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The connections and media in the walking ring for the Queen's Plate barbecue  • Queen's Plate Results  • Queen's Plate Entries & Post Position Draw

Date: 6/15/09

RESULTS ARE HERE!

At Woodbine, Queen's Plate week is traditionally kicked off by the annual barbecue. Held on the Monday before the Plate, media, officials, connections, and their families usually gather in the large walking ring to enjoy a delicious outdoor lunch, mostly cooked over open grills and served at one end of the ring, while several Queen's Plate contenders are paraded at the other end of the ring. This is a great opportunity to see the horses posing with their proud connections, and unlike most events, it is a rare opportunity for the horses' grooms to receive recognition as well when the horse is brought out.

The post position draw for the 150th running of the Queen's Plate will be held at a breakfast event on Thursday morning. Post time for the Plate will be 5:36pm ET on Sunday June 21, the 9th race on the card. The race will be televised in Canada on CBC in high definition from 4:30 - 6:00pm ET and simulcast to many locations across North America. Free past performances are available from BRISnet and full profiles for each horse are available here.

At this year's Queen's Plate Barbecue, eight of the expected 14 starters were brought out to be paraded in the walking ring. Below are photos of the ones that were there along with a list of all the horses expected to enter.

Keino West was the first to be brought out before the crowd, escorted by groom Monica Knowland. He finished fifth beaten 4 1/2 lengths in the Plate Trial last time out for trainer Steve Attard. Regular rider Gerry Olguin will be in the irons again on Sunday. Attard said he "never went to Florida for the winter so we were behind the 8-ball. Every horse in the Plate Trial was winter-trained somewhere. But I think he's peaking at the right time. In the Plate Trial his last 1/16 mile was impressive to me." Neither Attard nor Olguin has hit the board in the Plate. The horse (pronounced K-No) is named after famous Kenyan Olympic gold medalist and humanitarian Kip Keino.

Rapid Release was brought out to the ring by groom Kara Kesslor. He is trained by Roger Attfield, looking to become the only trainer to win the Queen's Plate nine times, tying the record of 8 last year with Not Bourbon. He exits a third place finish in the Plate Trial, and will get regular rider Jono Jones again on Sunday. Attfield said, "The new owner (Dolantori Racing) bought the horse at the Tattersalls Sale for 75,000 guineas ($127,000), and I was the underbidder, but the owners decided to give me the horse anyway because I trained in Canada, I liked the horse, and he's a Canadian-bred. He looked like a legitimate Plate horse."

Active Duty, one of two Mark Casse-trained Woodford Racing entrants, was brought to the ring by groom Gary Sutherland. He was fourth in the Plate Trial after finishing third in the Queenston, and will attempt to become the first Coronation Futurity winner to win the Plate since 1975. Casse said, "I don't think the 1 1/4 miles will be a problem for him, although I was a little disappointed that he didn't finish a little better in the Plate Trial. he kind of stalled from the 1/8 pole to the wire. He may do something (work out) Tuesday or Wednesday. He's a little on the light side. I want him to hold as much flesh as he can." Corey Fraser will be in the irons again on Sunday.

Tasty Temptation is the other Mark Casse-Woodford entrant, and is one of two fillies who may take on the boys on Sunday. She exits a second place finish in the Woodbine Oaks in a troubled trip, after finishing second in the La Lorgnette. Groom Wesley Sterling brought the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro to the ring. Her 93 Beyer in the Oaks is higher than any of the males in the field. Casse said, "In this case, and in the case of Rachel Alexandra, the speed figures of the girls are better than the boys. Early on it looked like she was the most talented 2-year-old we had. She went through growing stage and tailed off. It took us a while to get her to where we were happy." Regular rider Patrick Husbands retains the mount.

Mr. Foricos Two U was brought out to the walking ring by groom McDonald Callander for trainer Catherine Day-Phillips. The gelding will be making his stakes debut on Sunday after winning a maiden and an allowance. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will come in from California to ride. Day-Phillips said of his 2 length win in an allowance around two turns last out, "He got into a little bit of trouble approaching the 1/4 pole. He was in a little tight but when it opened up, he went smartly through and pulled away. He has a quiet confidence in him. He's very kind and relaxed until he is called upon, then he becomes very serious."

Milwaukee Appeal, the impressive winner of the Woodbine Oaks last out and the second filly possible in the race, was brought to the ring by groom Josh Shepherd. However, at time of writing, trainer Scott Fairlie has not committed to running her against the boys. If she goes, she enters the plate with more wins than any other horse in the race, with a record of 5 wins in 9 starts, and her Beyer of 99 in the Oaks tops the field. The day after the Oaks, Fairlie said, "She's absolutely outstanding, awesome right now. She polished off her dinner before I left the barn that night. If we run, she'll just 'gallop' into the race." If she goes, she will attempt to be the first Oaks winner to win the Plate since Dancethruthedawn in 2001, and Stewart Ellliott, who rode her in the Oaks, should retain the mount.

Stardust Ziggy, named after the David Bowie album Ziggy Stardust, was brought to the ring by groom Jocelyn Short. He is winless in 6 starts, and comes to the Plate off a nose defeat in a 1 1/8 mile maiden race on May 31. Trainer Lorna Perkins said of that effort, "We didn't have him quite far back enough for him to make his run at the end. The plan was to take him back right off the pace and make one run. It worked out. Most young horses have 3/8 of a mile. It's where you place it. He's a very relaxed kind of runner." Regular rider Jerry Baird retains the mount aboard the grey son of Holy Bull.

Costalivin was the last horse in the ring, brought over from the barn by groom O'Neil McLarty for trainer John Ross. He exits a 7th place finish in the Plate Trial after winning an allowance on May 20. Ross said "We're teaching him to relax more in the morning and he is. I'm more wound up than the horse. He's got class, there's no doubt. He never missed a check," until the Trial. Of that race he said, "It's called the Trial because that's just what it is, an opportunity to gauge your horse's chances. It wasn't a good line on things because we ended up being the rabbit." He worked a bullet 6 furlongs in 1:12 on June 12, out 7 furlongs in 1:28. Ross said, "It was pretty nice. I think that would help our chances." New jockey Luis Contreras, who came to Woodbine from Northern California in April, will get the call on Sunday.

All the Queen's Plate probable starters with their connections and a link to their profile:

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