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Ami's Flatter tabbed as early favorite for Queen's Plate
The three-year-old son of Flatter and Galloping Ami (Victory Gallop), a half-brother to stakes winning filly Aragorn Ami (Aragorn), broke his maiden at Woodbine in November and made his seasonal debut in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream January 3, where he closed impressively for place behind Bluegrass Singer (Bluegrass Cat). Sent to post at 5-1 in the $350,000 Sam F. Davis S. (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs January 31, Ami's Flatter surged along the rail to finish fourth, 6 1/2 lengths behind Ocean Knight (Curlin). On Saturday, Ami's Flatter improved dramatically in the Tampa Bay Derby with an energetic stretch run to earn place money. "I thought he put in a great performance. He showed a lot more maturity than the start before. He's starting to figure the game out," Carroll said. Carroll noted that Ami's Flatter might make his next start on April 4 in the $1 million Blue Grass S. (G1) at Keeneland. "There's a possibility that we'll go the Blue Grass with him," the trainer said. And as for a shot at the Kentucky Derby? "I'll let you know after the Blue Grass," grinned Carroll, who, in 2006, became the first female trainer to saddle a Plate winner when Edenwold captured the "Gallop for the Guineas." Carroll added a second Queen's Plate to her resume in 2011 when the splendid filly Inglorious beat the boys in the 1 1/4-mile Canadian classic. In addition to Ami's Flatter, Carroll is also represented in the top five of the Winterbook by Donver Stables charge Decision Day (Macho Uno). "It would be very special," Carroll said of the prospect of winning a third Queen's Plate. "I've been fortunate enough to have owners send me the right kind of horses. I'm also fortunate to have owners that are patient enough to let me develop these horses. Neither of these horses (Ami's Flatter and Decision Day) started until late last year." Last year, Carroll guided another Dalos homebred, Ami's Holiday (Harlan's Holiday), through an excellent Triple Crown run finishing second in the Plate, and third in the Prince of Wales S. at Fort Erie, before powering to victory in the Breeders' S. "This is what his (Dalos) whole program is about, breeding a classic distance horse and he has put several generations of breeding into doing that. It is all starting to come together," Carroll said. Unbridled Juan, an Adena Springs homebred son of Unbridled's Song out of Grade 2 winner Sugar Swirl (Touch Gold), has been listed as the 3-1 second choice after a visually impressive maiden score at Gulfstream which earned a lofty 98 BRIS Speed rating. "We were hoping he was that kind of horse and he trained that way," trainer Brian Lynch said. "We thought if he could put it all together, he had that kind of talent." The Ontario-bred Sugar Swirl, a dominating sprinter who was trained by Lynch for much of her career, won 10 of 23 starts including consecutive wins in the First Lady (G3), Hurricane Bertie (G3) and Shirley Jones H. (G2) at Gulfstream in 2008. Unbridled Juan, a closing third on debut at Gulfstream on February 7, unleashed a powerful closing kick under Luis Saez to graduate in style.
Decision Day (6-1), a Donver Stables homebred, rounds out the top five. The Carroll trainee was all heart down the lane to fend off Nipigon (Niigon) and capture the C$250,000 Coronation Futurity in November. The talented bay, currently in training with Carroll at Palm Meadows in Florida, finished seventh in Saturday's Palm Beach S. (G3), at Gulfstream Park. "Decision Day ran a great race in the Palm Beach. He got bothered from both sides in the stretch, he got squeezed, and he still was only beaten three lengths," Carroll said. Asserting Bear (Bear's Kid) captured the 2013 Coronation Futurity and went on to finish third in last year's Plate. Decision Day will look to become the first horse since Norcliffe to score the Futurity-Plate double, a feat the Hall of Fame runner achieved in winning the 1975 Coronation Futurity and 1976 Queen's Plate. For the Top 15, and the entire list of Canadian Triple Crown nominees and Queen's Plate Winterbook, visit queensplate.com. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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