Curlin's Voyage, Clayton Set for Queen's Plate Battle

Just a week after America ran its most prestigious race for 3-year-olds, the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), it is Canada's time for its showpiece.

The CA$1 million Queen's Plate Stakes at Woodbine, like so many major races this year, saw its scheduling change as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally slotted for June 27. The other two legs in the Canadian Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie and Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine, were pushed back to Sept. 29 and Oct. 24, respectively.

Though the pandemic has closed Woodbine to fans, there is no stopping the Queen's Plate itself. The historic race will have its 161st running Saturday, making it North America's oldest continually run stakes race, according to Woodbine. 

Another change is the absence of U.S.-based jockeys due to COVID-19. 

The horses and the participating trainers and owners are at least what racegoers have come to expect. The 1 1/4-mile test on Tapeta for Canada-breds drew Clayton and 11 other sophomore colts and geldings, plus two fillies, Merveilleux and Curlin's Voyage, both of whom will be among the favorites.

The fillies will carry 123 pounds, and the other starters carry 126 pounds. 

History suggests the ladies warrant respect. Fillies have won the Queen's Plate four times over the past 10 years, three of them after capturing the Woodbine Oaks: Inglorious (2011), Lexie Lou (2014), and Holy Helena (2017). 

Curlin's Voyage, the champion 2-year-old filly in Canada last year for owners Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing, is 2-for-3 this year. Most recently, she won the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, defeating Merveilleux, who settled for third.

"She finds a way to get it done," said trainer Josie Carroll, a member of the Canadian Hall of Fame. "She always shows up and she's a very, very special filly." 

Carroll is a two-time Queen's Plate winner, taking it with Edenwold in 2006 and with Inglorious. Carroll also starts Belichick and Mighty Heart in Saturday's race.

Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings bred Curlin's Voyage, a 3-year-old daughter of Curlin  who was bred in Ontario and is a winner of five of nine starts. Hill 'n' Dale Farms near Lexington stands Curlin.

Patrick Husbands, who won the Canadian Triple Crown with Wando in 2003 and the Plate with Lexie Lou, will be in the irons. 

The 2-1 morning-line favorite, a tick lower than Curlin's Voyage at 5-2, is the Kevin Attard-trained Clayton, who comes off a victory in the Aug. 15 Plate Trial in which he narrowly outfinished Halo Again and Dotted Line by a half-length. A son of Bodemeister  bred by Bernard and Karen McCormack, Clayton has three wins and one second from four starts for owners Donato Lanni and Daniel Plouffe. 

He will be piloted by Rafael Hernandez, who won the 2015 Plate with Shaman Ghost .  

"He's doing everything you want him to. Hopefully, he just needs to get a little bit better one more time and maybe he can put everything together," Attard said.

American Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen sends Halo Again north from where he has been training at Saratoga Race Course for a shot at the Queen's Plate. The son of Speightstown  ran second in the Plate Trial in his final tuneup for owners Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing.

"We feel very good about his chances," Asmussen said. "I thought he stayed on nicely (in the Plate Trial). He came out of the race in great shape." 

Jockey Luis Contreras, who teamed with Inglorious and Holy Helena to win this race, could give Asmussen his first Queen's Plate victory. 

First-race post time Saturday is 12:30 p.m. ET, with the featured Queen's Plate scheduled as race 10 (5:41 p.m.). The Canadian Stakes Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) and Bison City Stakes are also on the card.

Entries: Queen's Plate S.

Woodbine, Saturday, September 12, 2020, Race 10

• STK
• 1 1/4m
• All Weather Track
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo
• 5:41 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sweepin Hard (ON)	Leo Salles	126	Daniel J. Vella	50/1
2	2Merveilleux (ON)	Kazushi Kimura	123	Kevin Attard	10/1
3	3Belichick (ON)	Slade Callaghan	126	Josie Carroll	30/1
4	4Truebelieve (ON)	Keveh Nicholls	126	Cole Bennett	30/1
5	5Holyfield (ON)	Darryll P. Holland	126	Catherine Day Phillips	30/1
6	6Halo Again (ON)	Luis Contreras	126	Steven M. Asmussen	5/1
7	7Glorious Tribute (ON)	David Moran	126	Barbara J. Minshall	30/1
8	8Olliemyboy (ON)	Steven Ronald Bahen	126	Sid C. Attard	30/1
9	9Dotted Line (ON)	Justin Stein	126	Sid C. Attard	8/1
10	10Curlin's Voyage (ON)	Patrick Husbands	123	Josie Carroll	5/2
11	11F F Rocket (ON)	Sahin Civaci	126	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	50/1
12	12Clayton (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	126	Kevin Attard	2/1
13	13Mighty Heart (ON)	Daisuke Fukumoto	126	Josie Carroll	20/1
14	14Tecumseh's War (ON)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	126	Catherine Day Phillips	12/1