162nd Queen’s Plate at Woodbine

In building new traditions for one of Canada’s oldest traditions, we host the 162nd $1m Queen’s Plate at Woodbine on Sunday,’ boasts the Woodbine Entertainment Group.

‘As the first jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown its North America’s oldest continually run stakes race, showcasing Canada’s top 3yo Thoroughbreds in a most prestigious event.’

In building traditions, it’s 17 year-old schoolboy Joshua Attard who can be the youngest winning owner, with his race favourite Keep Grinding being trained by his grandfather Tino Attard.

In an air of teenage confidence Joshua already tastes victory in stating “I know Keep Grinding, he’ll show up. He always tries. He never gives up and I know on Sunday, he’ll show up.”

A last start ‘closing’ second by 1½ lengths to Easy Time in the Marine Stakes of 1 1/16m, and a 1 1/16m allowance winner at two, he’ll be ridden by Rafael Hernandez and jumps from gate 8.

At 74, Tino Attard is looking for the Queen’s Plate to highlight his successful 20+ year career, in having picked-up Keep Grinding for $13,000 when noticing his grandson’s intense interest in the colt.

A graduate of the CTHS Premier Yearling Sale, he’s by the Whitney International winner Tizway, from the stakes placed winning Consolidator mare Samsal, being bred by Huntington Stud Farm.

However, it’s Joshua’s father Kevin Attard, that has the Woodbine Oaks winner Munnyfor Ro as second favourite, starting from barrier 6 for jockey Justin Stein, and owners Raroma Stable.

With a 2-2-2 record from 9 starts, Munnyfor Ro is by popular sire Munnings, and is looking to join Inglorious in 2011, Lexie Lou 2014 and Holy Helena in 2017 in scoring the Oaks-Plate double.

In having four runners Kevin Attard also has Harlan Estate and jockey Kazushi Kimura starting from barrier 2, Haddassah from 3 for Gary Boulanger and Luis Contreras on C H Holiday at gate 5.

Not to be overlooked, is Tino Attard’s younger brother Sid Attard who has the ‘fancied’ last start Woodbine winner Riptide Rock in 12 for jockey David Moran and owners the Stronach Group.

In San-Son Farm closing down its operations, their Gail Cox trained Tidal Forces starts from gate 12, for Emma-Jayne Wilson and Dance Some Mo in 10 for Patrick Husband and Graham Motion.

To rewrite history can Eclipse and Sovereign Award winner Emma-Jayne Wilson take out her second Queen’s Plate on Tidal Forces, having won on Mike Fox in 2007 as the first female rider.

The mighty Northern Dancer became the first Kentucky Derby to win the Queen’s Plate, when successful at his last race start in 1964, and surprisingly never sired a Queen’s winner.

However, it’s owner-breeder E.P Taylor of Winfield Farms who is synonymous of the Queen’s Cup in sending out 11 winners, first with Epic in 1949 and through to Royal Embrace in 1978.

The E.P Taylor headed Ontario Jockey Club open the new Woodbine Racetrack in 1956, with the 1mile main dirt track named the Taylor Track, which is now a Tapeta all-weather track.

The 7f inside Turf track is supported by the 1m4f E.P Taylor turf course, replacing the outside harness track, and joins Belmont Park as North America’s only two ‘mile and a half’ tracks.

Run for a gold cup, rather than a plate as stipulated in Queen Victoria’s descent of ‘a Plate to the value of 50 Guineas,’ it was originally run at 15 different tracks, under varying conditions.

In race distances ranging originally from 1 mile with heats up to 2 miles, and to today’s distance of 1m2f in 1957, its only open to Canadian bred 3yo’s, but no longer for ‘non stake winners.’

On Queen Victoria’s death it became the King’s Cup in 1902 for her successor King Edward VII, the Queen’s Cup again from 1952 when Queen Elizabeth was crowned, and last attended in 2010.

In being Canada’s oldest thoroughbred horse race, and first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, it doesn’t carry International Pattern Race status as it’s restricted to Canadian-breds only.

The Canadian International Stakes is the nation’s most prestigious race, while the E.P Taylor Stakes and Northern Dancer Turf Stakes are Grade 1 events run in the Autumn at Woodbine.