Queens Plate 2016

[Tim Y]

Place was a zoo outside....We only have a single service elevator for all the goings on, so NONE of us risked coming down in between races for fear we would not get back up in time. Woodbine hires a ton of extra people for the day (security, along with dogs, all over the place, dozens of support people mostly decked out in Pepsi shirts).

Many beautiful hats and dresses. I helped out in the Hall of Fame early as we are selling hats to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Hall's inception. Linda Rainey, the managing director, gave me a 40th anniversary pin to wear. The hats, and an anniversary poster with all the members inducted the first year (1976), are available on line at the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame website. Lou Cauz' great book about the history of the Plate is also available there. An exhaustive history well written and updated recently.

I found that the grandstands, at least on the 5th level, were not as packed as the last few years but OUTSIDE, where the masses were going to all the events, was wall to wall. The festivities even extended to the old standardbred barn where the hats and horseshoes contest was held.

The concert started at 6:30 (bunch of loud noise for my 5 cents worth) and when I got done with the 13th race, it was still crowded with food trucks and people coming IN, I suppose, just for the music.

LEXIE LOU stole the show. EVERYONE (stewards, DRF and Equibase people, newspaper folks) I talked to, thought with those early fractions she was COOKED. I have not seen that kind of LATE GRIT (headed and coming back later than the 18th pole) since Sunshine Forever in his last Breeder's Cup prep ( at Laurel) or Skywalker in his SA Derby. BRAVO young lady BRAVO. Casse was ear to ear smiles in the winner's circle as well. He has been on a very successful diet as he must have lost 30 pounds. Good for him.