Queens Plate 2016

[Ted Craven]

#5 Sir Dudley Digges, alas was not on my radar screen. Interestingly, the Plate Trial Tandem reversed, where he finished 3rd to prime contenders Amis Gizmo and Shakhimat. Sometimes this happens ...

[Hoof 11]

Originally Posted by cigar

Thanks Hoof, leaning toward 6-13. with my longshot #5 - Good luck all

Good call my friend!

[Hoof 11]

Ah yes Ted, the good ol "Tandem Reversal" angle.

Diggs had a nice work over the Tapeta leading up to race day with the highest Speed Rating Workout, f'n Ramsey! lol

I have to say, Gizmo looked absolutely gorgeous in the walking ring, he's a stunning colt.

Good race, i enjoyed that one.

[Ted Craven]

Originally Posted by cigar
Thanks Hoof, leaning toward 6-13. with my longshot #5 - Good luck all

Good call my friend!

Originally Posted by Hoof 11

Good call my friend!

Ohh, I scanned the posts to see who had the #5 and missed cigar! Good work indeed! Congratulations.

Ted

[Mitch44]

Great pick Cigar, hope you had it good.
Mitch44

[Hoof 11]

Originally Posted by Hoof 11

Yesterday’s Dominion Day Stakes 10F

Fractional Times

25.30 – 49.52 – 1:13.64 – 1:38.64 – 2:04.06

Both front runners gassed in the stretch, leaving the door open to Melmich, the big closer who overcame a 3 ½ length deficit and won by 1 ½ lengths. The surface doesn’t appear to be all that much slower when comparing the times over the last 6 years, mind you Melmich is a little more mature.

Queen’s Plate Final Times

2015 – 2:03.45
2014 – 2:03.94
2013 – 2:04.72
2012 – 2:01.99
2011 – 2:02.63
2010 – 2:04.89

Queen’s Plate 2016

24.19 – 49.92 – 1:14.74 – 1:38.38 – 2:04.09

Sir Dudley Digges overcame a 4 length deficit.

I'm not sure i would call this surface slow, between the rolling and watering from track maintenance, they have the surface playing even.

Noholdingback Bear set a track record on Friday July 1 with a time of 1:14.44 at 6.5F in race 6, unseating Consolidator Joe from the record. At the beginning of the season i thought to myself, at least the track records will be safe with the new Tapeta surface, i stand corrected.

[cigar]

Was a great event, kodos to Woodbine. My saver bet paid for the day. Capped some nice winners was disappointed with the early pick 4. Paid less than my investment. Thanks all for the comments. Off to Vagas, hope my luck continue. ... cheers

[Hoof 11]

Handle was up from $11.06 million last year, to finish north of $11.8 million this year, good to hear.

Not only did Ramsey walk away with $600K from the race purse, he dropped $3800 to win on his horse which returned $64,410.00. Digges was 18/1 at the time of the bet, and his wager dropped the odds to 15/1 screwing Cigar out of a few extra dollars. He plans on running Sir Dudley Digges in the Triple Crown.

[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.

[Hoof 11]

Originally Posted by Tim Y

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.

I absolutely love that mare, i can't resist putting a few sheckles down on her every time she runs. I was watching the fractions and found them to be a little suspicious, the charts are blank!