'Ghost' Takes on Males in Queen's Plate

Ivan Dalos' homebred Gamble's Ghost, the tough-luck second-place finisher last time out in the Woodbine Oaks June 12, will take on males for the first time in her career as the only filly in the field for the $1 million Queen's Plate July 3 at Woodbine.

Just a nose behind 15-1 longshot Neshama in the Oaks after a troubled trip, the two-time grade III winner over the Woodbine main track and daughter of Ghostzapper   is the fourth morning-line choice at 6-1 in the field of 13 3-year-olds. Fellow Dalos homebred Amis Gizmo garners the morning-line favoritism at 3-1 off a 2 1/2-length score June 12 in the Plate Trial.

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Both horses are trained by Josie Carroll and drew outside. Gamble's Ghost drew post 13 and Amis Gizmo was assigned post 10.

"I have two horses with two different styles of running," Carroll said. "I think Amis Gizmo will be fairly forwardly placed, and Gamble's Ghost is a closer. Hopefully their posts will play to one or both of their strengths."

Second on the morning line is Gary Barber and Conrad Farms' Leavem in Malibu, a Mark Casse-trained Malibu Moon   colt who will be making his stakes debut, but has been impressive in his past two races—a 4 1/4-length score to break his maiden May 1 and a 2 3/4-length allowance victory May 29, both at 1 1/16 miles at Woodbine.

"Honestly, for the cards we've been dealt—with our late start—I don't think you could have accomplished much more," Casse said. "I'm real happy with where's he's at, and what he's done. We're ready."

Dan Gale and Richard Hogan's Shakhimat, the 4-5 Plate Trial favorite who ran second in the Queen's Plate prep, is one of two graded winners in the field, along with Gamble's Ghost. The Lonhro colt trained by Rodger Attfield won the Transylvania (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland in April and won a stakes over the Woodbine main track—the Coronation Futurity—Nov. 8.

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"We know he loves to be on the lead, but we've been training him to come from off the pace," Attfield said. "It's going to be up to Emma, really. If there's two or three that want to go out there and really ding along, I think he can sit off them. And if it doesn't happen that way, he can go to the lead. He's in very good order, so that part's okay. Other than that, it's another day at the races."

Stakes-placed Sir Dudley Digges, Esposito, and Scholar Athlete; allowance winners Narrow Escape and Cheburashka; and maiden victors Mike, All On Red, My Name Is Jim, and Rocket Plan complete the field.