Munnyfor Ro Takes on the Boys in Queen's Plate Bid

Since the Queen's Plate's inception in 1860, an unprecedented 37 fillies have captured Canada's premier event for 3-year-olds. Unlike the race's U.S. counterpart, the Kentucky Derby (G1), where only three fillies have ever taken home the top prize, female runners have proven thoroughly adept at defeating the boys in the Queen's Plate. In the last five years alone, two fillies, Holy Helena  and Wonder Gadot , have conquered their male foes and went on to earn year-end honors. Therefore, it should come as no surprise as one of the favorites in this year's running of the CA$1,000,000 Queen's Plate Aug. 22 is, in fact, a filly.

Raroma Stable's Munnyfor Ro  has blossomed since returning to Woodbine for her sophomore campaign. Winless in her first two tries as a 2-year-old for trainer Kevin Attard, the daughter of Munnings   was sent south across the border to the barn of Brian Lynch. Under Lynch's care, Munnyfor Ro broke her maiden in her third start for that conditioner, closing powerfully in a Keeneland maiden special weight going nine furlong furlongs on the grass April 7. After finishing third in a salty Churchill Downs turf allowance contest and sixth, beaten less than five lengths in the Regret Stakes (G3T), the Ontario-bred was shipped back to Attard at his Woodbine base, where she responded with an encouraging runner-up effort in the Selene Stakes (G3) over the synthetic main track.

It was in her previous start, the Aug. 1 CA$500,800 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, where the chestnut filly marked herself as a contender to reckon with in the Queen's Plate. Away slowly from the barrier under jockey Justin Stein, Munnyfor Ro launched a relentless rally from off the pace to secure her first top level triumph. In winning the first leg of Canada's Triple Tiara series for sophomore fillies, she supplied Attard with the first Oaks win of his career.

Immediately following the Oaks, Attard was already plotting a Queen's Plate bid with Munnyfor Ro, despite the three-week turnaround.

"A mile and a quarter is going to be her trip; I'm not worried about the distance," said Attard on the additional furlong Munnyfor Ro would have to travel in the Queen's Plate.

Munnyfor Ro drew post 6 and will be partnered again with Stein on Sunday. The only filly in the race, she will receive a five-pound weight allowance, carrying 121 pounds against a full field of 12.

"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."

In addition to Munnyfor Ro, Attard will saddle three others in the Queen's Plate against his star filly led by July 11 Marine Stakes (G3) third-place finisher Haddassah . The lightly raced son of Air Force Blue  , a homebred for Al and Bill Ulwelling, will be making his fourth lifetime trip to the post in Sunday's race.

"It was an oddly run race (Marine Stakes)," said Attard. "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)."

Harlan Estate , who has knocked heads against a number of Queen's Plate rivals in his last two starts—with a runner-up effort to Tidal Forces  in a June 19 allowance optional claimer succeeded by a July 16 allowance optional claiming win over Dance Some Mo —and Plate Trial Stakes second-place getter H C Holiday , complete Attard's four-way assault on the Queen's Plate crown.

The biggest challenge to the Attard entry could come from his 17-year-old son, Joshua, the owner of the Tizway  colt Keep Grinding . Teenage Attard scooped up Keep Grinding for CA$9,771 at the 2019 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Canadian-Bred September Yearling Sale. Trained by Joshua's grandfather, Tino Attard, Keep Grinding broke his maiden in November of last year at Woodbine. After a third-place showing in an allowance optional claiming race, the dark bay was a game second behind Easy Time  in the Marine Stakes.

Rafael Hernandez replaces Stein aboard Keep Grinding, who opted to ride Munnyfor Ro.

"I know Keep Grinding, he’ll show up," said the young Attard. "He always tries; if you watch all his races, he never gives up and I know on Sunday he’ll show up.”

Entries: Queen's Plate S.

Woodbine, Sunday, August 22, 2021, Race 10

• STK
• 1 1/4m
• All Weather Track
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo
• 5:42 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Safe Conduct (ON)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	126	Philip M. Serpe	5/1
2	2Harlan Estate (ON)	Kazushi Kimura	126	Kevin Attard	12/1
3	3Haddassah (ON)	Gary Boulanger	126	Kevin Attard	10/1
4	4Take a Chance (ON)	Keveh Nicholls	126	Catherine Day Phillips	20/1
5	5H C Holiday (ON)	Luis Contreras	126	Kevin Attard	15/1
6	6Munnyfor Ro (ON)	Justin Stein	121	Kevin Attard	9/2
7	7Riptide Rock (ON)	David Moran	126	Sid C. Attard	6/1
8	8Keep Grinding (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	126	Tino Attard	4/1
9	9Go Take Charge (ON)	Sahin Civaci	126	Breeda Hayes	30/1
10	10Dance Some Mo (ON)	Patrick Husbands	126	H. Graham Motion	12/1
11	11Avoman (ON)	Antonio A. Gallardo	126	Donald C. MacRae	8/1
12	12Tidal Forces (ON)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	126	Gail Cox	12/1
13	13Derzkii (ON)	Jason Hoyte	126	Carlos Grant	30/1