Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Melmich can cap great season in Valedictory
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Melmich pursues his fourth graded stakes win of the season in the closing-day feature Sunday at Woodbine, the Grade 3, $125,000 Valedictory Stakes for 3-year-olds and up over 1 3/4 miles on Tapeta.
Melmich, over six starts, suffered his first defeat of the season in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes on Nov. 12, when he finished second behind Gigantic Breeze. Gigantic Breeze came within .22 of a second from breaking the 1 1/16-mile track record. With Melmich just one length behind, trainer Kevin Attard said he was pleased with the performance.
“He got beat [by] a good horse,” he said. Gigantic Breeze “was a horse you knew you would have to reckon with. He was on the improve, and to lose to a horse like him, there’s nothing disappointing about that.”
Melmich ran second to Bangkok in the Valedictory last season, but Attard said he thought Melmich’s travel to New York and California prior to last year’s Valedictory caught up with the son of Wilko. All six of Melmich’s starts this season have come on Woodbine’s Tapeta, which could mean he has a little more in the tank this time around.
“He’s definitely a differentlooking horse at this time of year compared to last year, that’s for sure,” Attard said.
KEY CONTENDERS
Melmich, by Wilko Last 3 Beyers: 96-97-90
◗ Despite suffering a defeat in last year’s Valedictory, Melmich did win this race back in 2015.
Leavem in Malibu, by Malibu Moon Last 3 Beyers: 81-89-47
◗ After a troubled trip two starts back, Leavem in Malibu rebounded with a 4 1/2-length victory in his most recent start Nov. 26.
◗ He’ll make his second start against graded stakes company in the Valedictory after running a distant fifth in the Grade 3 Durham Cup Stakes in September.
Pumpkin Rumble, by English Channel Last 3 Beyers: 85-82-85
◗ Attard also will saddle Pumpkin Rumble, who was beat a neck by English Illusion in his most recent start Nov. 10.
“He got bumped pretty hard turning for home,” Attard said. “He lost his whole hindend action, and I think that has to count for something. I don’t think the distance will be an issue for him. He was a little rank in his last race, so hopefully we have that figured out.”
English Illusion, by English Channel Last 3 Beyers: 85-80-88
◗ He won the prep for this event over 1 5/8 miles Nov. 10 and has made his last four starts beyond 1 1/2 miles.
◗ He’s placed in three of those starts, including a runner-up finish in the Halton Stakes to Grade 1 winner Johnny Bear.
Bangkok, by Street Hero Last 3 Beyers: 81-68-89
◗ He won this event last season over Melmich at odds of 17-1 and could move forward while making his third start off a layoff.
◗ He finished third and was three lengths behind English Illusion in the allowance prep Nov. 10.
Trainer race tight to finish
Trainer Mark Casse has won the Woodbine training title in each of the past 10 seasons, but holds just a two-win lead over Norm McKnight heading into the season’s final weekend.
Casse has 93 wins heading into Friday’s card and will run one horse Friday, plus five horses entered across three races Saturday. McKnight has 91 victories and has five horses entered in four races Friday and three horses entered in two races Saturday.
It all could come down to Sunday, when Casse has horses entered in three races and McKnight has horses entered in six races.
Casse’s first runner of the day will come in the ninth race with Timeiseverything, who has won two of his last three starts. Casse runs Leavem in Malibu and Kasseopia in the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes and also has two runners in the 12th, with Blakey and Zentacular.
McKnight has Dan the Tin Man in the second, Special Concoction in the fifth, and has two runners in the seventh, including Lunar Light and Reimagined. McKnight also will have three runners in the back half of the program, including Sunny’s Rainbow in the ninth, Prized Bourbon in the 11th, and Brews Toonie Toss in the 13th.
Plate moves to Saturday
Woodbine announced that the 159th running of the $1 million Queen’s Plate will be Saturday, June 30.
The last time the Queen’s Plate was contested on a Saturday was in 1981. It has customarily been run on a Sunday. Woodbine also moved the Woodbine Mile to a Saturday two years ago.
“There are both historic and business reasons we moved the Queen’s Plate to Saturday,” said Jim Lawson, chief executive officer of Woodbine Entertainment Group.
“Up until 1982, we ran the race on Saturday, so coupled with our expectation of stronger handle and other business metrics for the day, it made sense to move back. The Saturday timing of the race also fits well with the introduction of our three-day weekend festival with all the activities we have planned.”
The three-day Queen’s Plate festival will take place over the long Canada Day weekend of June 29 through July 1.