$1M Queen's Plate - First Leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown

Thirteen hopefuls, including four Kevin Attard trainees, will vie for top prize in the $1 million Queen's Plate Stakes , first leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, highlighting a stakes-laden, entertainment-filled Sunday card of racing at Woodbine Racetrack.

The 162nd edition of the Queen's Plate, North America's oldest continually run race, contested at 1 ¼ miles on the Woodbine Tapeta, is the curtain raiser for the tri-surface series for Canadian-bred three-year-olds.

Wando, bred and owned by the late Gustav Schickedanz, was the last horse to accomplish the feat, in 2003, while becoming the seventh to record the unique triple. The $400,000 Prince of Wales, run at 1 3/16 miles on the dirt at Fort Erie on September 14, is the second leg. The $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, at 1 ½-miles over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course at Woodbine on October 3, concludes the series.

The double-draw format was in place for the post-position draw, with the order of selection first established and the connections then choosing their post positions. The connections of Riptide Rock selected first and chose post seven.

This year's running of the Queen's Plate will showcase a mix of stakes champions, stars on the rise, and live longshots. Fillies will carry 123 pounds, while all other starters carry 126 pounds.

Trainer Kevin Attard, seeking his first Plate triumph, will be represented by four starters, including Munnyfor Ro, winner of the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, on August 1.

To be ridden by Justin Stein for owner Raroma Stable, the daughter of Munnings will look to follow in the hoofsteps of other fillies who have notched the Oaks-Plate double, a list that includes Inglorious (2011), Lexie Lou (2014) and Holy Helena (2017).

Munnyfor Ro, sporting a 2-2-2 mark in nine starts, is in good order heading into the race.

"She's here and we're excited," said Attard. "We waited to see how she came out of the race [Woodbine Oaks]. She seemed to handle the race really well in the Oaks. She had a good work in the interim and she's been doing really well. She's in the feed tub and it seems like she's ready to fire again."

Attard's three other hopefuls come in the form of Haddassah, Harlan Estate and H C Holiday.

Haddassah, to be ridden by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Gary Boulanger, who won the 2001 Queen's Plate with Dancethruthedawn, is owned by Al & Bill Ulwelling.

"He's indicated to me that he should [get the distance]," said Attard. "Obviously, we're hoping to get him relaxed early and I think that will be the key."

Owned by ERJ Racing (NHL defenceman Erik Johnson), Exline-Border Racing, Madaket Stables and Clay Scherer, Harlan Estate began his career in California before making the trek north to Woodbine. The son of Kantharos will have Kazushi Kimura - Woodbine's leading rider in 2021 - in the irons.

"He's named after my favourite wine in Napa (Harlan Estate)," Johnson told Woodbine's Communications Office. "His sire is Kantharos, which in Greek, was a cup used to hold wine. So, that's the tie-in there.

"He is out of an Arch mare, which is a big stamina influence in his pedigree. He is training very well and we are excited to see him run in Canada's biggest race."

H C Holiday, a son of Ami's Holiday, will look to deliver Ivan Dalos, one of Canada's most successful owners and breeders, with his first Queen's Plate crown. Luis Contreras, the first rider to win all three Canadian Triple Crown races with different horses, gets the call on Sunday.

"We're pretty excited," said Colleen Dalos, of Tall Oaks Farm. "My father has been in the business over 40 years, as everybody knows, and I think we've had four shots at this Plate. We've hit the board three times, we have three seconds, this is what we covet, everybody wants to win on their home turf and their home ground. It means everything to us to win a Plate.

"What's also exciting is this is the son of Ami's Holiday, who came second in the Plate and hit the board across the Triple Crown. So it's exciting for us to see our homebreds and the horses that we breed. This is four generations of Tall Oaks Farm breeding that has gone into this horse so we're so excited for H C Holiday."

There are plenty of other intriguing Attard storylines in this year's Plate running.

Kevin's father, veteran trainer Tino Attard, will send out Keep Grinding, a dark bay son of Tizway who is 1-1-1 from five starts. Kevin's teenage son Joshua owns the colt.

"I am very excited and it's also very nerve wracking, that's for sure," said Joshua Attard. "I know Keep Grinding, he'll show up. He always tries, if you watch all his races, he never gives up and I know on Sunday he'll show up."

Hall of Fame conditioner Sid Attard, seeking his first Plate victory, rests his hopes on Stronach Stables' homebred Riptide Rock, a chestnut son of Point of Entry. The gelding won his most recent start on July 16 at Woodbine.

Avoman, trained by Don MacRae, who co-owns with La Huerta Inc. (Jim and Graeme Bruce), arrives at the Plate off a win in the Plate Trial Stakes. Antonio Gallardo, who moved his tack to Woodbine in July, will be aboard again on Sunday.

Dance Some Mo is one (Tidal Forces is the other) of two Sam-Son Farm silk bearers contesting this year's "Gallop for the Guineas." Trained by Graham Motion, the son of Uncle Mo will be making his stakes debut in the Plate. Patrick Husbands, who guided Wando to Canadian Triple Crown glory in 2003, gets the call again.

Trained by Carlos Grant for owners Fieldstone Farms Inc. & Jecara Farms Corp., Derzkii, third in the Plate Trial, sports a record of 2-2-2 from nine starts. Jason Hoyte will be aboard the son of Frac Daddy.

Owner-breeder Garland Williamson's Go Take Charge will look to break his maiden in the Plate. Trained by Breeda Hayes, the son of Will Take Charge arrives at the $1 million event off a second-place finish on July 24 at Woodbine.

Champion jockey Irad Ortiz will guide Phillip Serpe trainee Safe Conduct on Sunday. The bay son of Bodemeister, owned by WellSpring Stables, will be making his first appearance in Canada, having contested his past three races at Belmont, which includes a win on May 2.

Anderson Farms Ontario Inc., William Carr, Donald Ferguson will take their shot at a Plate win with Take a Chance, a bay son of Munnings who won his most recent start, the victory coming on July 11 at the Toronto oval. Keveh Nicholls will ride.

The tandem of trainer Gail Cox and owner Sam-Son Farm, who teamed with El Tormenta to win the $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile in 2019, will look for another big win, this time with Tidal Forces. The son of Malibu Moon will have champion rider Emma-Jayne Wilson aboard.

Sunday's 13-race card also features a trio of star-stacked graded stakes action, the Grade 1 Highlander, Grade 2 Dance Smartly and Grade 3 Ontario Colleen.

First race post time for Sunday is 12:25 p.m. (ET), with the featured Queen's Plate scheduled as Race 10 (5:42 p.m.).

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The post-position draw for the 162nd running of The Queen's Plate was held Wednesday morning at Woodbine Racetrack.

A total of 13 horses were entered for this year's $1-million race. Following a draw for order of selection, the connections of the horses entered provided their post selection and thoughts on their Queen's Plate contender.

Sid Attard (Riptide Rock)

"He ran down south, you know he run over mile and 1/16. He looks like he can handle the distance no problem, and he's doing really good, and we'll give him a shot."

Colleen Dalos (H C Holiday)

"We're pretty excited. My father [Ivan Dalos] has been in the business over 40 years, as everybody knows, and I think we've had four shots at this Plate, we've hit the board three times, we have three seconds, this is what we covet, everybody wants to win on their home turf and their home ground. It means everything to us to win a Plate. What's also exciting is this is the son of Ami's Holiday who came second in the Plate and hit the board across the Triple Crown. So it's exciting for us to see our homebreds and the horses that we breed. This is four generations of Tall Oaks Farm breeding that has gone into this horse so we're so excited for H C Holiday."

Catherine Day Philips (Take a Chance)

"I think he's just developing, he's just really improving. He's improved a lot since he's come up to Canada. He enjoys the fresh air and he's liking being here.

"He's [Keveh Nicholls] riding well, he's been riding our horses well and all of us are looking forward to our first Plate win."

Kevin Attard (Munnyfor Ro)

"She's here and we're excited. We waited to see how she came out of the race. She seemed to handle the race really well in the Canadian Oaks. She had a good work in the interim and she's been doing really well she's in the feed tub and it seems like she's ready to fire again."

Joshua Attard (Keep Grinding)

"I am very excited and also very nerve wracking, that's for sure. I know Keep Grinding, he'll show up. He always tries, if you watch all his races, he never gives up and I know on Sunday he'll show up."

Kevin Attard (Haddassah)

"It was an oddly run race [Haddassah's last race]. I think he's kind of fallen off the radar a little bit because of it but this horse has a world of talent and we're really excited to be in this position with him and we're hoping for some racing luck and a good trip.

"He's indicated to me that he should [get the distance]. Obviously, we're hoping to get him relaxed early and I think that will be the key."

Breeda Hayes (Go Take Charge)

"Well you only getting one shot with a three-year-old so and he'll go a route of ground, so we're hoping for the best."

On owner-breeder Garland Williamson...

"It's big. He's a big owner, put a lot of money into the business, and hopefully things will work out right."

Michael Balaz (Dance Some Mo)

"Well, you know, I think we'd rather be outside [post 10] than inside, and it is a little bit of going with what's left, but he is a pretty versatile horse, so I think it's a little bit better for Patrick [jockey, Husbands] to be able to sort out a trip from there than the two [post].

"I think the last race he maybe got a little lonely out there on the lead and kind of was looking around, and you know no knock on Harlan Estate, that horse ran a great race there, but you know I think he got maybe a little bit lazy."

Don MacRae (Avoman)

"It's definitely a dream come true. I started out buying a $1,000 horse, a lot of long days and now I get to hang out with all you people and play in the biggest dance there is, so I am quite excited.

"The race [Plate Trial] seemed like it went real fast the way we were screaming and yelling. The way everything set up, I mean they walked the dog up front and we all run the last three-eighths of the mile real quick and we all got to scream so it was good feeling for sure."

On co-owners Jim and Graeme Bruce...

"Great guys, we have a lot of fun when we come to the races. They love the game they love the horses. They're in it for the horse, and the money is secondary, so, if we could get the big cheque it might become the primary thing, but yeah we're pretty excited."

Kevin Attard (Harlan Estate)

On his first two races at Woodbine...

"I've been really proud of this horse, he handled both races really well. First race he kind of was a little late kind of switching leads there, might have cost him a little bit, but he kind of put it together last time. The track was really slow that day. I thought he had to come from far behind on a dead track, and he got up in the nick of time, so he's a horse that is just going to fall out of the race hopefully there is an honest pace in front and we'll do some running late."

Gail Cox (Tidal Forces)

"He's doing great. He's worked really well coming into this race. I thought the last race he just was little bit wound up. He wasn't like his usual self, he didn't settle. And he certainly is doing well after that race."

On teaming with Sam-Son...

"I think it's just something that's so exciting, and I have been with them for a long time and changed careers from show jumping to racetrack and it's an honour to train for them. I'm very sad to see them getting out of the business, but we still have time left."

Carlos Grant (Derzkii)

"He's a nice horse and we decided to give him the shot, because he proved he belongs in this company. He had a good trip in the Plate Trial, just unfortunately he got hampered, so we decided to give him the shot. There's only one chance probably you get at it, so we decided to go here. The nerves are up for everyone, everyone, everyone."

Mitch Kursner (breeder, Safe Conduct)

"Oh, it means everything. It's just an unbelievable honour, and privilege and a dream come true. I want to congratulate [trainer] Phil Serpe and the wonderful Vukovich family at Wellspring for the great job they have done with him and wish them the best of luck on the weekend, and wish everybody all the best.

On what being in the Plate would mean to his grandfather...

"It would mean everything, really. He loved coming to the races and called a lot of the older trainers back in the day, friends. And we used to come to the track and sit in the kitchen; he's the one that got me started. It would mean the world to me, really. Just really grateful to be here."

Phil Serpe (Safe Conduct)

On how the horse will handle the Tapeta...

"I mean it is the unanswered question. He did not really care for slop, which was pretty obvious in his two races back over a very soft turf. We're hoping of course that he'll like the synthetic track. He's a horse that likes to train and really loves his job so we'll keep our fingers crossed and hope everything works out fort the best. I want to thank everybody for not putting any pressure on me by having to pick a post position. I appreciate post position one, so thank you.

"He has speed if we need it. Look, that's going to be up to Irad (jockey, Ortiz Jr). We have a very dangerous weapon on his back and I'm just going to leave that up to him. Obviously, it depends what happens at the break, but the horse is trained, Irad is the driver, I trust him. I think he's probably one of the top five, with due respect to so many other riders, riders in the country, and that's going to be his call."