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| Photo Courtesy: Mike Burns Photography Ltd. |
My post race recap for The Buffalo News highlighted the upcoming second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown which will be run at beautiful Fort Erie Racetrack on Tuesday July 30 during a twilight racing card at the border oval. The home-based Gonzalez has never won the Prince of Wales and would be a feather in the cap of the two-time Plate winning trainer.
I was happy for the Tuccis, nephew Lou and his uncle Carlo who have been chasing the Plate dream for over 40 years. I caught them about a half hour before the Plate draw breakfast and they were the first owners that had shown up for the draw and seemed like kids in a candy store, so excited to be a part of the race. They certainly cashed in on Midnight Aria who they claimed at Gulfstream Park for $35,000 and have now won a $1 million race.
It'll be interesting to see who Mark Casse sends down to the Fort. In my conversations with him last week he mentioned if either of the two Oxley horses (Dynamic Sky and Spring in the Air) performed well in the Plate he would likely send them to Fort Erie. His other top colt, Uncaptured, second in the G3 Matt Winn at Churchill several weeks ago would then likely be sent to the Haskell. It should be interesting to see what he does with Dynamic Sky finishing third in the Plate.
Here are some pictures from Queen's Plate day at Woodbine:
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| Beautiful Woodbine Racetrack Press Box view |
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| Jockey Gerry Olquin |
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| Caton Bredar interview Olquin at the HorsePlayerNow tent Jeremy Plonk looks on |
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| Food Trucks Galore |
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| Night School Tent was doing brisk business teaching newbies the game |
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| Woodbine facade |
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| Hard Not to Like - Johnny V up |
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| Irish Mission - Alex Solis up |
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| Moment of Majesty - Joel Rosario was in the house |
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| Solid Appeal - Jesse Campbell up |
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| Trainer Mark Casse with the Oxleys trailing |
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| Boom Shakalaka |
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| Solid Appeal captures the $200K G2 Dance Smartly |
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| Campbell had a pretty big day |
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| Solid Appeal - Win Photo |
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| Bath Time - Solid Appeal |
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| And then this happened.... |
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| Call to the Post for QP 154 |
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| Midnight Aria - Campbell up |
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| Third place finisher Dynamic Sky Rosario in the irons |
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| Spring in the Air - Gary Boulanger had the mount |
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| Eurico Rosa da Silva on Up With the Birds |
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| Rainy Woodbine grandstand |
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| First time by in the Plate with lone speed Midnight Aria on the engine |
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| Tucci Stables Gonzalez fists up in background |
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| Lou Tucci parading the winner past the grandstand |
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| Campbell tossing flowers from the Queen's Plate blanket in the air |
That's a wrap from Woodbine and the Queen's Plate, hope you enjoyed the coverage.
2 Comments:
In case you missed it Shebandowana was claimed 17 years ago by guess who?
RG
RG:
Yes very ironic...it was included in my advance (see link in blog):
Tucci Stables claimed Midnight Aria for just $35,000 at Gulfstream this winter after spotting him while they were looking at another filly. Coincidentally, they had owned Midnight Aria’s dam years before.
“Being superstitious like we are, we owned the mare at one time,” Carlo Tucci said. “He was just a gorgeous looking horse. We called Nick back and said we’re going to pass on the filly but we really like this horse and as soon as he saw Midnight the slip was in for him. He just came out and he was big and beautiful and very majestic looking.”
Thanks for reading!
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