BOOK'EM

.at right is Queen's Plate contender HARLEM ROCKER after his debut win at Gulfstream on Feb. 14. The Macho Uno colt is fast and is trained by Todd Pletcher. He could meet up with GIQUERE on Mar. 20 in a 1 mile allowance race...stay tuned...

short post for now...talk later..J

NOT YOUR AVERAGE FIELD

Putting odds on a 14-horse field is one thing, trying to match up 132 of the four-legged beauties is another.

The 85^th annual QUEEN’S PLATE WINTERBOOK was released yesterday by Woodbine and COOL GATOR, who ran so well in his season debut at Gulfstream, was made the 4 to 1 choice.

Cool Gator (Macho Uno is a chestnut colt, medium sized, who is owned, and was bred by Garland Williamson’s Hillsbrook Farms. He is trained by Dan Vella.

“Hey, if you’re the favourite, you must be doing something right,” said Vella when asked if he was afraid of a Plate favourite jinx.

On the colt’s season debut…"His race was outstanding," said Vella. "He never backed out of being inside all the way. He lost some momentum but still finished strongly.
(Jockey) Edgar (Prado) said that if the rail had opened or he moved him
out sooner he probably would have won."
Cool Gator could be headed next to the Florida Derby on March 29 at Gulfstream.

The 149^th Plate is on June 22 and offers a purse of $1 million.

The conditioner most poised to upset the early favorite in Canada's
most famous horse race may be Mike DePaulo, who trains the second and
fourth choice in the Winterbook, Cup & Saucer winner Deputiformer at
6-1, and impressive maiden winner Giquere, at 10-1.
Deputiformer, owned by David James, is a Silver Deputy gelding who was 3^rd in his season debut to Big Brown, an undefeated colt.

He could race once more at Gulfstream before heading home.

Deputiformer, a gelded son of Silver Deputy, earned his position as the
book's second choice by capturing a wild renewal of the 1 1/16-mile Cup
& Saucer. He finished a neck in front of Cryptonite Kid, who was
three-quarters ahead of Seattle Hill.
The Windfield Farms-bred demonstrated his versatility in his next
start, finishing third in the Coronation Futurity, 1 1/4 lengths back of
Kesagami and just a head behind the aforementioned runner-up Cool Gator.
Like Cool Gator, Deputiformer is also spending the winter in Florida.
He too hit the board in his sophomore debut, a Gulfstream Park allowance
event. The David James charge was third, about a dozen lengths behind a
very talented youngster in Big Brown.
"He just ran into a freak horse," said DePaulo. "We were looking at
running him on the grass but that race came up. We just wanted him to
settle off the pace and make a run. All in all, I was very happy. He may
run once more (at Gulfstream)."
Harlem Rocker, an impressive first-time out winner from the barn of
Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher, at 8-1, and Stuck in Traffic, a
multiple Woodbine stakes winner at 12-1, round out the top five in the
Plate rankings.
Pletcher trainee Harlem Rocker is the second son of Macho Uno in the
Winterbook's top five.
The Stronach Stables homebred broke slowly in his February 14 debut,
but he made up for it in a hurry.
Under Eibar Coa, the grey colt gobbled up eight lengths from the
five-eighths pole to the wire to notch his first career victory by 1 3/4
lengths.
The colt appears to have retained his edge. On March 9, he worked five
furlongs in 1:00-flat at Palm Beach Downs.
Harlem Rocker is out of speedy mare Freedom Come, who was second in
Fort Erie's Matchmaker and Woodbine's Zadracarta Stakes.

*Racing fans can also participate in the Plate chase by playing the
eighth annual Queen's Plate FANTASY CHALLENGE at
www.WoodbineEntertainment.com/fantasy. The contest, which launches on
March 25, is free, with prizes available to be won.

A recap of the Top Ten and the entire list of Queen's Plate nominees
and their Winterbook odds follows.

For in-depth analysis of the Winterbook and further details, fans can
visit www.queensplate.com.

Top 10 Winterbook Favourites

Cool Gator 4-1
Deputiformer 6-1
Harlem Rocker 8-1
Giquere 10-1
Stuck in Traffic 12-1
Cafe Tortoni 15-1
Kesagami 15-1
Grazettes Landing 15-1
Not Bourbon 15-1
Palmers 20-1

Queen's Plate nominees (132)

Alaric 200
Allen View 75
Alvena 50 (f)
Armored 100
Arrow in Flight 50 (f)
Ascot's Legend 75
Awake By Noon 200
Awesome Easton 50
Bay Prince 200
Bold Suspect 50
Bonnie's View 100
Broderick 75
Cafe Tortoni 15
Cappal Mor 100
Carina Bay 100
Catch The Luck 30
Chasin the Tornado 100
Chauvinist 150
Cheers Mate 150
Christie Village 75 (f)
Cieno Bajan 200
Comeback Kid 75
Compadre Moon 300
Compadre Strikes 200
Cool Gator 4
Cool Hand Duke 75
Cross Every Bridge 30
Cryptonite Kid 50
D. Flutie 150
Dance To Market 100
Dancingall Theway 50
Dans a Dancin 300
Delaforce 50
Deputiformer 6
Diplomatic Impact 150
Doneraile Gem 200
Drop of Hennessy 200
Dylan's Choice 200
East End Tap 20
Eternal Charm 100
Fagan 200
Fionn 40
Flint Rock 75
Giant Gambit 75
Giquere 10
Gloriously 40 (f)
Go in Peace 75
Grazettes Landing 15
Guiseppe 50
Hafford 100
Handsome Blue 30
Harlem Rocker 8
Harvest Home 40
Hello Maggie May 100 (f)
Hennessy Express 200
Home in Two 100
Unnamed, out of Hope For A Breeze 100
Il Mago 200
Impossible Time 150 (f)
Iron City 75
Jazz Nation 75
Jericho 50
Jungle Brew 40
Kesagami 15
Knight's Quest 150
Knotty Knotty 100
Lady's First Cat 40
Lincoln Fortyniner 150
Louie Bonomi 75
Lucas K 150
Major Eddie G 75
Mamma's Knight 150
Marlang 75
McNamara 150
McNutt 100
Naval Strike 50
Niagara Thunder 50
Nor'easterner 50
Northern General 100
Northern Kraze 75 (f)
Not Bourbon 30
One Adam Twelve 75
One Bid Blue 200
Opening Bell 150
Orbison 100
Ourmanno 200
Palmers 20
Pengola Court 40
Pewter 50
Playboy At Home 300
Polar Bear Express 75
Profit Center 100
Promising Dancer 75
Pronger 75
Ramberoo 100
Red And Bold 150
Rexdale Warrior 150
Ring of Truth 100
Roses 'N' Wine 150 (f)
Runnaway My Way 150
Sand Cove 150
Scotzanna's Champ 200
Seattle Hill 20
Sebastian's Song 40
Shadowless 150
Shilla 50 (f)
Silent Knight 200
Silver Jag 50
Silver Sands 100 (f)
Sligovitz 50
Smokey Fire 100
Solitaire 50
Song Of The Road 50
Spot Gold 100
Stormy Cruise 75
Stuck in Traffic 12
Sugar Bay 200 (f)
Sun Hawk 75
Tacito 75
Tiger Fling 200 (f)
Tobar 200
Took the Time 100
Triple Word Score 150
Untraceable 100
Urn 300
Valmont 150
Way of the Wild 75
Whiskey Again 200
White Hall 100
Wilderness Gold 100
Yamana 300
Zarroc 100

(f): denotes filly

*for horses already nominated, a sustaining payment of $1,500 must be
made by May 1 to be kept eligible for the race

*for horses not currently nominated, a $5,000 supplemental payment can
be made by May 1 to be eligible for the race

*for horses not nominated before May 1, a $25,000 ($15,000 + $10,000
entry fee) supplemental payment can be made at time of final entry to be
eligible for the race