Baker hoping to strike Queen's Plate gold with trio of runners

Baker hoping to strike Queen's Plate gold with trio of

runners

Academic schooling ahead of Sunday's Queen's Plate (WEG/Michael Burns Photography) Trainer Reade Baker will saddle a trio of top contenders in Sunday's $1-million Queen's Plate at Woodbine, led by Woodbine Oaks-winning filly Academic (Henny Hughes) and the maiden-winning colts Bear At Last (Marchfield) and Breaking Lucky (Lookin at Lucky). Academic, with Justin Stein up, romped to a 66-1 score in the Woodbine Oaks in just her second start of the year. In the process, the bay miss also set a new track record of 1:48.86 for nine furlongs, nearly one second faster than it took Danish Dynaformer (Dynaformer) to win the Plate Trial one race before. "She came out of it great," Baker said. "We'll bring her over there on race day and hope for the best." Academic made three juvenile starts, topped by a neck second on October 12 in her first run around two turns. She graduated in her sophomore debut with a smart neck score prior to her Oaks shocker.

Sending a longshot into the Oaks didn't phase Baker.

"It was a huge opportunity," he said. "She wasn't really

ready for her race last year against (Oaks rival) Shez a Masterpiece (Mast

Track), who was

supposedly one of the better fillies around here. I thought we could have beat

her (Shez a Masterpiece) that day, but we were maybe a little green or not fit

enough. If you make her equal to her (Shez a Masterpiece), why not give her the

opportunity in the Oaks. It's a one shot chance just like the Plate."

Baker believes Academic, with Stein returning,

is capable of another surprise score on Sunday.

"I've had luck with small fillies," the horseman stated. "Size wise,

she's comparable to Bear Now and she made $1.3-million."

Bear At Last, a one-time winner in 11

outings, will be piloted once again on Sunday by Rico Walcott. The dark bay finished seventh in the Plate Trial, a race in which he

was shuffled back at the turn.

"He was definitely compromised, but I don't know what it

means as far as the results go, because there were lots of horses compromised,"

Baker noted. "If you watch close, at the end of the race he's going as fast as

anyone else and wasn't beat that far.

"He's bred to go the distance, so we'll

give him a chance. Rico thinks it's a good idea, so we'll bring him out and try

again."

With 11 races under his belt, the rallying Bear At Last

will be, by far, the most experienced horse in the Plate field.

"He's certainly fit enough, we don't have to worry about

that," Baker remarked. "It's nice to have a horse with a different kind of style,

because you don't know how the track will play that day."

Breaking Lucky broke his maiden

at Woodbine in April, then just missed by a head when second in a 1 1/16-mile

allowance/optional claimer. Last out, with Antonio Gallardo up, the chestnut

colt finished a disappointing seventh in an allowance going the same distance while facing older

company.

"He was rank around the first turn, he kept throwing his

head," Baker explained. "I don't mind the regression in the last race, we're looking

for a booming race this time. We're looking for his lifetime best and I think

we'll get it."

At press time, Baker had yet to decide who will ride the

chestnut in the Plate. 

With three contenders in the mix, Baker is quietly

optimistic of earning his first Plate score in Sunday's test. However, the

trainer is also most wary of

another veteran horseman when assessing the Plate field.

"You always have to worry about Roger Attfield in the

Plate. He's won the race eight times," he said.

And as for his own chances?

"I've been here at Woodbine a long time, almost 50 years. I

came with my sister to watch Northern Dancer win the Plate in 1964," Baker

smiled. "It's been a long time. If it's in the cards, it's in the cards. You

can't worry about horses getting beat. Secretariat got beat, it happens."

In other Queen's Plate news:

He'll be a longshot when the gates open for the 156th

running of the Queen's Plate, but Milwaukee Mist (Milwaukee Brew) has certainly shown a penchant

for outrunning his odds. The bay gelding broke his maiden at Turfway Park on

January 3 at 29-1, ran fifth in the in the 96Rock S. at 24-1, then filled the

third spot in the John Battaglia Memorial S. at 66-1.

"He's taken on some pretty tough competition here in the

U.S.," trainer Pavel Matejka said. "I really think he's going to like the (Plate

distance of) 1 1/4 miles. Hopefully, we can get an outside post, get him to

settle and then make a nice run when he's called on."

Gary Boulanger, who won the Plate in 2001 with filly

Dancethruthedawn, will pilot Milwaukee Mist in Sunday's "Gallop for the

Guineas." The sophomore enters the race off a trio of turf starts in Kentucky,

including a runner-up effort at Keeneland in April

"We're all very excited to be part of this race," Matejka added. "We

freshened him up with some nice works and we feel good about how he's coming

into the race. Hopefully, our first chance to be in the Queen's Plate is a

memorable one."

Ault will attempt to become the first maiden to win the Queen's Plate since 2000 (WEG/Michael Burns Photography) In 2012, trainer Dan Vella won the Queen's Plate with Strait of Dover, a Canyon Farms homebred son of English Channel. Vella returns on Sunday with the same connections with yet another son of English Channel, the improving chestnut Ault. The British Columbia-bred colt has yet to break his maiden, running second in a pair of sprints as a juvenile before heading to Florida for the winter. Following a pair of off-the-board results on the Gulfstream turf, Vella returned to Woodbine hoping to race the colt into the Plate. "The Plate was really our plan right from the start. We took him to Florida and we were hoping that we could accomplish something on the turf down there and push him forward," Vella explained. "Unfortunately, that didn't work out so it put us back a step and then we got back to Toronto and he had a bruised foot for a while which set us back a bit more." The patient Vella brought Ault back to the races in a June 6 maiden versus older company. Sent to post at odds of 8-1, and sitting 10 lengths off the pace at the second call, Ault dug down deep to finish a rallying second behind the five-year-old Impetuous Act (Harlington).

"We thought he ran a huge race and really thought he improved a lot and

decided to go ahead (to the Plate)," Vella said. "He's very

versatile, that's what is best about him. He can show a bit of speed if you

want. He can show a turn of foot to run well going short but he'll turn off if

you want him to. He's versatile and that's an asset in a big field."

Vella isn't too concerned about starting a maiden in the

Plate.

"He got beat a neck last time or we wouldn't be having that

discussion," he stated. "I don't think it matters. He was closing hard on much

older horses on a day that the pace favored the older horse...we think he'll

improve a lot off his last race. I don't think he knows any different."

Ault, should he win, would be the fourth maiden to win the

Plate since 1952, the last maiden Plate winner being Scatter the Gold in 2000.

Thursday's Queen's Plate morning draw from

the Woodbine walking ring will be streamed live at www.queensplate.com.

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