Caribou Club Headlines Highlander on Queen's Plate Card

A trio of graded stakes on the lawn complement the June 29 Queen's Plate Stakes at Woodbine, where versatile Caribou Club will head the charge of older horses sprinting six furlongs on the turf in the $300,000 Highlander Stakes (G1T).

Caribou Club, set at morning-line odds of 7-5, has won graded events at one and two turns. Before an unrewarding trip to Dubai this year, he took the Joe Hernandez Stakes (G3T) down the hill at Santa Anita Park one race after scoring in the Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) at 1 1/16 miles. Glen Hill Farm's homebred son of City Zip won the Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine last year.

White Flag, who popped and stopped in the Tropical Turf Stakes (G3T) in January, makes just his second start of the season. He took the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack last year at six furlongs and finished third on soft turf at Woodbine in 2017 in the Nearctic Stakes (G2T).

Extravagant Kid comes in off a turf sprint victory at Churchill Downs in the Mighty Beau Overnight Stakes and looks to break through in graded company. Sam-Son Farm's El Tormenta took the Connaught Cup this month.

The $175,000 King Edward Stakes (G2T) at a mile on turf for older runners will be headlined by Synchrony, winner of the Fair Grounds Handicap (G3T) this year before twice running into monster Bricks and Mortar and other top company. The Pin Oak Stable homebred son of Tapit  holds a sizable class advantage and won the Red Bank Stakes (G3T) at a mile last year. He's 7-5 on the morning line and will be giving four to six pounds to his opponents here.

Emmaus makes his third North American start after performing well in Europe. He missed by a neck in the Elusive Quality Stakes at Belmont Park over yielding ground in April and followed that up going under by another neck when second to El Tormenta in the Connaught Cup. Further improvement makes him a big threat here. Mr Ritz lost by a nose in the Eclipse Stakes (G2) at Woodbine last out over the synthetic main track but is a stakes winner on turf.

Older fillies and mares get their turn in the $175,000 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) at 10 grassy furlongs. Stronach Stables homebred Holy Helena drew the rail and enters off a solid fourth for trainer Jimmy Jerkens against top foes in the New York Stakes (G2T). Two starts back, the Ghostzapper  mare took her second edition of The Very One Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, and she boasts plenty of back class as the 2017 Queen's Plate winner.

"I think the distance (1 1/4 miles) will be to her liking," said Adena Springs racing manager Mike Doyle. "Jimmy thinks the same way. And if things work out well, it's a way to get a start in her here, and we'll talk about it afterwards. She may stay here."

The mare's connections have their eyes on the Oct. 12 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T), hoping to get a grade 1 race to her credit.

"The E.P. Taylor is a long-term goal," Doyle said. "We want to add to her value the best way we can and not over-race her."



Co-highweight for the Dance Smartly is Starship Jubilee, a runaway winner of the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Stakes two starts back. She won the Canadian Stakes Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) at Woodbine in September, and last out the Blue Heaven Farm runner was a good second in the Nassau Stakes (G2T) over yielding footing at Woodbine. 

Get Explicit hasn't repeated her good form from a year ago but has three victories at Woodbine. Rock my Love makes her first North American start and is a graded winner in Germany. 

Entries: King Edward S. (G2T)

Woodbine, Saturday, June 29, 2019, Race 6

• Grade IIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $175,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:53 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Vanish (ON)	Kazushi Kimura	117	Vito Armata	20/1
2	2Synchrony (KY)	Javier Castellano	123	Michael Stidham	7/5
3	3Say the Word (ON)	Junior Alvarado	117	H. Graham Motion	8/1
4	4Savage Battle (KY)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	117	Nicholas Nosowenko	20/1
5	5Mr Ritz (GB)	Eurico Rosa Da Silva	119	Josie Carroll	6/1
6	6Curlin's Honor (FL)	Flavien Prat	119	Mark E. Casse	9/2
7	7Emmaus (IRE)	David Moran	117	Conor Murphy	3/1
8	8Rose's Vision (ON)	Gary Boulanger	117	Stuart C. Simon	12/1

Entries: Dance Smartly S. (G2T)

Woodbine, Saturday, June 29, 2019, Race 8

• Grade IIT
• 1 1/4m
• Turf
• $175,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:18 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Holy Helena (ON)	Javier Castellano	122	James A. Jerkens	9/5
2	2Art of Almost (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	111	Roger L. Attfield	20/1
3	3Empressof the Nile (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	116	H. Graham Motion	15/1
4	4Starship Jubilee (FL)	Luis Contreras	122	Kevin Attard	2/1
5	5Get Explicit (KY)	Patrick Husbands	116	Barbara J. Minshall	10/1
6	6Cartabianca (FR)	Alan Garcia	116	Roger L. Attfield	20/1
7	7Lift Up (KY)	Alex Cintron	116	Michael W. Dickinson	6/1
8	8Rock my Love (GER)	Flavien Prat	116	Jonathan Thomas	7/2

Entries: Highlander S. (G1T)

Woodbine, Saturday, June 29, 2019, Race 9

• Grade IT
• 6f
• Turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:51 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Extravagant Kid (FL)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	119	Brendan P. Walsh	6/1
2	2Caribou Club (FL)	Drayden Van Dyke	123	Thomas F. Proctor	7/5
3	3El Tormenta (ON)	Luis Contreras	123	Gail Cox	5/1
4	4Souper Smart (KY)	Eurico Rosa Da Silva	117	Mark E. Casse	15/1
5	5Detroit Steel (IRE)	Justin Stein	117	Clint Abraham	30/1
6	6Tricks to Doo (KY)	Junior Alvarado	117	Arnaud Delacour	12/1
7	7Wet Your Whistle (KY)	Alex Cintron	117	Michael J. Trombetta	10/1
8	8White Flag (KY)	Javier Castellano	119	Christophe Clement	7/2
9	9Yorkton (ON)	Jesse M. Campbell	121	Stuart C. Simon	10/1