Baltas leaning toward sending One Bad Boy to Queen's Plate

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Richard Baltas said he’s leaning toward sending the California upstart One Bad Boy here for the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 29.

“I’m just trying to figure out the travel arrangements, if we go,” Baltas said. “I’m like 80-20 coming. There’s also a big stakes program for 3-year-olds at Del Mar, and that’s where the owners live. If I go up there, I’m going to probably knock him out for Del Mar. That’s what I’m weighing on right now.”

One Bad Boy made his first two starts on the dirt at Santa Anita, which included a second to the future Arkansas Derby winner Omaha Beach in a seven-furlong maiden special Feb. 2. Following a two-month break, the ridgling aired in a one-mile maiden race on turf at Santa Anita, scoring by 4 1/4 lengths, in a time of 1:34.02.

Baltas shipped One Bad Boy north on May 19 for the one-mile Alcatraz Stakes, which was switched from turf to the dark Tapeta surface at Golden Gate. Sent off as the 9-10 favorite, he fought for the lead with the Bob Baffert-trained Kingly, before giving way late to finish second to Visitant.

“I expected to win that race, but there was a pretty good horse in there that beat me,” Baltas recalled. “Flavien Prat rode him and thought he was too eager, because we were going head-and-head the whole way. My horse didn’t get a breather.”

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Baltas said he worked One Bad Boy without blinkers in a five-furlong team drill in 1:01 last Saturday at Santa Anita.

“He went really, really well,” Baltas said. “I liked what I saw. I don’t think I’m going to run him in blinkers anymore. When he was younger, he was looking around a lot. Now that he’s a little bit older, he’s figuring things out. Maybe he can get the mile and a quarter.”

Baltas said the 2019 Kentucky Derby winner Prat or Joel Rosario could ride One Bad Boy in the Plate.

Da Silva to ride Skywire in Plate

Perennial Woodbine leader Eurico Da Silva said he has chosen to ride Skywire in the Queen’s Plate over the reigning Canadian champion male 2-year-old Avie’s Flatter. Last year, Da Silva won the Coronation Futurity and Cup and Saucer Stakes on Avie’s Flatter.

Da Silva piloted the Mark Casse-trained Skywire in a comfortable score over Global Access in the April 28 Wando Stakes. An improved Global Access got the jump on Skywire when beating him in the slow-paced Marine Stakes, a Grade 3 event here May 25.

Da Silva has won the Queen’s Plate twice, going back-to-back with Eye of the Leopard in 2009 and Big Red Mike in 2010.