PLAY THE PLATE

THOROUGHBLOG POST NO. 351 (since March 2006)

(At right, INCLUDE US is a maiden but trainer Roger Attfield is going for his 8th Plate win, which would be a record)

The biggest horse racing events in the world this weekend occur in England and Canada. The former is holding its prestigious Royal Ascot meeting.
Canada's Queen's Plate is THE biggest race in North America this weekend so betting and attention from other tracks should be strong.

And five of the top six WINTERBOOK favourites are in the 9 horse field - that's quite cool.
Winterbook fave TWILIGHT METEOR might be as high as 4 to 1 (higher?) when he heads to the post on Sunday.

Tomorrow morning is the post position draw for the Plate - done in draft style much like the Kentucky Derby draw. Anaheim Mighty Ducks' BRAD MAY and speed skater CINDY KLASSEN are the drawmasters for the 9:30 draw.

Jiggs preps, Leo too

Meteor lands

JIGGS COZ had his final workout for the Plate Wed. morning in 49 4/5 on the Woodbine Polytrack while maiden INCLUDE US worked the same distance in 48 3/5.

LEONNATUS ANTEAS, the champion 2yo colt of last year and a contender in Sunday’s Queen’s Plate, worked an easy half-mile in :50 yesterday morning, eight days after his sizzling one-mile work in 1:37 4/5.

The Knob Hill colt by Stormy Atlantic will be ridden by Jono Jones. Trainer Kevin Attard also has Alezzandro in the field.

Speaking at the Plate media barbeque on Monday, Attard is hoping Alezzandro, who set the place in the Plate Trial before finishing third, will not be on the lead.

“I would have liked to seen him behind horses that day,” said the young trainer. “The bad news is, unfortunately I can see him on the lead again (in the Plate).” Maybe Daaher or someone else will go to the lead.”

Peachtree Stables' TWILIGHT METEOR set down at Woodbine this morning with Todd Pletcher assistant Jenny Depasquale.

(For the prospective Plate field, see yesterday’s posts)

PLATE STORIES TODAY

Sid Attard may be Woodbine’s best kept secret…

http://www.drf.com/news/article/85933.html

Lightly raced DAAHER tries to emulate his sire Awesome Again…

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/OtherSports/2007/06/20/4275695-sun.html

MOLINA COMMENTS ON KICKING COLT

Dettori may get long ban for whip use

From the Philly Inquirer:

Jockey Victor Molina was ejected from Philadelphia Park yesterday after kicking his

fractious mount in the stomach before the third race.

Molina was in the starting gate with a 2-year-old named Yes Yes Ohyes making his debut when the colt reared up in the gate, striking the jockey in his chest.

After the horse and Molina were removed from the gate, the colt was declared a late scratch because of cuts caused during the incident.

After removing the saddle from the colt, in full view of a camera showing the incident on simulcast venues nationwide, Molina kicked the colt, sparking many phone calls of complaint to the track.

"Management told us to eject him from the track following the race," steward John Hicks said. "We'll have Victor in tomorrow and decide what to do. It was completely out of character for him. Unfortunately, he took it out on the horse, and everybody was watching. He feels terrible about it and just wants to get it behind him."

Molina, 46, has been a jockey at Philadelphia Park since 1988.

"I feel very sorry for what I did. The horse hit me hard in the chest and got me mad," Molina said from his home. "I've been riding for 27 years, and it's the first time I did anything like that. I make a living off the animals and don't want to hurt them. I knew it was wrong and expect some repercussion, but it would be crazy to rule me off."

Such violations usually result in fines or suspensions.

And champion jockey FRANKIE DETTORI, who won the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot yesterday on Ramonti, defeating George Washington, may get a 7 day or more ban for whip use on the Aidan O’Brien colt.

PUTTING ON A SHOW

Stronach Stables’ had another course record setting runner at Fort Erie when TAP SHOW won on the turf yesterday and stopped the clock in 1:45 2/5 for 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The Pleasant Tap gelding won the allowance race by a neck over the gritty Get Down Wolfie.

Tap Show is trained by Nick Gonzalez.

OTHER STUFF

One day after SKY CONQUEROR was back in action on the worktab (he was scratched from the Manhattan at Belmont because of a typing up incident), his arch rival JAMBALAYA worked yesterday morning in 1:01 fro 5 furlongs. The latter will reportedly be ridden by Javiar Castellano in the King Edward Breeders Cup coming up on July 2 (the loooong weekend). Jono Jones, the former rider of Jambalaya, worked Sky Conqueror on Monday.