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Plate Trial winner Telekinesis is the favorite for the 159th Queen's Plate on Sunday.

Date: 06/27/2018

The post positions for Sunday's $1 million Queen's Plate Stakes were selected during a special breakfast ceremony on Wednesday morning in the trackside tent, before a crowd of owners, officials, media, and horsemen. This year marks the 159th edition of the Plate, the oldest continuously-run stakes race in North America, which is run at 1 1/4 miles over the Tapeta surface at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. The Plate is the premier race for Canadian-foaled 3-year-olds and the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, and this year a field of 16 (just 1 short of the safety limit of 17) made final entry. Colts and geldings carry the standard weight of 126 pounds while the fillies Dixie Moon, winner of the Woodbine Oaks, and Wonder Gadot, 2nd as the favorite in the Oaks, carry 121 pounds. Unlike the Kentucky Derby, the auxiliary gate at Woodbine parks on the inside, so posts 1 and 2 break from the auxiliary with posts 3 through 16 breaking from the main gate.

Drawing the selection order with Racing Secretary Stu Slagle and track announcer Robert Geller.

In what has become an annual "state of the industry" address, Woodbine chairman and CEO Jim Lawson spoke about ongoing construction on site, including additional gaming areas on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the grandstand and the installation of the inner turf course. Sod is currently being laid on the course, with the entire homestretch scheduled to be ready for Queen's Plate day to hopefully allow access to the infield winner's circle. The course will not be raced on until spring of 2019, at which time Lawson hopes the track can card 6 turf races a day and even schedule some all-turf cards, given the popularity of turf racing among horsemen, casual fans, and serious bettors. Additional corporate partnerships were highlighted, the most recent of these being Ontario Lottery and Gaming becoming the title sponsor of the Canadian Triple Crown, along with a 15-year renewal of Woodbine's contract with long-time sponsor Pepsi.

Selection order is determined using a double-blind random draw of numbered pills and entry forms. Track announcer Robert Geller randomly drew the entry sheets out of the box while racing secretary Stu Slagle drew the 16 numbered balls. After a 5 minute break where connections could "huddle" at their tables to discuss strategy, each horse's representative (any or all of trainer, owner, or jockey) came up to pick the post position. Unlike past years the connections were not interviewed on stage, which helped to speed up the proceeedings.

Some of the Queen's Plate jockeys pose with Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson and the trophy after the draw. From left to right they are: Eurico Rosa da Silva, Rafael Hernandez, Luis Contreras, Chantal Sutherland, Gary Boulanger, David Moran, Jalon Samuel, and Alan Garcia.

As expected Telekinesis is the 5-2 favorite in the morning line. Patrick Husbands gets the call for trainer Mark Casse and owner Stonestreet Stables out of post 10. After finishing a close second in the Lexington (G2) at Keeneland, he shipped up to Woodbine to win the Plate Trial by 1 3/4 lengths as the heavy 2-5 favorite. Casse said, "I thought it (Trial win) was good. I thought that there's more there. I think it was his first time running at Woodbine and maybe he was a little confused. It looked like at the 1/2 mile pole he thought 'OK, that's it, it's over' and then Patrick asked him to go he took off again. I think you'll see an improvement (in the Plate). Dixie Moon is probably our biggest competition."

Telekinesis' stablemate Wonder Gadot is the 3-1 second choice, after trainer Casse selected post 11 for jockey John Velazquez and owner Gary Barber. Winless since the Demoiselle (G2) at Aqueduct in December, she was 6th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and comes here off 2nd place finishes in the Fantasy (G3), Kentucky Oaks (G1), and Woodbine Oaks. Casse said, "I thought she was really unlucky but she can cause some of her bad luck. Her Kentucky Oaks performance was tremendous. She hopped at the start of the Woodbine Oaks, was a little wide, but had every shot to win so I was a little disappointed. We are going to add blinkers (in the Plate) to see if we can get her to focus a little better. She tends to want to hang a little when she's coming down to the wire so we're hoping she'll keep on running."

Trainer Mark Casse selects posts 10 and 11 for Telekinesis and Wonder Gadot.

Dixie Moon, who upset Wonder Gadot in the Oaks, will have regular rider Eurico Rosa da Silva aboard the 4-1 third choice, after trainer Catherine Day Phillips chose post 7 for owners Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry. 6th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), she went on to finish 2nd in the Selene (G3) and then won the Woodbine Oaks. Day Phillips said, "She had a nice clean trip (in the Oaks) and gave it her all. Her biggest strength is her heart, she's just a lovely filly. Dixie is very smart and able to handle new situations with confidence. From Day 1 she always had a special aura about her. As she trained and started breezing she kept affirming our hopes. As she has developed as a racehorse she has continued to strengthen both physically and mentally."

The rest of the field is double digit morning line odds, led by Strike Me Down out of post 4. Jose Ortiz gets the call for trainer Graham Motion and owner Sam-Son Farm. Last October he finished 2nd in the Cup and Saucer at Woodbine then after a winter layoff, broke his maiden in May at Woodbine then shipped to Monmouth to finish second in the Tale of the Cat Stakes. Motion said, "For raw talent I think this horse is the most talented. He just needs to try and put it together in the afternoon. He's a Tapit so he can be a little bit of a menace. I'm going to run him with a hood (over his ears) which might help him. He can be fussy and nervous in the post parade. (The Plate) is definitely a race that's been on my radar, a race that I'd love to say I won. Those historic races are the ones you'd love to win."

The Queen's Plate draw board with post positions.

Post time for the Plate will be 5:36pm ET on Saturday June 30 and the race will be televised on CTV and TSN (in 4K) in Canada from 4:30 - 6:00, hosted by Brian Williams and Jim Bannon. The full card will be simulcast to many locations throughout North America, and be broadcast on TVG in America and HPI in Canada. The Plate will be carded as race 10 and there are 4 stakes races on the undercard, all of which are run on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. The $250,000 Highlander Stakes (G1) for older horses at 6 furlongs on turf is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Turf Sprint. The $175,000 King Edward Stakes (G2) features older horses going 1 mile on the turf, an early prep for the Woodbine Mile (G1). The $175,000 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2) features older fillies and mares going 1 1/4 miles on turf, and the $100,000 Charlie Barley Stakes is an overnight stake for 3-year-olds going 1 mile on the turf.

Below are the entries for the 2018 Queen's Plate with post positions, morning line odds, trainer, jockey, and a link to a full profile from Woodbine. Free past performances are available here from BRISnet.com (look for Telekinesis)

The Queen's Plate Trophy

Queen's Plate info online:

• Queen's Plate official site - from Woodbine
• Woodbine main page
• Woodbine News and Notes - updated frequently
• 2017 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Holy Helena
• 2016 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Sir Dudley Digges
• 2015 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Shaman's Ghost
• 2014 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Lexie Lou
• 2013 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Midnight Aria
• 2012 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Strait of Dover
• 2011 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Inglorious
• 2010 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Big Red Mike
• 2009 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Eye of the Leopard
• 2008 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Not Bourbon
• 2007 Queen's Plate Results - the winner was Mike Fox
• 2006 Results - the winner was Edenwold
• 2005 Results - the winner was Wild Desert
• 2004 Results - the winner was Niigon
• 2003 Results - the winner was Wando who went on to win the Triple Crown
• 2002 Results - the winner was T J's Lucky Moon
• 2001 Results - the winner was Dancethruthedawn
• 2000 Results - the winner was Scatter the Gold
• 1999 Results - the winner was Woodcarver

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