Another "crippled" by Giant's Causeway wins Queen'

[Tucumcari]

Yep as proven by Josie Carrol coming here and eating her ass a winter ago. They just don't stack up.

[Maven]

even if you cut it in half? I mean 500k allowence race.. which is all it is.


take a look at some of thoose beyers. And I'm not making this up... there are mid level claimers in SoCal that are faster than that

Never underestimate Canadian-breds and their importance to American pedigrees. Some of the best families, producers, and stallions in the American studbook came from up north. It might have been a weak rendition of the race, but I wouldn't knock their stock as a whole.

[bdw0617]

make no mistake.. I'm not bashing canadian breds.


I'm bashing THIS YEARS crop of canidain breds.

Awesome Again is one of my fav sires right now

[madelyn]

The Canadian dollar is around five percent just now, so that was a $950K race.. and the winner's share would be maybe $570K.. what is wrong with that for a little allowance horse romp?

[Rokeby Forever]

Every now and then, a good Canadian emerges. Sam Son's best stock can and has competed at the highest levels here in the states. Sky Classic? Dance Smartly?

Kinghaven stock, too - With Approval wasn't exactly an empty stall. Izvestia wasn't a plug, either.

But, let's face it - this year's Queen's Plate was as weak as tea. That's not to say that this bunch can't improve, but their credentials coming into this race were nothing to write home about. And when Canada's two year old champion scratched from the race, it really became a big purse allowance race!

Quite a training job by the 2nd place finisher. This horse was a first time starter in a 6 1/2 furlong sprint only six weeks ago. That's quite an accomplishment to get this horse to run second at 1 1/4 mile in Canada's most important race for three year olds in that short amount of time.

[Tucumcari]

Izvestia, With Approval, Sky Classic, Chief Bearheart, Langfur, DAnce Thru The Dawn... need I go on?

[madelyn]

Northern Dancer, for heaven's sake. The point is not that Canada has not produced, it just hasn't produced THIS YEAR for its own QUEEN'S PLATE.

[Rokeby Forever]

OOPS!!! I forgot about Sunny's Halo!

[Dave C]

The Queen's Plate isn't Canada's most important race it's at most Toronto's. It is not widely followed in the rest of the country. As with any race, the quality of the field is only as good as the horses who actually show up and that will vary from year to year. There were many people on this board who made disparaging remarks about the JCGC field last fall, just as an example of a big purse grade I race that drew a weak field. It's horse racing it happens. Personally I would follow the Queen's Plate more closely if they opened it up so that it could recieve graded status.

Tucumcari:

Hollendorfer didn't have the best horse in the Alberta Derby, he just had the best rider. At the head of the stretch he was a length back of the Florida horse, his rider set down on his horse and drove it home. The other rider jumped around like a spasmodic monkey hoping that frandtic movements might somehow encourage his horse to keep running. Switch riders, you get the opposite order of finish. In the Penny Ridge stakes, Hollendorfer had much the best horse, but all the other fillies were Kentucky breds as well, except for a Florida bred and a Ontario bred (Kentucky sired I believe). Don't disparage the horses in Alberta, it's the poor training and in particular the bad exercise riders that need disparaging.

[Tucumcari]

Tucumcari:

Hollendorfer didn't have the best horse in the Alberta Derby, he just had the best rider. At the head of the stretch he was a length back of the Florida horse, his rider set down on his horse and drove it home. The other rider jumped around like a spasmodic monkey hoping that frandtic movements might somehow encourage his horse to keep running. Switch riders, you get the opposite order of finish. In the Penny Ridge stakes, Hollendorfer had much the best horse, but all the other fillies were Kentucky breds as well, except for a Florida bred and a Ontario bred (Kentucky sired I believe). Don't disparage the horses in Alberta, it's the poor training and in particular the bad exercise riders that need disparaging.[/quote]
Whether I loaded the best horse on a plane to get him there has no relevence. The horse won. And the filly got a paid workout, what'd she win by.... 15+.... easy pickin's my friend. My best friend is there and is the better half of Diadoro. I am familliar with the stock in Alberta. Have no doubt. And as for exercise riders, Nikki is one of the best there is. They ran off the board.
We rode who we rode to get the job done. came home with cash and a picture. And Quincy didn't exactly have to beat the daylights out of the horse to run past his rivals... Not the best horse... who cares... he was that day. If we didn't have the best horse, they'll have another shot at us. What's the Canadian Derby...? $300,000? Trust me, we'll be back. Plus why wouldn't Mr Redekop want to win in his own back yard?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_AxwjfsDwY
And what pray tell is Canada's most prestigious race? The LT. Gov's at HAstings...
PS... I am Canadian... spent a wee bit of time there....
And as for the exchange rate, they take $935,000+. A paltry sum

[tinners way]

Let's not forget Runaway Groom- he had a little success in Canada and backed it up with the Travers.

[George William Smith]

I have the GSV's for the Queen's Plate up on my home page. While the horses might not have better race records at this moment in time, their pedigree's for them are as good as this year's Derby field. Check out that in a field of 9 there were four above 70! In the field of 20 in the KY Derby there were 7!

It is a restricted Country bred race; a lot more wide open than the mules that slug it out at New York state breds that barely beat standard bred times. Since it is the oldest, continuously raced event in North America it is a crying shame that it is not open to all. Open the damn race. Can't remember when they closed it to just Canadian breds.

With the dollar at almost par, the number of horses trotting across the border to whoof away our big purse races is definitely increasing. I can see why the NY Statebreds stay home, but the others won't if they have any kind of allowance ability.

Thanks Maven for talking about the wonderful female family of Harlan's Holiday. Dowager drove Richard D and his farm manager nuts trying to find the right stallion for her. With my additional opinion, we came up with Affirmed and Christmas In Aiken and now Dowager looks good, but she was one mighty tough mare to get a handle on breeding wise.

After the Queen's Plate, I exploded about the really slow time they all ran, especially those at the back of the pack, but they adjusted the time I'm told. The facilities are second to none in North America [well I do love Keeneland so maybe I'll rephrase that]....so what if we occasionally get a maiden to win the Queen's Plate

And, oh....by the way.....those of you who ran off at the mouth about this race and having no blithering idea about you were talking about, here is a little fact that might amuse you. .....The entire field was by American sires.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/thematchmaker

[Rokeby Forever]

Canada simply doesn't have enough premier racing facilities to warrant great improvement in its breeding program. Sam Son and Kinghaven can breed a top class horse at any given time, but they race strictly in Ontario, except for small strings taken to Gulfstream in the winter and Keeneland in the spring.

And, can Canada today keep a top sire, or does it have the same problems as a regional market - a successful sire will eventually move? Mutkaddim sired his way down to the states, didn't he?

[Dave C]

Canada isn't one region or regional market it's at least five. The large distances between major racing centers means few horses ship regularly between tracks and few mares ship between jurisdictions for stallions. Which is why I don't consider the Queens' Plate a national race. Personally, I think if you are going to call any race in Canada the most important race in the country, name the Canadian International, which has graded status and draws some of the best horses from Europe and the States.

Tucumcari:

I remembered that you were Canadian, any from your post I understand where your opinion is coming from even if I don't agree. Anyone who thinks there is easy money to be made in horse racing still has a lot to learn about the game. Perhaps, my view is slanted by the fact that I know some of the owners who have lost small fortunes buying horses to put in Diodoro's care, so that he could win some of that 'easy money'. It's easy to look at what the winner took home, I look at what all the horses who shipped in took home and most of them went home empty. I've already heard talk of horses much better than the one Hollendorfer shipped, coming in for the Canadian Derby, and it means that trainers around here are going to have to start spending their owner's millions alot more wiselythan they have been if they want to compete.

[Tairaterces]

Tucumcari:

Hollendorfer didn't have the best horse in the Alberta Derby, he just had the best rider. At the head of the stretch he was a length back of the Florida horse, his rider set down on his horse and drove it home. The other rider jumped around like a spasmodic monkey hoping that frandtic movements might somehow encourage his horse to keep running. Switch riders, you get the opposite order of finish. In the Penny Ridge stakes, Hollendorfer had much the best horse, but all the other fillies were Kentucky breds as well, except for a Florida bred and a Ontario bred (Kentucky sired I believe). Don't disparage the horses in Alberta, it's the poor training and in particular the bad exercise riders that need disparaging.

Whether I loaded the best horse on a plane to get him there has no relevence. The horse won. And the filly got a paid workout, what'd she win by.... 15+.... easy pickin's my friend. My best friend is there and is the better half of Diadoro. I am familliar with the stock in Alberta. Have no doubt. And as for exercise riders, Nikki is one of the best there is. They ran off the board.
We rode who we rode to get the job done. came home with cash and a picture. And Quincy didn't exactly have to beat the daylights out of the horse to run past his rivals... Not the best horse... who cares... he was that day. If we didn't have the best horse, they'll have another shot at us. What's the Canadian Derby...? $300,000? Trust me, we'll be back. Plus why wouldn't Mr Redekop want to win in his own back yard?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_AxwjfsDwY
And what pray tell is Canada's most prestigious race? The LT. Gov's at HAstings...
PS... I am Canadian... spent a wee bit of time there....
And as for the exchange rate, they take $935,000+. A paltry sum[/quote]

Tucumcari . . . . .are you saying you work for Hollendorfer???

Tairaterces