Telekinesis gets post 10 in 16-horse Queen’s Plate field

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Among a 16-horse field of Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, Telekinesis has been pegged as the 5-2 favorite for Saturday’s $1 million Queen’s Plate by Woodbine oddsmaker Ernie Perri.

Telekinesis, the Queen’s Plate winter-book favorite, will start from post 10 under Patrick Husbands, who guided him to a front-running victory in the June 9 Plate Trial Stakes.

“He’s going to have speed from out there,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He’ll be the most forwardly placed of my runners. It looks like the speed is inside.”

Casse’s other entrants are 3-1 second choice Wonder Gadot and Neepawa, a live longshot at 15-1 who will be ridden by Florent Geroux. Wonder Gadot, last year’s Canadian champion 2-year-old filly, is coming off a troubled second in the Woodbine Oaks under Husbands. She will start from post 11 with Casse’s go-to rider, John Velazquez, taking over.

Woodbine Oaks winner Dixie Moon, the 4-1 third choice, is the only other filly in the lineup. Trained by Catherine Day Phillips, she starts from post 7 under two-time Plate-winning jockey Eurico Da Silva.

The Oaks winner returned to double up in the 1 1/4-mile Plate in three of the past seven years, most recently in 2017 when Holy Helena turned the trick. Fillies get a five-pound weight break from the boys, who carry 126 pounds.

Five-time Plate winner SamSon Farm is represented by two Graham Motion-trained shippers from Maryland, Strike Me Down (10-1) and Say the Word (20-1). Jose Ortiz rides Strike Me Down, and Woodbine leading rider Rafael Hernandez will pilot Say the Word.

The 12-1 fifth choice is Plate Trial runner-up Rose’s Vision, who is trained by Stuart Simon for Chiefswood Stable, owner of Neepawa.

Owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Mike Maker combined to take the 2016 Plate with Sir Dudley Digges. They are running a trio of longshots – Boyhood Dream (30-1), Marriage Counselor (50-1), and Pawnbroker (50-1).

Rounding out the field are Plate Trial third-place finisher Aheadbyacentury (15-1), Kentucky shipper Alternative Route (20-1), recent allowance winner Cooler Mike (30-1), Wando Stakes victor Inge (30-1), Real Dude (50-1), and Silent Poet (30-1).

The 159th running of the Queen’s Plate will be broadcast in Canada on CTV and TSN from 4:30-6 p.m. Eastern. Post time for the Plate, race 10, is 5:36 p.m.