Thursday, June 26, 2008

Plate trio seek another stakes score in King Edward

Owner Charles Fipke, trainer Roger Attfield and jockey Jono Jones, who teamed to take the Queen's Plate with Not Bourbon, look to keep their winning ways going, this time in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 King Edward Breeders' Cup Stakes, at Woodbine.

After taking Sunday's 149th running of the Plate, which gave Attfield a record-tying eighth score in the "Gallop for the Guineas," the Hall of Fame conditioner will saddle Society's Chairman in the King Edward, a 1 1/8-mile event on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

The five-year-old, who is co-owned by George Waud, will be making his fourth career start and second consecutive at the Toronto oval. Like the aforementioned Not Bourbon, his sire is the late Not Impossible.


"We thought for a time that we would never get him to the races," said Attfield, who won last year's King Edward with Eccentric. "He's had to deal with a lot over the years. He fractured a pastern at two, fractured a tibia at three and then bucked his shins. There were also other small things that happened along the way, too."

Bred by Errol Bailey, Society's Chairman made his debut on March 12 in a 1 1/16-mile turf race at Gulfstream. Sent off at 25-1, he crossed the wire a one-length winner and earned an 88 Beyer Figure (Daily Racing Form speed rating).

In his next start, an allowance grass race at Keeneland on April 25, Society's Chairman romped to a 3 ¾-length win under Edgar Prado.

"We were confident going into the race," commented Attfield, who also won the race with Perfect Soul in 2003. "He had been training well over the winter and we knew he would run well. I wasn't surprised at all that he won."

His first race at Woodbine was in the Grade 3 Connaught Cup, a 1 /16-mile stake. Sent off at 7-2, Society's Chairman finished second, a half-length back of Rahy's Attorney, who was the runner-up in Sunday's Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes.

The effort earned Society's Chairman a career-best 100 Beyer.

Jones, who will get his second consecutive trip aboard Society's Chairman, believes the lifetime earner of $79,076 will be at his best this Saturday.

"He's a super horse to ride. He does everything you want him to do. Last time I got shuffled back a little bit and lost a little position. He just got beat. He's a lovely horse. I've worked him back a few times since then. I think he's the real deal," said Jones. "He's still learning, but he's very classy. He does everything correctly."

WEG and LongRun Plate fundraiser in high gear

Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG), in partnership with LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, have attracted the attention of racing fans worldwide, with a unique fundraiser in conjunction with this year's historic Queen's Plate, Canada's most famed horse race.

Each of the 14 starters in the 149th edition of the Plate wore customized saddlecloths that were autographed following the race and are now being auctioned on http://www.ebay.ca (search on "saddle cloths") during the week of June 23, with all proceeds going to LongRun Retirement Society (longrunretirement.com).

There are minimum bids for the first three finishers*$2,500 for the winner's cloth, $1,000 for the runner-up, $500 for the third place horse and $250 for each of the others.

"WEG is proud of its partnership with LongRun and the work they are doing to find homes for thoroughbreds once their racing careers end," said David Willmot, Chairman and C.E.O. of WEG. "The racing industry has an obligation to care for its equine athletes and I am extremely proud to be part of a racing jurisdiction that became the first in the world to allocate a percentage of the horsemens' purse account for the benefit of retired racehorses, both thoroughbred and standardbred."

LongRun is one of the first adoption and placement programs for thoroughbred racehorses in Canada whose aim is to offer an alternative to owners and trainers - rather than have horses continue to race that are no longer able to compete. LongRun tries to help by fostering, rehabilitating and finding permanent adoptive homes and alternative careers as pleasure horses or companion animals. They also aim to educate the Ontario thoroughbred racing community, as well as the public, about these alternatives.

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