Jiggs Coz pegged as 9-5 favorite for Queen's Plate; Leonnatus Anteas out

JIGGS COZ (Cozzene) has been installed as the 9-5 favorite on the morning

line for Sunday's 148th running of the Queen's Plate S. at Woodbine. The longest

continuously run stakes race in North America and the first jewel of the

Canadian Triple Crown, the Queen's Plate boasts a purse of C$1 million. Eight

Canadian-bred sophomores will do battle over 1 1/4 miles to earn a slice of that

history, as well as a share of that lucrative purse.

Trained by Sid Attard, the once-beaten Jiggs Coz is riding a three-race

winning streak, coinciding with the removal of his blinkers. The gray colt

wrapped up his juvenile season with a 1 3/4-length victory in the Display S.,

and he posted 3 1/4-length tallies in both of his outings in 2007. After

charging from far back to capture the seven-furlong Queenston S. in May, Jiggs

Coz stalked a moderate tempo before taking control of the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial

S. last time out. The morning-line favorite will try to become the first Plate

Trial winner to land the Plate since Alydeed in 1992.

"It feels good to have the favorite," Attard said. "He ran a big race in the

Trial. I don't think he (jockey David Clark) asked him too much. I think he can

improve off that effort. Actually, I think this horse improves five lengths

every time he runs.

"He's coming up (to the race) very good," the horseman said. "I'm not sure

whether there will be more pace in the Plate (than the Trial). We'll see. I'm

not worried. If it's close, he's going to finish. You can do whatever you want

with this horse. I don't think there will be any problem getting the distance." 

In the selection process for post positions, Jiggs Coz got the third choice,

and Attard selected post 6 for his charge. Clark will continue his partnership

with the colt, which dates back to his lone career loss in the Coronation

Futurity last November.

Coronation Futurity winner LEONNATUS ANTEAS (Stormy Atlantic) ranked as a

major Queen's Plate contender at 6-1 on the morning line, but last year's champion juvenile

had to be scratched on Saturday.

"He has an infection in his pastern," said trainer Kevin Attard, who is Sid Attard's

nephew. "We've treated it and he has improved, but not to where he can run. He's

at Guelph (the University of Guelph Equine Centre) so he can get the best care

possible and they can stay on top if it.

"Obviously it is a big blow and horrendous timing, but we've made a decision

to be cautious and prudent here," his trainer continued. "He's a good horse, and

the key is getting him better."

It's an especially disappointing turn of events for his connections, since Leonnatus Anteas

had spent most of the year recovering from an injury. After finally returning to the official worktab

in early May, he had time for just one prep, a seven-furlong allowance/optional

claiming event versus older horses on June 3. Leonnatus Anteas just missed by a

nose that day, suffering his first career defeat.

Kevin Attard will still be represented by ALEZZANDRO (High Yield), who lacks seasoning

but has long been highly regarded. The large colt just broke his maiden at first

asking in a sprint on May 13 and was promptly pitched into the Plate Trial.

Alezzandro set the pace before understandably tiring in his two-turn debut,

finishing third to Jiggs Coz and MARCHFIELD (A.P. Indy) but defeating COBRADOR

(E. Prado [Ire]) and INCLUDE US (Include).

"(Alezzandro) ran his eyeballs out," his trainer said. "I'm sure he's going

to improve off of the race. It should tighten him up. He was blowing pretty hard

and rightfully so.

"He's a big, lumbering type," he continued. "He has a huge stride on him. He

just floats around. It's amazing how much ground he covers."

Two Queen's Plate hopefuls are invading from New York. Todd Pletcher will

saddle multiple stakes hero TWILIGHT METEOR (Smart Strike), tabbed as the winter

book favorite for the Queen's Plate in March, while Kiaran McLaughlin will send out

smashing maiden winner DAAHER (Awesome Again).

Twilight Meteor has solid credentials on turf, having scored in the

Hallandale Beach S. and finished third in the Straight Deal S. at Belmont last

time out. That was a key race, with the top two coming back to complete the

exacta in the Colonial Turf Cup S. (G3).

Twilight Meteor's Polytrack fortunes,

however, have been mixed. As a juvenile, he rolled to a 2 1/4-length win in the

Bourbon S. at Keeneland. Two starts back in the Lane's End S. (G2) at Turfway

Park, he was a disappointing sixth as the 5-2 favorite.

"The Polytrack at Turfway Park was completely different than that at

Keeneland," said owner John Fort of Peachtree Stable. "There was a lot of

kickback that he was just running into a cloud. I couldn't even see him when he

was running. When he came back to the barn, his trachea was just caked with

Polytrack."

Stable rider John Velazquez will head north to stick with Twilight Meteor,

who will leave the gate from post 5.

Daaher will be taking a sizeable step in class after breaking his maiden

against older rivals at

Belmont Park in his second career start. The full brother to multiple Grade 1

queen Spun Sugar made a big impression, though, storming home by 3 1/4 lengths

in an excellent time of 1:41 4/5 for 1 1/16 miles. After that performance,

Shadwell Stable decided to supplement him to the Queen's Plate for C$25,000.

"A very impressive win, very fast, against a decent group," was how

McLaughlin characterized the victory. "We thought there's not that many chances

to run for a million bucks, so we decided to point him that way (to the Plate)."

The colt's name means "pear" in Arabic, but McLaughlin light-heartedly

offered another translation.

"However you wish to pronounce it, I don't know what it means, but I think it

means Queen's Plate winner," the horseman joked.

Daaher will try to emulate his sire, Awesome Again, who is the only horse in

the modern era to win the Plate in his third career start. Alan Garcia stays

aboard the bay colt.

MIKE FOX (Giant's Causeway) has been well beaten by Jiggs Coz and Leonnatus

Anteas in his prior stakes attempts, but he could be peaking at present. The Ian

Black trainee is coming off a sharp allowance/optional claiming victory versus

older horses.

The complete Queen's Plate field in post position order, with riders and

morning line odds, comprises Cobrador, Emile Ramsammy, 20-1; Daaher, 15-1;

Include Us, Robert C. Landry, 20-1; Alezzandro, Todd Kabel, 15-1; Twilight

Meteor, 4-1; Jiggs Coz; Marchfield, Patrick Husbands, 3-1; and Mike Fox, Emma-Jayne Wilson, 12-1.

Each colt will carry 126 pounds.

Three other stakes will also be staged on Queen's Plate Day. In the C$200,000

Highlander S. (Can-G3), MARCO BE GOOD (Bold N' Flashy) will bid to defend

his crown from seven challengers. The 121-pound highweight hasn't found the

winner's circle since last year's edition of the grassy six-furlong dash, and he

looks vulnerable here. Top threats include STRADIVINSKY (Stravinsky), who has

won three straight for Malcolm Pierce; HEROS REWARD (Partner's Hero), coming off

a victory in the Baltimore City Turf Sprint S. on Preakness Day; SMART ENOUGH

(Horse Chestnut [SAf]), successful in the Wolf Hill S. at Monmouth in his

seasonal reappearance; and Shakertown S. (G3) victor THE NTH DEGREE (Distorted

Humor).

At the opposite end of the distance spectrum, 10 horses will travel 1 1/2

miles on the turf in the C$100,000

Singspiel S. Among the leading contenders are ROYAL CHALLENGER (Touch Gold)

and FRENCH BERET (Broad Brush), the winner and runner-up, respectively, in the

2006 Breeders' S.; Grade 1 scorer PELLEGRINO (Brz) (Nugget Point [Ire]); and

stalwart veteran LAST ANSWER (Langfuhr), who missed by a mere neck in this event

last year.

The C$100,000

Charley Barley S., contested over a grassy mile, has attracted a field of 12

sophomores. ANGEL OF THE HOUSE (Chester House) is exiting a pair of

stakes-placed efforts on the Polytrack, while ICE BEAR (Maria's Mon) and GET

RICH QUICK (Seeking the Gold) have turned in smart performances in allowance

company on the turf. The uncoupled Reade Baker duo of FORBIDDEN BEAR (Forbidden

Apple) and PAYDAY PERIL (Officer) also deserve respect in the day's final stakes

affair.