Attard tests Harlan Estate's stamina

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Harlan Estate makes his second Woodbine start Friday in a 1 1/8-mile allowance for 3-year-olds on Tapeta that may serve as a Queen’s Plate prep for some of the entrants.

Harlan Estate competed in a pair of turf stakes at Santa Anita in February before being turned over to trainer Kevin Attard, who sent him out to finish second in a 1 1/16-mile allowance here June 19.

“He ran to the way he’d been working,” Attard said. “The distance is going to be the biggest issue. He’s by Kantharos. Do they want to go that far? I think the horse has a good running style for that kind of a trip. He should be able to work out a good trip, and then it’s just a matter of does he want to go that far.”

The seven-horse field includes three other Plate nominees: Dance Some Mo, Cruden Bay, and One Flint.

Attard is pointing Haddassah and Stephen for the $1 million Queen’s Plate on Aug. 22. He also conditions Munnyfor Ro, a contender for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on Aug. 1.

Haddassah was third against older allowance opposition in a fast turf route in his season opener. He set most of the pace before fading to third in Sunday’s Grade 3 Marine on the Tapeta.

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“We expected a better result,” Attard said, regarding the Marine. “We weren’t expecting him to be on the lead. It unfolded differently than what we anticipated. We’ll hit the drawing board with him. He’s a talented horse. He might train up to the Plate.”

Attard said 2020 Coronation Futurity victor Stephen is probably headed for the Plate Trial Stakes on Aug. 1. After missing two works in June, Stephen wound up sixth in his July 3 season opener in an allowance route won by Belichick.

“He got sick and I missed some training with him,” Attard said. “Ideally, I wouldn’t have run him there, but I need to get a couple of starts into him before Aug. 22. That race tightened him up a lot.”

Munnyfor Ro began her career with Attard here last fall before a winter/spring campaign with trainer Brian Lynch, who sent her out to graduate at Keeneland before ending up sixth in the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill. Back under Attard’s care, she rallied for second in the Grade 3 Selene last Saturday.

“She had run well this winter, and it was nice to see her continue on,” Attard said. “When you take her back and make a run, she likes that better. She ran well enough to deserve a chance in the Oaks.”

Attard’s 17-year-old son, Joshua, owns Plate nominee Keep Grinding, who finished a bang-up second in the Marine in his second start back. Keep Grinding is trained by Kevin’s father, Tino.

“That horse ran super,” Attard said. “We expected him to jump up a little with a start underneath his belt, and he did.”