Big Red Mike, ridden by Eurico Rosa da Silva, made every pole a winning one in taking the 151st edition of the $1 million Queen's Plate, Canada's most famous horse race for Canadian-foaled three-year-olds
Sunday at Woodbine.
Trained by Nick Gonzalez for Terra Racing Stable, Big Red Mike, a homebred chestnut gelded son of Tenpins-Regent n' Flashy took the field through an opening quarter in :24.43, the half in :49.39 and six furlongs in 1:14.31, while being dogged by Sam-Son Farm's Hotep and slight favourite Mobilizer in front of a record modern day crowd of 32,481. Fans pumped more than $6.8 million through the windows on the power-packed program.
After a mile was reached in 1:38.74, the top two positions still hadn't changed, as Big Red Mike loped along with a one length lead. When the field turned for home, the front runner quickly opened up on his pursuers, then held Hotep safe through a prolonged stretch drive to win by 1-1/2 lengths in a final time of 2:04.89 for the mile and one-quarter over Woodbine's Polytrack.
Second choice Roan Inish, winner of the recent Woodbine Oaks and one of two fillies in the field of 13, rallied for third, one and one-quarter lengths behind Hotep, while Giant's Tomb, another Sam-Son Farm hopeful, came on for fourth, a neck behind Roan Inish. Meanwhile, Mobilizer faded to 10th.
With Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, attending the Plate for the fourth time (1959, 1973, 1997), da Silva thus became the first jockey to win back-to-back Plates since Craig Perret in 1992-93, when he won with Alydeed and Peteski. Last year, da Silva was aboard the winner, Sam-Son Farm's Eye of the Leopard.
"He ran very relaxed, he gave me no problems," said da Silva. "He was so focused, you know. I went to the lead easy and he did the job. This horse ran so hard today. I'm just so proud of him. I'm going to see the Queen today."
Big Red Mike, who outlasted Mobilizer by a half-length in the Plate Trial on June 13 with a similar front-running performance, thus became the 25th Plate Trial winner and third consecutive one (following Eye of the Leopard in 2009 and Not Bourbon in 2008) to claim the Queen's Plate. He's also the first gelding to win since longshot T J's Lucky Moon captured the 'Gallop for the Guineas' in 2002.
For the 58-year-old Gonzalez, who celebrated his 1,000th career win last month, it was his first Plate win with his first Plate starter. For owner Terra Racing Stable (Dom and Frank Romeo), it was their first Plate win as well, but the Romeos had entered several horses in past Plates, the latest being Classic Mike, who finished eighth in 2002.
"I'm pinching myself to see if this is real," said Gonzalez. "I left it up to Eurico. I thought it was going to be a jockey's race. My wife (Martha), son and I were jumping up and down so much that it's just kind of a blur in my eye right now."
"This will probably be one of the most memorable days of my life," added co-owner Dom Romeo. "I have been 35 years in racing and breeding. I bred this horse, which makes it much more satisfying. Our hopes are always to win the Queen's Plate and the Queen being here is magnificent. It's very exciting."
Big Red Mike picked up a pot of $600,000 for the historic win, pushing his career bankroll to $667,396. It was his third win in only six career starts.
Sent postward the 5-1 third choice, Big Red Mike paid $12, $6.30 and $4.40, combining with fourth choice Hotep ($6.90, $4.70) for a $80.90 Exactor. A 5-11-10 (Roan Inish, $4.30 to show) Triactor returned $284.20, while a $1 Superfecta [5-11-10-8 (Giant's Tomb)] lit the toteboard with a $1,375.80 payoff.
Now, it's onto the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, July 25 at Fort Erie, at one mile and three-sixteenths. The third leg is the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes over one and one-half miles on the turf, August 15 at Woodbine.
Only seven horses have won the Triple Crown since its inception in 1959, the last being Wando in 2003.
(WEG)