Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Dixie Moon eyes Queen’s Plate
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Catherine Day Phillips said Dixie Moon was in good order Sunday morning following her victory in Saturday’s $500,000 Woodbine Oaks over Wonder Gadot. Owned by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry, Dixie Moon will now be considered for the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 30 for her next start.
“You have to consider the Queen’s Plate,” Day Phillips said. “She’s one of the top 3-year-olds, male or female. There’s no pressure whatsoever from Sean and Dorothy to run in the Plate. They’ve been very clear about that. Wherever we think is the best spot to run is where we go. We’ll let her tell us. It’s a nice position to be in. We’re very lucky that they’re open to whatever we think is the right thing for Dixie.”
Dixie Moon earned a careerbest 88 Beyer Speed Figure in the Woodbine Oaks. She stalked pacesetter Fairy Hill in the early going under jockey Eurico Da Silva before taking control of the race on the far turn and holding off Wonder Gadot in deep stretch.
“It was nice that she was able to settle and relax and just kind of cruise along there until it was time to be called upon,” Day Phillips said.
Day Phillips has now won two of the last three Woodbine Oaks, having won the race with Neshama in 2016. It was the first Woodbine Oaks victory for the Fitzhenrys.
Day Phillips chose to skip the Queen’s Plate with Neshama in 2016, but said this year is a different situation.
“[Dixie Moon] has a very strong pedigree and I think she’s a stronger horse than Neshama was,” she said. “Nothing against Neshama, but Dixie’s a stronger horse.”
Casse may send three to Plate
Trainer Mark Casse said both Plate Trial Stakes winner Telekinesis and Woodbine Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot emerged from their Saturday starts in good order and are likely to run in the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 30.
Casse could have as many as three in the Queen’s Plate, as Neepawa is also likely to run. Neepawa finished a troubled third in an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles here on May 20. He breezed five furlongs in 59 seconds Saturday morning on Tapeta.
“Neepawa worked exceptionally well, so if all remains the same, we’re going to have three,” Casse said.
Casse said he was pleased with Telekinesis’s first race on Tapeta in the Plate Trial Stakes, but was surprised with Wonder Gadot’s slow start in the Woodbine Oaks.
“The Oaks was a little disappointing, but she still ran well,” he said. “I don’t know what that hop at the start was about.”
Telekinesis and Wonder Gadot both earned 88 Beyer Speed Figures on Saturday.
Casse had a big weekend at Woodbine, picking up eight wins from the Saturday and Sunday races. Among those was a win by Road to Victory in the Alywow Stakes.
Casse said Road to Victory could run back in the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Belmont Park on June 30.
The Alywow was the first start for Road to Victory since she defeated multiple Grade 1 winner Monomoy Girl in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs last November. Road to Victory is now undefeated in three career starts.
Casse said Road to Victory suffered an injury following the Golden Rod and was given time off over the winter.
“I hadn’t really done a whole lot with her coming back and I was a little worried about it,” he said. “I had penciled in the Alywow some time ago.”
◗ Woodbine will hold its Spring Meet Horseplayers Tournament on June 16. Two seats to the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship and a cash prize pool will be up for grabs. The tournament is a live-bankroll tournament featuring win and place bets on Woodbine races. The tournament entry fee is $150. For more information, visit Woodbine. com/Tournaments.