100 97 (Cryptocloser)

1998 ARCHERS BAY 106 98 (Brite Adam)

1999 WOODCARVER 97 88 (Catahoula Parish)

2000 SCATTER THE GLD 91 89 (Pete’s Sake)

2001 DANCETHRUTH’N 94 96 (Win City)

2002 T J’S LUCKY MOON 86 89 (Shaws Creek)

2003 WANDO 111 95 (Mobil)

2004 NIIGON 97 97 (A Bit O’Gold)

2005 WILD DESERT 92 92 (Dance With Ravens)

2006 EDENWOLD 94 81 (Pipers Thunder)

FIELD FOR THE PLATE TRIAL

Post / Horse / Trainer / Jockey / Morning Line Odds

1 / Cobrador / Richard Scherer / Emile Ramsammy / 8-1

2 / Dancer's Bajan / Robert Tiller / Corey Fraser / 6-1

3 / Marchfield / Mark Casse / Patrick Husbands / 7-2

4 / Markdale / Eric Coatrieux / Todd Kabel / 4-1

5 / Golani / Mike Keogh / Eurico Rosa Da Silva / 20-1

6 / Jiggs Coz / Sid Attard / David Clark / 5-2

7 / It's a Danzig / Rebecca Maker / Emma-Jayne Wilson / 10-1

8 / Alezzandro / Kevin Attard / Jono Jones / 10-1

9 / Include Us / Roger Attfield / Robert Landry / 12-1

Here are some notes on the horses going in:

COBRADOR – Just purchased by Graph racing, which is a group
of folks including the guys at Thoro-Graph Racing Sheets. They
liked his numbers from last year. Light grey was reportedly sick
for the Coronation last year. Has been on dirt, Poly and turf.
Had no pace to run at on soft turf last time. Distance a question.

DANCER’S BAJAN – The year of the TILLER? Quietly, this colt has
put up 2 nice races and if he can negotiate 1 1/8 miles successfully,
he’s ready to pop.

MARCHFIELD – Regally-bred but a bleeder. Bled through Lasix 2 starts back,
looked strong in his 91 Beyer Figure maiden score in latest. Smoggy,
humid weather won’t help him today.

MARKDALE – Flashy Holy Bull colt is learning quickly and his dam is
a ½ sister to NIIGON. Has had several different rider changes, however.
Gets money rider Todd Kabel today.

GOLANI – Maiden is a plodder who will get distance but needs 20 or
more Beyer Figures points.

JIGGS COZ – Heavy favourite today it seems. Looked awesome in the
Queenston win. Barn is quietly confident.

IT’S A DANZIG – Invades for trainer Becky Maker. A $500,000 yearling
purchase and a lovely colt who won his maiden at this distance on turf
last time at Churchill.

ALEZZANDRO – Ranked number 2 in the Stavro barn and won his only start.
Big class test.

INCLUDE US – Maiden has lots of potential and the red-hot Roger
Attfield has his trainer.

Courtesy Woodbine media office:

Plate Trial: The jockeys weigh in

Some of the jockeys taking part in Sunday's $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes

offer their thoughts about their respective horses.

Marchfield

Post 3

Owner: Melnyk Racing Stables

Trainer: Mark Casse

Jockey: Patrick Husbands

Morning Line Odds: 7-2

Patrick Husbands

"The post is great. We're quite pleased with it. We're looking forward

to a good race from him."  

"He's never been any trouble or done anything wrong yet, so we'll just

cross our fingers and hope that he runs another good race."

Markdale

Post 4

Owner: Chiefswood Stable

Trainer: Eric Coatrieux

Jockey: Todd Kabel

Morning Line Odds: 4-1

Todd Kabel

"He worked very well and galloped out well. He's the type that will do

whatever you ask him to do. He's a big, strapping horse, but he's very

easy to work with."  

Jiggs Coz

Post 6

Owner: Jim Dandy Stable

Trainer: Sid Attard

Jockey: David Clark

Morning Line Odds: 5-2

David Clark

"He's learned to relax a lot better than he has in the past. He's been

training very well, so hopefully, he can come up with another big 

effort

this Sunday."

Was he expecting such a big effort in Jiggs Coz' three-year-old debut,

a 3 1/4-length score in the Queenston Stakes?

"You never know what to expect because it's such a big transition

period from two to three. Some make it and some don't. Maturity wise,

he's just doing everything right these days."

BEYER OF 93 FOR SOFTLY

(Courtesy Woodbine media office)

TORONTO, June 2 - Sam-Son Farm's Strike Softly won her third

consecutive race in taking the featured Grade 2, $300,000 Nassau Stakes

Saturday at Woodbine over a 'firm' E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Strike Softly, the 3-5 favourite under Todd Kabel, swung outside of the

leaders in mid-stretch and outsprinted game U.S. invader May Night, to

win by 1 1/2-lengths.

Essential Edge wound up third, a neck father back.

The running time was a quick 1:39.90 for 1 1/16 miles.

For trainer Mark Frostad, it was his third Nassau victory, after

saddling Colorful Vices in 1998 and Only To You in 2001, both for

Sam-Son. It was Sam-Son's sixth Nassau crown, the first coming in 1989

with Regal Wonder in the second division of the event.

Murani and Essential Edge dueled through all the early fractions, with

the first quarter in :24.35, the half in :46.94. As the field bunched 

up

around the far turn, Kabel tucked his filly in behind in third,

steadying his horse briefly, while shadowing the leaders.

At the top of the stretch, after six furlongs was reached in 1:10.61,

Murani's narrow margin had dissipated, as she was challenged by

Essential Edge along the rail and Strike Softly to her outside.

In mid-stretch, Kabel went wide and put Strike Softly into a drive

while Robert Landry and May Night were able to mount a charge on the 

far

outside to challenge. But Strike Softly, a four-year-old Smart Strike

filly, prevailed at the end.

"I wanted to stalk the pace today and she broke sharply," said Kabel,

of Strike Softly, whose other recent victories came in the Jammed 

Lovely

last November and the Grade 3 George C. Hendrie Stakes, on May 13. "I

had her nice and settled. She was all heart today."

Frostad, who is readying Quiet Jungle for a date in the $500,000 Labatt

Woodbine Oaks on June 10 at the Toronto oval, was pleased with the

performance of the lifetime winner of six races from 12 starts. 

"She's an exceptional filly," praised Frostad. "She's able to go on

'Poly', on dirt, on turf. It's a great thrill."  

Added Tammy-Samuel Balaz, of Sam-Son Farm, "I think she's just such a

professional filly. She sure gave us excitement today."   

Strike Softly returned $3.20, $2.50 and $2.10, combining with May Night

($6.30, $4.40) for a $26.30 exactor. Essential Edge ($4) capped a

triactor worth $123.70.

"I think this horse is going to get better and better. He has a closing

style that will definitely help him going a mile and a quarter (Queen's

Plate distance). The further he goes, the better. He's the galloping

type and makes one run. I'm looking forward to riding him."

"Come Plate time - with the results Roger has had (seven Plate wins) -

it goes without saying that he's going to have a legitimate chance. The

mile and a quarter will suit him." 

YESTERDAY’S STUFF

Lots of wax on Woodbine’s Polytrack makes the track very packed down and hard, said some riders yesterday. The horses are bouncing off it very well but the hot temperatures pack down the track like a wet beach….(thus the fast times)

EXECUTRIX set a track record for 4 ½ furlongs when winning her maiden yesterday in race 3 for Ontario-sired 2yo fillies. The Lou Tucci homebred, who could have been bought for $18,074 (US) at auction (she was a buy-back), raced the distance in 51 4/5 and earned a 79 Beyer Figure.

It was the 2^nd career start for the Bold Executive – Swan Queen filly.

Seven-year-old RAW POWER looked like he was having a fun time when he bounced across the finish line to win race 4, an allowance/optional claiming race at 1 mile on the grass. He ran a 95 Beyer Figure as he popped the distance in 1:33 3/5. He was bred and is owned by Minshall Farms.

Trainer ROBERT TILLER won 2 more races yesterday with the tough filly PRETTY PRISSY (Marked Tree) and the maiden winner YOU DON’T LISTEN (Cape Town). The latter is owned by 3 Sons Racing, who own Plate Trial entrant Dancer’s Bajan.

FABULOUS STRIKE, that really fast horse by Smart Strike who could be the fastest horse anywhere, won another stakes event yesterday – the Aristides (Grade 3) at Churchill, with a 115 Beyer Figure, The gelding has posted a 118 Beyer this year.

Canadian-bred WANNA RUNNER finished 5^th in the Berkeley Stakes at Golden Gate yesterday..Stronach Stables’ are running out of Plate contenders. The farms’ GHETTO SUPERSTAR faded badly in an allowance race at Woodbine yesterday. HIGH ACT might race in the Plate after a very long layoff.