Attfield seeks Queen's Plate victory No. 8

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Roger Attfield will be looking to win the Queen's Plate for a record-equaling eighth time when he sends out Ablo for the $1 million showpiece here Sunday.

Four of Attfield's Queen's Plate winners - Norcliffe (1976), With Approval (1989), Izvestia (1990), and Alydeed (1992) - went off as favorites. A fifth, Peteski (1993), was a 4-1 second choice.

Ablo, however, will go at a price more in line with the Attfield-trained Market Control (1987) and Regal Discovery (1995), both 9-1.

Winner of the 1 1/8-mile Coronation Futurity in his final 2-year-old start, Ablo will be seeking his first win in five starts this year in the Queen's Plate, a 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.

The Queen's Plate post positions were to be drawn at a breakfast on Thursday at Woodbine, and a field of nine was expected.

Ablo, with regular rider Gerry Olguin in the irons, worked five furlongs in 1:03.20 on the main track Wednesday.

"He probably went a little slower than I would like him to, but he doesn't work well on his own, anyway," said Attfield. "I think it's sufficient; he just ran two weeks ago."

Ablo is coming off a second-place finish behind Florida-bred stablemate Palladio in the 1 1/8-mile Victoria Park here June 12.

Ablo, who wintered at Payson Park in Florida, opened his campaign with a seventh-place finish at Keeneland but has made steady progress since returning to his home base at Woodbine.

"It's actually worked out perfectly," said Attfield. "I don't think I could go to the Plate any better than I am right now with him.

"Now, it's just a question of whether he's good enough."

Fraser on Granique in Plate debut

Granique tuned up for the Queen's Plate by working on the main track Wednesday, breezing four furlongs in 52.40 seconds under apprentice rider Corey Fraser.

Fraser will ride Granique for the first time and compete in his first Queen's Plate on Sunday.

King of Jazz works at Churchill Downs

King of Jazz, based at Churchill Downs, breezed four furlongs in 49 seconds there Wednesday.

"Everything's going well; I'm very happy with him," said assistant trainer Ian Wilkes, who will saddle King of Jazz here for trainer Carl Nafzger. Rafael Bejarano will ride.