Shakhimat, a romping 9 ¾-length winner of the Coronation Futurity, was today installed the early 3-1 favorite for the 157th edition of The Queen’s Plate.
Last year, it was Stronach Stables’ homebred Shaman Ghost, ridden by Rafael Hernandez for trainer Brian Lynch, who hauled down Danish Dynaformer inside the sixteenth pole to win a thrilling edition of the $1 million Queen’s Plate, Canada’s most famous horse race, by one and one-quarter lengths in front of a packed Woodbine grandstand.
Should Shakhimat reign victorious in the 2016 Queen’s Plate, which is set for Sunday, July 3, at Woodbine, he would provide Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield with a record ninth score in the Canadian classic.
“Any record is nice to break and this is quite a prestigious record,” said Attfield, who is currently tied with Harry Giddings, Jr. for most Plate victories.
Attfield saddled a pair of top contenders in last year’s Plate, Danish Dynaformer and Billy’s Star, finishing second and fourth, respectively.
“I thought we might be able to do it last year, but we were a bit unlucky. Maybe around the corner we can get it done. It would definitively be special,” said Attfield.
The hypothetical Winterbook, compiled by Ron Gierkink and Alex Campbell of the Daily Racing Form, and Keith McCalmont of Woodbine’s communications department, offers early odds on all 88 three-year-olds, 78 colts and geldings, as well as 10 fillies, nominated to the 2016 Canadian Triple Crown.
Owned by Dan Gale, Shakhimat is currently training at Payson Park in Florida.
“He’s had a number of works and he’s doing really well. We’d given him some time off and just recently started to breeze him a little bit and he’s coming along very well,” said Attfield. “He’s a pretty special horse. He’s only had three starts. He’s matured a lot and we’re happy where we are with him, for sure.”
The sturdy dark bay son of Lonhro-Reggae Rose, bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, has breezed six times over the dirt at Payson this winter.
“The reason he’s working so much on the dirt is because the turf course here has been under water just about all winter. I don’t think he really enjoys the dirt that much but he’s working well enough on it,” said Attfield.
Attfield is still mapping out Shakhimat’s path towards the Plate.
“I’m thinking we’ll work towards the Spiral, at Turfway Park (April 2), and I’ll race him once before that, but I’m not sure where or how at the moment,” said Attfield. “We’re pointing towards the Queen’s Plate and the Spiral is a logical spot. Whether we run on the dirt or the turf before that I haven’t decided.”
A good effort in the Spiral, a key prep race on the path to the Kentucky Derby offering 50 crucial qualifying points to the winner, would not necessarily send Shakhimat to Louisville for the First Saturday In May.
“I wasn’t training him towards the Derby to be honest. It’s not the intention,” said Attfield. “At the moment, we’re training towards the Queen’s Plate and whether we run him in something like the Preakness (second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown, May 1st at Pimlico), if he’s doing well, that would be another option too.”
Shakhimat graduated at first asking in a seven furlong maiden allowance on September 19 over the Woodbine ‘Poly’. He then tried the turf in the 1 1/16-mile Cup and Saucer Stakes staying on for third after pressing the early pace of Gigantic Breeze in an event won by Conquest Enforcer.
Shakhimat maintained his perfect in-the-money record in his final juvenile start by dominating the 1 1/8-mile Coronation Futurity in front-running fashion under regular pilot Emma-Jayne Wilson. The effort earned a sizable Beyer Speed Figure of 91.
Attfield was pleased with Shakhimat’s performance when stretching out to nine furlongs.
“I was pleasantly surprised because I always felt he was a middle distance type horse but he ran really well,” said Attfield. “A mile and a quarter is a different distance from a mile and an eighth, for sure, and it’s definitely something we have to keep in mind.”
The newly minted Winterbook favourite will look to become the first horse since Norcliffe, who was Attfield’s first Plate winner, to score the Futurity-Plate double, a feat the Hall of Fame runner achieved in winning the 1975 Coronation Futurity and 1976 Queen’s Plate. In 2014, Decision Day captured the Coronation Futurity and tried his luck in the early Kentucky Derby prep races, eventually skipping the Plate.
Amis Gizmo, the 7-2 second choice, is one of three Ivan Dalos homebreds nominated to the Canadian Triple Crown. Fillies Ami’s Mesa, ranked sixth at odds of 6-1, and Gamble’s Ghost, ranked eighth at odds of 8-1, complete a formidable group racing out of trainer Josie Carroll’s barn.
Undefeated in four starts, all at Woodbine, Amis Gizmo debuted with a dramatic nose score in the Simcoe Stakes on September 2. The Giant Gizmo chestnut, out of Galloping Ami, then won the six furlong Bull Page under a hand ride before a facile five-length coup in the seven furlong Frost King.
A half-brother to Ami’s Flatter, the 2015 Winterbook fave, and stakes winner Aragorn Ami, the well-related Amis Gizmo completed a perfect season with a 1 ¾-length score in the Kingarvie Stakes, passing the two-turn test with flying colours, while earning an 84 Beyer number.
Battery, trained by Todd Pletcher for owner Harrell Ventures LLC, lands the third position in the Winterbook at odds of 4-1. The Bernardini bay, bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms, finished fourth on debut at Woodbine on October 16.
A winner at second asking on the dirt at Gulfstream Park West, Battery already has two sophomore races under his belt at Gulfstream including a recent two-length score in a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming tilt that hinted at untapped potential in the improving half-brother to multiple stakes winner Blue Heart.
Conquest Daddyo, trained by perennial leading trainer Mark Casse for Conquest Stables LLC, is the 9-2 fourth choice. He posted a record of 2-1-0 from four juvenile starts taking his maiden first time out when sprinting over the Woodbine main and adding an impressive 1 ¾-length score over the E.P. Taylor Turf in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In Event.
The Scat Daddy colt, bred in Ontario by James Everatt, Janeane Everatt & Arika Everatt-Meeuse, endured a troubled trip in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf when squeezed at the start, but rallied on gamely to finish fourth, defeated less than three lengths by Hit It a Bomb. Conquest Daddyo made his sophomore debut on January 30 at Gulfstream Park when sixth in the grassy Kittens Joy Stakes.
Scholar Athlete (5-1), trained by Graham Motion for West Point Thoroughbreds, rounds out the top five. The Einstein bay, bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, graduated at second asking, his first time around two turns, in a maiden allowance route at Woodbine on September 11.
Following a flat 11th-place effort on the lawn in the Cup and Saucer, Scholar Athlete bounced back to finish third to Shakhimat in the Coronation Futurity. Scholar Athlete made his sophomore debut on February 6 at Gulfstream Park when third, after a wide trip, in a 7 ½-furlong optional claiming tilt on the lawn. Scholar Athlete is entered in Saturday’s Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes, a 1 1/16-miles turf event, at Gulfstream Park.
Racing fans can keep track of the latest Queen’s Plate buzz, including photos, feature stories and event details, at QueensPlate.Com.
A recap of the Top 15 and the entire list of Canadian Triple Crown nominees and Queen’s Plate Winterbook odds follows:
Top 15
1. Shakhimat (3-1)
2. Amis Gizmo (7-2)
3. Battery (4-1)
4. Conquest Daddyo (9-2)
5. Scholar Athlete (5-1)
6. Ami’s Mesa (f) (6-1)
7. Caren (f) (7-1)
8. Gamble’s Ghost (f) (8-1)
9. Mike (9-1)
10. Aye Aye Captain (10-1)
11. Hammers Vision (11-1)
12. Sparkles’ Girl (f) (12-1)
13. Butterfly Dance (13-1)
14. Conquest Twister (14-1)
15. Esposito (15-1)
20-1
Cleopatra’s Strike
Conquest Cavalry
Glenn Coco
Happy’s Causeway
Jennifer Lynnette (f)
25-1
Arctic Joy
Beliveau
Conquest Enforcer
Garavogue Colleen (f)
Sir Dudley Digges
Ultraflame
30-1
Conquest Dynasty (f)
Conquest Sandman
Hey Bear
Luckbe Tanya (f)
Me More
Niigon’s Edge
Ruth Less Blue
Springhouse
Storm Hawk
The Big Mo
Tilbury Court
Town Classic
Trini Brewnette (f)
Zermatta (f)
40-1
Artistico
Avenue Road
English Illusion
Gazcader
Hard Catch
Narrow Escape
Philly Completely
Red September
Seattle Affair
Special Concoction
Unbridled Piper
Wolf Dance
50-1
Candy Ride Cat
Fo’c’sle
Fritzie’s Boy
Gotta Get Away
Jimbo Five
Leavem in Malibu
Maxsmiraclejourney
Mick the Conqueror
Mr O’Prado
Northern Samurai
Terra Xpress
75-1
Admiral Kirk
Aegis
All On Red
Asterism
Cape Roco
Conquest Skedaddle
Conquest Strategy
Conquest Swagger
Conquest Taxhaven
Conquest Too Smart
Destroy Them
Elusive Ghost
Hindianna Jones
Incredible Dee
Laser Focus
Last Class to Go
Leo From Heaven
My Name Is Jim
Park House
Rebellion’s Dream
Sonnet Boom
Synthesize
Thank Phil
Trouble in Phoenix
Wonnestrut
Tickets for the 157th running of The Queen’s Plate are available now on Ticketmaster.
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
