Wando, bred and owned by the late Gustav Schickedanz, was the last horse to accomplish the feat, in 2003, while becoming the seventh to record the unique triple. The $400,000 Prince of Wales, run at 1 3\/16 miles on the dirt at Fort Erie on September 14, is the second leg. The $400,000 Breeders\u2019 Stakes, at 1 \u00bd-miles over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course at Woodbine on October 3, concludes the series.<\/p>\n
The Queen\u2019s Plate breakfast festivities, hosted by Jason Portuondo, included an appearance from Kayla Sanchez, Canadian Olympic medalist, remarks from Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment, and comments from the connections of horses running in Sunday\u2019s race.<\/p>\n The double-draw format was in place for the post-position draw, with the order of selection first established and the connections then choosing their post positions. The connections of Riptide Rock<\/strong> selected first and chose post seven.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s running of the\u00a0Queen\u2019s\u00a0Plate\u00a0will showcase a mix of stakes champions, stars on the rise, and live longshots. Fillies will carry 123 pounds, while all other starters carry 126 pounds.<\/p>\n Trainer Kevin Attard, seeking his first Plate triumph, will be represented by four starters, including Munnyfor Ro<\/strong>, winner of the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, on August 1.<\/p>\n To be ridden by Justin Stein for owner Raroma Stable, the daughter of Munnings will look to follow in the hoofsteps of other fillies who have notched the Oaks-Plate double, a list that includes Inglorious (2011), Lexie Lou (2014) and Holy Helena (2017).<\/p>\n Munnyfor Ro, sporting a 2-2-2 mark in nine starts, is in good order heading into the race.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s here and we\u2019re excited,\u201d said Attard. \u201cWe waited to see how she came out of the race [Woodbine Oaks]. She seemed to handle the race really well in the Oaks. She had a good work in the interim and she\u2019s been doing really well. She\u2019s in the feed tub and it seems like she\u2019s ready to fire again.\u201d<\/p>\n Attard\u2019s three other hopefuls come in the form of Haddassah, Harlan Estate and H C Holiday.<\/p>\n Haddassah<\/strong>, to be ridden by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Gary Boulanger, who won the 2001 Queen\u2019s Plate with Dancethruthedawn, is owned by Al & Bill Ulwelling.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s indicated to me that he should [get the distance],\u201d said Attard. \u201cObviously, we\u2019re hoping to get him relaxed early and I think that will be the key.\u201d<\/p>\n Owned by ERJ Racing (NHL defenceman Erik Johnson), Exline-Border Racing, Madaket Stables and Clay Scherer, Harlan Estate<\/strong> began his career in California before making the trek north to Woodbine. The son of Kantharos will have Kazushi Kimura \u2013 Woodbine\u2019s leading rider in 2021 \u2013 in the irons.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s named after my favourite wine in Napa (Harlan Estate),\u201d Johnson told Woodbine\u2019s Communications Office. \u201cHis sire is Kantharos, which in Greek, was a cup used to hold wine. So, that\u2019s the tie-in there.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is out of an Arch mare, which is a big stamina influence in his pedigree. He is training very well and we are excited to see him run in Canada\u2019s biggest race.\u201d<\/p>\n H C Holiday<\/strong>, a son of Ami\u2019s Holiday, will look to deliver Ivan Dalos, one of Canada\u2019s most successful owners and breeders, with his first Queen\u2019s Plate crown. Luis Contreras, the first rider to win all three Canadian Triple Crown races with different horses, gets the call on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re pretty excited,\u201d said Colleen Dalos, of Tall Oaks Farm. \u201cMy father has been in the business over 40 years, as everybody knows, and I think we\u2019ve had four shots at this Plate. We\u2019ve hit the board three times, we have three seconds, this is what we covet, everybody wants to win on their home turf and their home ground. It means everything to us to win a Plate.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s also exciting is this is the son of Ami\u2019s Holiday, who came second in the Plate and hit the board across the Triple Crown. So it\u2019s exciting for us to see our homebreds and the horses that we breed. This is four generations of Tall Oaks Farm breeding that has gone into this horse so we\u2019re so excited for H C Holiday.\u201d<\/p>\n There are plenty of other intriguing Attard storylines in this year\u2019s Plate running.<\/p>\n Kevin\u2019s father, veteran trainer Tino Attard, will send out Keep Grinding<\/strong>, a dark bay son of Tizway who is 1-1-1 from five starts. Kevin\u2019s teenage son Joshua owns the colt.<\/p>\n \u201cI am very excited and it\u2019s also very nerve wracking, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d said Joshua Attard. \u201cI know Keep Grinding, he\u2019ll show up. He always tries, if you watch all his races, he never gives up and I know on Sunday he\u2019ll show up.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep Grinding has been installed as the 4-1 morning line favourite.<\/p>\n Hall of Fame conditioner Sid Attard, seeking his first Plate victory, rests his hopes on Stronach Stables\u2019 homebred Riptide Rock<\/strong>, a chestnut son of Point of Entry. The gelding won his most recent start on July 16 at Woodbine.<\/p>\n Avoman<\/strong>, trained by Don MacRae, who co-owns with La Huerta Inc. (Jim and Graeme Bruce), arrives at the Plate off a win in the Plate Trial Stakes. Antonio Gallardo, who moved his tack to Woodbine in July, will be aboard again on Sunday.<\/p>\n Dance Some Mo<\/strong> is one (Tidal Forces is the other) of two Sam-Son Farm silk bearers contesting this year\u2019s \u201cGallop for the Guineas.\u201d Trained by Graham Motion, the son of Uncle Mo will be making his stakes debut in the Plate. Patrick Husbands, who guided Wando to Canadian Triple Crown glory in 2003, gets the call again.<\/p>\n Trained by Carlos Grant for owners Fieldstone Farms Inc. & Jecara Farms Corp., Derzkii, <\/strong>third in the Plate Trial, sports a record of 2-2-2 from nine starts. Jason Hoyte will be aboard the son of Frac Daddy.<\/p>\n Owner-breeder Garland Williamson\u2019s Go Take Charge<\/strong> will look to break his maiden in the Plate. Trained by Breeda Hayes, the son of Will Take Charge arrives at the $1 million event off a second-place finish on July 24 at Woodbine.<\/p>\n Champion jockey Irad Ortiz will guide Phillip Serpe trainee Safe Conduct<\/strong> on Sunday. The bay son of Bodemeister, owned by WellSpring Stables, will be making his first appearance in Canada, having contested his past three races at Belmont, which includes a win on May 2.<\/p>\n Anderson Farms Ontario Inc., William Carr, Donald Ferguson will take their shot at a Plate win with Take a Chance, <\/strong>a bay son of Munnings who won his most recent start, the victory coming on July 11 at the Toronto oval. Keveh Nicholls will ride.<\/p>\n The tandem of trainer Gail Cox and owner Sam-Son Farm, who teamed with El Tormenta to win the $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile in 2019, will look for another big win, this time with Tidal Forces. <\/strong>The son of Malibu Moon will have champion rider Emma-Jayne Wilson aboard.<\/p>\n Sunday\u2019s 13-race card also features a trio of star-stacked graded stakes action, the Grade 1 Highlander, Grade 2 Dance Smartly and Grade 3 Ontario Colleen.<\/p>\n First race post time for Sunday is 12:25 p.m. (ET), with the featured\u00a0Queen\u2019s\u00a0Plate\u00a0scheduled as Race 10 (5:42 p.m.). The national\u00a0Plate\u00a0broadcast will be televised on TSN and CTV starting at 4:30 p.m.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/queensplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/08\/Kayla-Sanchez-Jim-Lawson-QP-Draw-Aug-2021-800x533.jpeg\")
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