Golden Wave finds his niche

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mike DePaulo will try to win his first Queen’s Plate on Saturday with Golden Wave, who has found his calling on the Tapeta after faring poorly on the dirt at Gulfstream earlier this year.

After winning a sevenfurlong maiden special here June 13, Golden Wave gave the favored Halo Again a run for his money when second in the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes. In his first start around two turns most recently Aug. 1, he was a prominent fifth in a fast-paced allowance going nine furlongs.

DePaulo was pleased with the way Golden Wave worked a mile in 1:39.60 on the Tapeta on Aug. 29 under Slade Callaghan, who will ride him in the $1 million Queen’s Plate.

“I thought he worked really well,” DePaulo said. “We backed him up until past the eighth pole and set him off easy, and he came home good. I got him out galloping out [1 1/4 miles] in 2:08.”

DePaulo’s long-winded Theregoesjojo is coming off a decisive score going 1 1/2 miles in the second leg of the Woodbine Turf Endurance Series. The English Channel 5-year-old, who put together a four-race win streak last year before finishing third in the Grade 3 Valedictory, is headed to the third leg of that starter-allowance series on

Sept. 26.

“I really liked him initially, but he was disappointing for a long time,” DePaulo said. “He cracked his back pastern at 2, and we had to put a screw in it. Like some of the English Channels, he got better as he got older.”

DePaulo won with two speedy Ontario-sired 2-year-olds in recent weeks, Rocket Reload and Souper Classy.

Rocket Reload, by leading Ontario freshman sire Reload, got tired from chasing the gateto-wire winner Joy’s Rocket when debuting in the Aug. 1 My Dear Stakes. She aired in a subsequent five-furlong maiden dash on the inner turf and is headed to the $135,000 Woodbine Cares Stakes over the same course and distance on Sept. 19.

“I love her,” DePaulo said. “She’s very fast and very uncomplicated.”

Souper Classy led throughout his five-furlong opener against Ontario-sired opposition Aug. 27. DePaulo said he’s looking at the $135,000 Ontario Racing Stakes on the turf on Sept. 19, or the $100,000 Bull Page Stakes on the Tapeta on Sept. 27 for his next start.

DePaulo said he’s also high on Saturday George, a 2-year-old Ontario-bred son of Mineshaft who finished second in a quick 5 1/2-furlong maiden special at first asking Aug. 29.