Aheadbyacentury off for winter, points to Queen's Plate

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Aheadbyacentury finished off his 2-year-old campaign with a two-length win over Neepawa in the Coronation Futurity on Nov. 5, and will head to Florida for the winter to train in preparation for next year’s Queen’s Plate, trainer John Ross said.

“That makes four races for him and that was the plan I had for him,” he said. “We’re going to take him to Florida and have a great winter. All of those things help, and if you treat them right, there’s a good chance of having a real good horse for the Queen’s Plate. I’m hoping.”

Ross said Aheadbyacentury would not make a start over the winter and would likely point to the Queenston Stakes at Woodbine for his 3-year-old debut. A traditional Queen’s Plate prep, the Queenston is for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds over seven furlongs on Tapeta.

“I think it’s good strategy to start off with a seven-eighths race for his very first race, and that would be the Queenston,” he said. “Then, if that runs good, then no doubt you can go to the Plate Trial. That stretches him out good from a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter, and that should be good. He’s going to have one month off and then train in Florida all winter long. With those races under his belt, he should be ready for the Plate.”

Aheadbyacentury is now unbeaten in two starts around two turns. He made the first two starts of his career in sprint stakes, but Ross always believed Aheadbyacentury would be at his best going long.

“You have to start off a little bit with those other races,” he said. “We ran him in the yearling sales stakes. It was restricted and it was a little short for him. He went wide. I’m not making any excuses for him, but it really wasn’t his forte. He learned a lot out of those races, and when the longer races came around, he was sure ready for them.”