HORSE RACING Canadian filly Holy Helena shows off speed

A talented young filly named Holy Helena was the star at Woodbine Race Track on Sunday, capping a weekend drenched in Canadian history.

Holy Helena won the 158th edition of the Queen’s Plate, the oldest stakes race in North America for 3-year-olds.

It had its first running in 1860 at Carlton Race Course in Toronto.

Based in New York for the Stronach Stable with trainer James A. Jerkens, she was much the best in the race at 1 ¼ miles, getting the distance in 2:02 4/5 on the Tapeta surface at Woodbine.

Her time was faster than that of Melmich in the Dominion Day Handicap on Saturday, with the older multiple graded stakes winner getting the 10 furlongs in 2:03 2/5.

The Queen’s Plate is the opening leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, and is followed by the Prince of Wales at 1 3/16 miles at Fort Erie on dirt, and the Breeders’ Stakes at 1 ½ miles on turf at Woodbine.

The Prince of Wales is on July 25, and the Breeders’ is on Aug. 20.

After Holy Helena’s victory, owner Frank Stronach mentioned the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga as a possible next start, while at the same time seeming to rule out an appearance in the Prince of Wales.

No filly has ever won the Queen’s Plate and Alabama, the latter of which was inaugurated in 1872 at Saratoga.

Fanfreluche came close in 1970.

The daughter of Northern Dancer was second, beaten less than a length, in the Queen’s Plate by Almoner.

She later won the Alabama by a length and a quarter over Hunnemannia.

Holy Helena, a daughter of Ghostzapper, who was Horse of the Year in 2004 for Stronach, finished second in her career debut on Apr. 15 at Aqueduct.

She broke her maiden on May 12 at Belmont Park going 1 1/16 miles, and followed four weeks later with a victory in the Woodbine Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on June 11.

Holy Helena has won three of four career starts, with earnings of $819,780.

She adds her name to a distinguished list of Canadian fillies to defeat the opposite sex in the Queen’s Plate.

Included are Flaming Page (1962), Dance Smartly (1991), and Dancethruthedawn (2001).

Flaming Page is the mother of the great English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky II.

Dance Smartly is a member of the Hall of Fame in Canada and the United States and is the mother of Dancethruthedawn, who won the Grade 1 Go for Wand Stakes at Saratoga in 2002.

The Queen’s Plate was part of an ongoing nationwide celebration of history in Canada.

The country is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its confederation, which was cemented on July 1, 1867.

Canadian racing is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, dating to July, 1767, on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec.

If Holy Helena wins the Alabama Stakes on Aug. 19 at Saratoga, she will make her own history, and connect two great thoroughbred races.

And in more ways than one, for the first winner of the Alabama Stakes in 1872 was named Woodbine. Michael Veitch’s column appears every Wednesday in print. He can be reached at patelin@nycap.rr.com