Trainer Josie Carroll will seek a third victory in Canada’s most famous horse race when saddling Ivan Dalos’s homebred Ami’s Flatter next Sunday in the $1 million classic for Canadian-foaled three-year-olds.
Carroll won the 2006 edition of the ‘Gallop for the Guineas’ with longshot Edenwold, then returned to the winner’s circle in 2011 with filly Inglorious, who also had taken the Woodbine Oaks several weeks earlier.
Last year, Dalos, Carroll and jockey Luis Contreras teamed to finish second in the Plate with Ami’s Holiday, behind winner Lexie Lou, while Contreras was also aboard Inglorious in 2011.
Ami’s Flatter, by Flatter out of Galloping Ami, disappointed in his last outing as the 3-5 favourite in the Marine Stakes on May 16, finishing seventh, five lengths behind Plate rival Shaman Ghost.
The bay colt started out on the Kentucky Derby trail earlier this year and ran creditably, highlighted by a third place finish to Materiality in the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and runner-up to Carpe Diem in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs.
“He was a little flat off a tough winter campaign,” explained Carroll, the only female trainer to win the Plate, about the uncharacteristically poor performance in the Marine. “As it (the road to the Derby) went on, the Derby shaped up to be a very difficult race this year, so we decided to shift our focus to the Queen’s Plate. He ran well against some of the best three-year-olds in the country.
“He’s had two very solid works (since),” continued Carroll, who also plans a final half-mile breeze for Ami’s Flatter on Monday. “It’s (the Plate) always a tough race to win. A mile and a quarter is always a question because none of the horses has traversed that distance. But I have a very nice horse going in. I’m also going to take the blinkers back off.”
In his first three starts, including his maiden-breaking debut at Woodbine last November, Ami’s Flatter raced without blinkers, before having them put on for his last three outings.
SIMON SAYS: PORTREE IN GOOD ORDER FOR PLATE RUN
Chiefswood Stable homebred Portree, a bay son of 2004 Queen’s Plate champ Niigon, arrives at the Plate from a solid fourth-place finish in the Plate Trial.
Trained by Stuart Simon, Portree will once again be partnered by jockey Gerry Olguin in the ‘Gallop for the Guineas.’
“I really like how adaptable he is,” praised Simon. “He was impressive training over dirt and turf in the winter in Florida, and he’s also done well on the Polytrack. You feel lucky to have a horse like that.”
Portree, or Porter, as he’s known around the barn, comes into the Plate with two wins and a fourth (in the Plate Trial), upping his Beyer figure each time. “He’s a fairly laid-back horse. It seems he channels all his energy into his races. He’s easy to train. He’s just a dream to be around.”
The talented bay breezed five furlongs over Woodbine’s dirt training track in 1:02 flat on June 27.
“Every time he trains, he’s always ready to go. If you put him behind horses, he’s up for the challenge. Whatever surface he’s on, he does what you ask him to do,” said Simon.
Both Simon and Olguin are seeking their first Plate score.
“It would mean everything,” said Simon of a potential Plate win. “This is a very special race, no doubt about it. I’ve been in the sport a long time, so to say you won the Queen’s Plate would be a fantastic feeling.”
“DRAFT” DRAW TO BE USED FOR PLATE
The “draft” style post position selection process will be utilized for the 156th running of the Queen’s Plate on Thursday morning.
The draft draw, first used for the 1998 edition of the Plate, allows the owners and trainers of each runner in the race to choose their horse’s post position.
The order of selection will be established by a random draw that is identical to the “pill pull” method used to determine Plate post positions before 1998.
After the selection sequence is drawn, owners and trainers will have a short consultation period to discuss their choice.
The “connections” will then, in order of the random draw, announce their post position selection.
QUEEN’S PLATE DRAW AVAILABLE LIVE ON WEBSITE
A reminder that Thursday’s Queen’s Plate morning draw from the Woodbine walking ring will be streamed live at www.queensplate.com. Further information and event details for Plate day are available there.
EARLY LOOK AT THE JULY 5 QUEEN’S PLATE PROBABLE FIELD (16)
HORSE / TRAINER / OWNER / JOCKEY
Academic / Reade Baker / Bear Stables / Justin Stein
Ami’s Flatter / Josie Carroll / Ivan Dalos / Luis Contreras
Ault / Dan Vella / Canyon Farms / TBA
Bear At Last / Reade Baker / Bear Stables / Rico Walcott
Billy’s Star / Roger Attfield / Perfect Timber Partnership / Eurico da Silva
Breaking Lucky / Reade Baker / Gunpowder Farms LLC / TBA
Conquest Boogaloo / Mark Casse / Conquest Stables LLC / Alan Garcia
Conquest Curlinate / Mark Casse / Conquest Stables LLC / Shaun Bridgmohan
Danish Dynaformer / Roger Attfield / Charles Fipke / Patrick Husbands
Easy Indygo / Nick Gonzalez / Tucci Stables / Emma-Jayne Wilson
Milwaukee Mist / Pavel Matejka / Preston Stables LLC / TBA
Oakton / Mark Casse / Bill and Vicki Poston Racing Inc. / TBA
Portree / Stuart Simon / Chiefswood Stable / Gerry Olguin
Scorch / Mark Frostad / Augustin Stable / TBA
Shaman Ghost / Brian Lynch / Stronach Stables / Rafael Hernandez
Sweet Grass Creek / Mike Keogh / Gustav Schickedanz / Jesse Campbell
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