Ivan Dalos' homebred Gamble's Ghost, the tough-luck second-place finisher last time out in the Woodbine Oaks June 12, will take on males for the first time in her career as the only filly in the field for the $1 million Queen's Plate July 3 at Woodbine.
Just a nose behind 15-1 longshot Neshama in the Oaks after a troubled trip, the two-time grade III winner over the Woodbine main track and daughter of Ghostzapper is the fourth morning-line choice at 6-1 in the field of 13 3-year-olds. Fellow Dalos homebred Amis Gizmo garners the morning-line favoritism at 3-1 off a 2 1/2-length score June 12 in the Plate Trial.
BALAN: Neshama in Woodbine Oaks, 'Gizmo' Plate Trial
Both horses are trained by Josie Carroll and drew outside. Gamble's Ghost drew post 13 and Amis Gizmo was assigned post 10.
"I have two horses with two different styles of running," Carroll said. "I think Amis Gizmo will be fairly forwardly placed, and Gamble's Ghost is a closer. Hopefully their posts will play to one or both of their strengths."
Second on the morning line is Gary Barber and Conrad Farms' Leavem in Malibu, a Mark Casse-trained Malibu Moon colt who will be making his stakes debut, but has been impressive in his past two races—a 4 1/4-length score to break his maiden May 1 and a 2 3/4-length allowance victory May 29, both at 1 1/16 miles at Woodbine.
"Honestly, for the cards we've been dealt—with our late start—I don't think you could have accomplished much more," Casse said. "I'm real happy with where's he's at, and what he's done. We're ready."
Dan Gale and Richard Hogan's Shakhimat, the 4-5 Plate Trial favorite who ran second in the Queen's Plate prep, is one of two graded winners in the field, along with Gamble's Ghost. The Lonhro colt trained by Rodger Attfield won the Transylvania (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland in April and won a stakes over the Woodbine main track—the Coronation Futurity—Nov. 8.
NOVAK: Shakhimat Skips Away to Transylvania Victory
"We know he loves to be on the lead, but we've been training him to come from off the pace," Attfield said. "It's going to be up to Emma, really. If there's two or three that want to go out there and really ding along, I think he can sit off them. And if it doesn't happen that way, he can go to the lead. He's in very good order, so that part's okay. Other than that, it's another day at the races."
Stakes-placed Sir Dudley Digges, Esposito, and Scholar Athlete; allowance winners Narrow Escape and Cheburashka; and maiden victors Mike, All On Red, My Name Is Jim, and Rocket Plan complete the field.
Woodbine, Sunday, July 03, 2016, Race 10Entries: Queen's Plate S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Mike (ON) David Moran 126 John P. LeBlanc, Jr. 30/1 2 2Narrow Escape (ON) Sheena Ryan 126 Justin J. Nixon 30/1 3 3All On Red (ON) Eurico Rosa Da Silva 126 Sid C. Attard 12/1 4 4Leavem in Malibu (ON) Gary Boulanger 126 Mark E. Casse 7/2 5 5Sir Dudley Digges (ON) Julien R. Leparoux 126 Michael J. Maker 15/1 6 6Shakhimat (ON) Emma-Jayne Wilson 126 Roger L. Attfield 5/1 7 7My Name Is Jim (ON) Jesse M. Campbell 126 Reade Baker 30/1 8 8Rocket Plan (ON) Simon P. Husbands 126 John P. LeBlanc, Jr. 30/1 9 9Cheburashka (ON) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 126 Robert P. Tiller 30/1 10 10Amis Gizmo (ON) Luis Contreras 126 Josie Carroll 3/1 11 11Esposito (ON) Alan Garcia 126 Thomas F. Proctor 8/1 12 12Scholar Athlete (ON) Jose L. Ortiz 126 H. Graham Motion 12/1 13 13Gamble's Ghost (ON) Patrick Husbands 121 Josie Carroll 6/1
