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History on the line in Queen's Plate Sunday's 151st running of the Queen's Plate S., North America's oldest continuously run stakes race, holds even more historical interest than usual. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will be present at Woodbine to see whether HOTEP (A.P. Indy) turns a rare full-sibling double in the C$1 million prize, if MOBILIZER (Motivator) gives trainer Roger Attfield a record ninth win, or if ROAN INISH (Elusive Quality) becomes the fifth filly to sweep the Woodbine Oaks and Queen's Plate. Sam-Son Farm's homebred Hotep will try to follow in the hoofsteps of his full brother, champion Eye of the Leopard (A.P. Indy), who got up by a neck in last year's Queen's Plate. Both are out of Eye of the Sphynx (Smart Strike), who won the 2004 Woodbine Oaks en route to a Sovereign Award as Canada's top three-year-old filly. Unlike his late-developing brother, Hotep raced as a juvenile, breaking his maiden at first asking in October. Although the Mark Frostad pupil disappointed in the Risen Star S. (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2) earlier this season at Fair Grounds, he rebounded with a 3 1/4-length score in the Wando S. at Woodbine. In his final prep, Hotep finished second to the streaking Exhi (Maria's Mon) in the May 29 Marine S. here. The 3-1 favorite on the morning line for the "Gallop for the Guineas," Hotep will break from post 11 with regular rider Patrick Husbands. Should Hotep succeed in this 1 1/4-mile classic for Canadian-breds, he and Eye of the Leopard would become the first full brothers ever to win consecutive editions of the Queen's Plate. Only one previous pair of full brothers has captured the Plate, and they did so in non-consecutive years -- Joe Miller (1894) and Millbrook (1896). The Queen's Plate has witnessed one full sister sweep, courtesy of Amelia (1877) and Moss Rose (1879). Full brother and sister tandems who won the Queen's Plate are Bonnie Bird (1880) and Bonnie Duke (1887), and Scatterthegold (2000) and Dancethruthedawn (2001). Interestingly, Dancethruthedawn has a vested interest herself on Sunday. Her three-year-old colt DARK CLOUD DANCER (Storm Cat) is one of a trio of Sam-Son/Frostad runners in the classic. Unraced at two, the dark bay shed his maiden status at Woodbine on May 16 and was most recently runner-up in an allowance on June 6. Javier Castellano picks up the mount on the 15-1 Dark Cloud Dancer, who will attempt to become the third straight generation of his family to lift the Plate. His second dam, Hall of Famer Dance Smartly, garnered the 1991 renewal. Queen Elizabeth, who will attend the Plate for the fourth time, had witnessed a couple of notable winners in her past visits, and the astute racing aficionado no doubt knows their connections to today's field. In 1959, she saw New Providence take the Plate on the way to Canadian Triple Crown honors, and he went on to become the broodmare sire of internationally-renowned stallion Storm Bird, the sire of Storm Cat. At her last visit to the Plate in 1997, The Queen viewed Stronach Stables' Awesome Again triumph. Awesome Again is responsible for the third of the Sam-Son hopefuls, GIANT'S TOMB. The Frostad colt, who was runner-up in the Display S. last December, adds blinkers in hopes of waking him up off a fourth in the June 13 Plate Trial S. Mike Smith takes the call aboard the 12-1 chance. Awesome Again also figures as the paternal grandsire of Plate longshot WHO WE GUNNA CALL (Ghostzapper). Stronach Stables' Plate contender this time is Mobilizer, the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, and The Queen has an indirect connection to the colt. He is by 2005 Derby (Eng-G1) conqueror Motivator, who currently stands at The Royal Studs at Sandringham, Norfolk, a facility owned by The Queen, who is also one of the members of the Motivator stallion syndicate. Mobilizer did not make it to the races at two, but has made strides in a short time span this spring. After winning a duel with SMART SKY (Sky Mesa) in a May 8 maiden at Woodbine, he finished second to the now-sidelined Artic Fern (Langfuhr) in an allowance, and just missed to BIG RED MIKE (Tenpins) in the Plate Trial. Mobilizer made an eye-catching move to strike the front that day before being outbattled, and Attfield adds blinkers to his charge on Sunday. The record-seeking Attfield is currently tied with Harry Giddings Jr. as the Plate's all-time leading trainer with eight wins. Attfield has won the Plate with Norcliffe (1976), Market Control (1987), With Approval (1989), Izvestia (1990), Alydeed (1992), Peteski (1993), Regal Discovery (1995) and Not Bourbon (Not Impossible [Ire]) (2008). Big Red Mike, who set a slow pace and was all heart to prevail over Mobilizer, will bid to become the 25th Plate Trial winner to win the Plate and the third consecutive one to do so. Also exiting the Plate Trial are third-placer MOBTHEWARRIOR (Mobil), sixth GHOST FLEET (Arch) and seventh D'S WANDO (Wando). The aforementioned Dancethruthedawn and Dance Smartly were the last fillies to turn the Woodbine Oaks/Queen's Plate double, and Roan Inish hopes to pick up the baton. The first to do so was Flaming Page (1962), later to earn immortality as the dam of Nijinsky II and the second dam of The Minstrel. The second filly to accomplish the feat was La Lorgnette (1985), who would produce multiple English/Irish highweight Hawk Wing. Bred and owned by Robert J. Costigan, and trained by his daughter Carolyn, Roan Inish was originally based in Ireland with Jim Bolger. She was shipped to Canada last fall with a long-term goal of the classics, and captured the Princess Elizabeth S. in her North American debut for her rookie trainer in October. After two runner-up efforts in seven-furlong stakes to start her sophomore campaign, Roan Inish broke through with a narrow victory over MOMENT OF MAJESTY (Saint Liam) in the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks. That effort has led to her being tabbed as the 9-2 third choice for the Queen's Plate. Roan Inish's pedigree has a distant connection to The Queen -- her fourth dam, *Viennese Rose (Vienna), was a granddaughter of The Queen's classy stallion Aureole. Irish jockey Davy Moran, who has continued to make the trek to ride Roan Inish, will be back in the saddle. The males each carry 126 pounds in the Queen's Plate, while the fillies Roan Inish and Moment of Majesty get in with 121 pounds. Both fillies are drawn toward the outside. Roan Inish occupies post 10, and Moment of Majesty will break from the far outside post 13. The Queen's Plate is the first leg in the Canadian Triple Crown. Next comes the July 25 Prince of Wales S. over 1 3/16 miles at Fort Erie, followed by the August 15 Breeders' S. at 1 1/2 miles on the Woodbine turf. Two graded events highlight the Queen's Plate undercard. Canada's champion male sprinter FIELD COMMISSION (Service Stripe) tops a seven-horse field in the C$200,000 Highlander S. (Can-G2) at six furlongs on the grass. Runner-up in this race one year ago, the Daniel Vella trainee comes off a fine second to the hot Grand Adventure (Grand Slam) in the May 30 Connaught Cup (Can-G3). JUNGLE WAVE (Hold That Tiger), who finished third in the Connaught Cup, and past Queen's Plate hero Not Bourbon, fifth in the Connaught Cup, will take him on again in this spot. Veteran speedster HEROS REWARD (Partner's Hero) will be competing in the Highlander for the fourth straight year. The Maryland-bred and -based gelding took home second in 2007, won in 2008, and checked in third in 2009. In his latest venture, Heros Reward wound up a non-threatening fifth in the Wolf Hill S. at Monmouth. SIGNATURE RED (Bernstein) merits consideration in the wake of a strong allowance win at this course and distance last out. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the C$150,000 Singspiel S. (Can-G3) at 1 1/2 grassy miles, which marks the return of Grade 2 winner SPICE ROUTE (GB) (King's Best). The chestnut gelding, who concluded 2009 with a second to champion Cloudy's Knight (Lord Avie) in the W.L. McKnight H. (G2) at Calder, will be making his 2010 bow for Attfield. Among his eight rivals are stablemate PERFECT SHOWER (Perfect Soul [Ire]), who upset last year's Breeders' S. and most recently scored in an allowance/optional claimer, and two New York invaders -- the Seth Benzel-trained FORGOTTEN DYNASTY (Dynaformer), who steps up in trip off a fourth in the Dixie S. (G2) and a fifth in the Monmouth S. (G3), and SOLITAIRE (Victory Gallop), who will kick off his season in this spot for James Bond.
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