
Ben's Cat recovering from colic surgery
The popular Ben's Cat, who recently arrived at his new home in Kentucky to begin his retirement, underwent colic surgery Thursday.

The popular Ben's Cat, who recently arrived at his new home in Kentucky to begin his retirement, underwent colic surgery Thursday.

Because it is a restricted stakes, the quality of the winners of the Queen’s Plate is highly variable. But it is almost certain that this year’s winner, Holy Helena, is a high-class filly by any standard.

Two freshman sires recorded their first stakes wins over the weekend: Animal Kingdom's Sunny Skies won the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs and Surrender Now, by Morning Line, won the Landaluce Stakes at Santa Anita.

It was a fitting result when Danzing Candy won the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, as the colt is closely related to Better Talk Now, who died four days prior of complications following colic surgery.
Grade 1 winners Paddy O'Prado and Corinthian have been sold to stand at Evicmen Harasi in Kemalpasa, Turkey. Paddy O'Prado previously resided at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky., while Corinthian heads to Turkey from Pin Oak Lane Farm in New Freedom, Pa.
Mike Fox had no business winning the 2007 Queen's Plate. The 15-1 shot led the Queen's Plate for just three strides, but they were the ones that mattered.
Defining a textbook horse who is likely to succeed on dirt or turf can be as simple as a glance at the specimen's physical makeup and pedigree page. Horsemen, however, remain divided over determining an archetype for synthetic-surface runners.

Grade 1 winners Tizway and Archarcharch have been sold to stand in Korea and will debut there for the 2018 breeding season.
Kevin Dickson, formerly the farm manager at Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Calif., will take the job of farm manager at Barton Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, Calif., in August, the farm announced on Wednesday.

The sires of this year’s Queen's Plate contenders have a decidedly U.S. leaning, but a trio of hopefuls are by current or former Ontario residents.