Breeder part of celebration after Queen's Plate victory

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It’s not often that the breeder of a major winner gets some post-race credit from the horse’s owners, but that was the case in Saturday’s $1 million Queen’s Plate, when Greg Hall and Brooke Hubbard thanked the victorious One Bad Boy’s breeder, Ron Clarkson, for producing the speedy son of Twirling Candy.

Clarkson and his daughter Debra Ehrat were both invited into the walking ring and winner’s circle by the owners. Ehrat said the victory was the thrill of a lifetime for her 80-year-old father, who has been breeding horses in Ontario for 56 years.

“They were very gracious in including us in everything, and we were in the official photo,” Ehrat said. “It was just wonderful to watch the pride that my father felt. As he said, it’s once in a lifetime.”

Clarkson owns Rolling Ridge Farm, which is located northeast of Toronto.

“He only has three mares, and I have two,” Ehrat said. “Most of the 40-some horses that we have belong to other people. We’ve raised a lot of good horses for Frank DiGiulio and Rolph Davis, but to raise one of your own to go on to this height is pretty special.”

One Bad Boy was a $65,000 purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale by Hall, Hubbard, and Sayjay Racing. The same ownership group had purchased his half-sister Ms Bad Behavior for $75,000 at the same sale the year before. She went on to win 2018 China Doll Stakes at Santa Anita.

Clark has a Palace Malice colt entered in this year’s Keeneland September yearling sale who is a half-brother One Bad Boy. Both are out of the stakes-winning Stormy Atlantic mare Cumulonimble.

“Winning the Queen’s Plate is quite an update for the catalog page,” Ehrat said.

◗ Kevin Attard trains One Bad Boy’s 2-year-old half-sister Blessed Truly, who was a $90,000 purchase by owner Derek Chin at last year’s Canadian premier yearling sale at Woodbine.

Attard said Blessed Truly is getting close to making her first start after she worked a half-mile from the gate in 49.60 seconds last Friday. She’s by the hot young Ontario sire Souper Speedy, who is the sire of two 3-year-old fillies who won stakes here last weekend, Speedy Soul and Ciuri.

“She’s coming along,” Attard said of Blessed Truly. “I’m happy with her. She’s a good-sized filly who’s really filled into herself from a yearling to 2. She looks the part. We’re exited to have her.”

Attard sent out the 123-1 bomb Lucas n’ Lori to finish a creditable sixth in the 10-furlong Queen’s Plate. He was beaten 14 lengths after trailing the 14-horse field after the opening half-mile in the slow-paced event for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.

“I was really proud of him,” Attard said.