Leopard eyes Queen's Plate

Plate Trial S. winner EYE OF THE LEOPARD (A.P. Indy) will attempt to give

Sam-Son Farms its fifth trophy in the C$1 million

Queen's Plate S., the oldest continuously run stakes race in North America,

which will be contested for the 150th time at Woodbine on Sunday. To prevail in

the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the regally-bred colt must overcome

the formidable fillies MILWAUKEE APPEAL (Milwaukee Brew) and TASTY TEMPTATION (Medaglia

d'Oro).

Eye of the Leopard, the first foal from Canadian champion Eye of the Sphynx

(Smart Strike), has steadily improved in just three short months. Since

finishing eighth in his belated career debut at Keeneland in April, the Mark

Frostad pupil has captured both of his starts. The bay colt relished stretching

out to two turns in a Woodbine maiden on May 10, where he vied for the early

lead before drawing 2 3/4 lengths clear. Eye of the Leopard took another step

forward in his stakes bow in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial, rallying strongly to

get up late by a neck. The 7-2 second choice on the morning line, he will break

from post 7 with regular rider Eurico Da Silva and should enjoy the added

ground.

Milwaukee Appeal and Tasty Temptation, the respective top two finishers from

the June 7 Woodbine Oaks, will clash for the third time in the Queen's Plate. In

their first meeting in the La Lorgnette S., Tasty Temptation defeated Milwaukee

Appeal, but both were filling out the minor placings behind Hooh Why (Cloud

Hopping). In the Woodbine Oaks, Tasty Temptation was slow to break, made a huge

circling move to strike the front between calls on the turn, but could not hold

off the surging Milwaukee Appeal, who powered to a 3 3/4-length victory.

On the strength of that effort, Milwaukee Appeal has been installed as the

3-1 morning-line favorite for the Queen's Plate. The Scott Fairlie trainee has

compiled a sparkling 8-5-1-2 mark on Woodbine's Polytrack, including scores in

the Ontario Lassie S. in her juvenile finale and the Star Shoot S. in her 2009

debut. Stewart Elliott will be back aboard the bay as she breaks from post 4.

The Mark Casse-trained Tasty Temptation, who rates as the 4-1 third choice,

has landed in post 11 with a returning Patrick Husbands. Casse will also saddle

Coronation Futurity hero ACTIVE DUTY (Deputy Commander), most recently a

one-paced fourth in the Plate Trial.

Others of note in the 13-horse field include Plate Trial third RAPID RELEASE

(Action This Day) from the barn of eight-time Plate winner Roger Attfield; MR.

FORICOS TWO U (Porto Foricos), who brings a two-race winning streak into his

stakes debut for Catherine Day-Phillips; the undefeated RESERVOIR (Sky Classic),

coming off an entry-level turf allowance score; and multiple stakes winner EL

BRUJO (Candy Ride [Arg]), who will try to bounce back from a poor ninth in the

Plate Trial.

All males will carry 126 pounds in the "Gallop for the Guineas." The fillies

will tote 121 pounds as they seek to become the first female winner since

Dancethruthedawn in 2001.

The Queen's Plate undercard features two Grade 3 events on the turf,

beginning with the $200,000

Highlander S. at six furlongs. Headlining the 10-horse field are the past

two winners of the sprint -- SMART ENOUGH (Horse Chestnut [SAf]) and HEROS

REWARD (Partner's Hero) -- along with the speedy MR. NIGHTLINGER (Indian

Charlie) and 123-pound highweight TRUE TO TRADITION (Rahy).

Smart Enough, who defeated Heros Reward by a half-length in the 2007

Highlander, missed last year's edition. The ultra-consistent dasher opened 2009

with a solid third in the Aegon Turf Sprint (G3) at Churchill Downs, and in his

only subsequent start, he wired the field in the Wolf Hill S. at Monmouth. The

John Fisher charge gets in with a feathery 115 pounds on Sunday.

Defending champion Heros Reward comes off a mildly closing fifth to Mr.

Nightlinger in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint S. at Pimlico. Two starts back,

however, Heros Reward had rolled past the fifth-place Mr. Nightlinger when

landing the Shakertown S. (G3) at Keeneland.

True to Tradition won the Nearctic S. (Can-G2) at this course and distance in

October, but has not won since. Seventh in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, he

reappeared with a fourth in the aforementioned Jim McKay Turf Sprint and exits a

third to SHADOWLESS (Stormy Atlantic) in a local allowance prep.

At the opposite end of the distance spectrum, MISSION APPROVED (With

Approval) will mount a title defense in the $150,000

Singspiel S. (Can-G3) going 1 1/2 grassy miles. The Gary Contessa trainee

will be making his second start of the season, following an encouraging second

in the Kingston S.

Attfield will attempt to derail Mission Approved by saddling three of his

five challengers -- Elkhorn S. (G2) victor SPICE ROUTE (GB) (King's Best), who

was just run down by Brass Hat (Prized) in the Louisville H. (G3); Elkhorn

runner-up MUSKETIER (Ger) (Acatenango), who steps back up in trip after flopping

in the nine-furlong Dixie S. (G2); and Breeders' S. runner-up SLIGOVITZ (Sligo

Bay [Ire]), a new recruit to the barn who was a distant third in the

off-the-turf Pan American S. (G3) in his latest venture.