Edenwold peaks at the right time

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Edenwold, last year's Canadian champion 2-year-old, recorded a 16-1 upset in the 147th running of the $1,003,200 on Sunday at Woodbine.

Josie Carroll became the first female trainer to capture the Plate, and it was the first win in the race for owners Jim and Alice Sapara. It was the second Plate victory for jockey Emile Ramsammy, who previously won in 1996 with Victor Cooley.

Ramsammy broke Edenwold from post 1 in the 1 1/4-mile event, and they stalked the pace along the inside. Sterwins, with John Velazquez aboard, set quick early fractions of 22.73 and 45.98 seconds with the wind at his back.

Edenwold joined Sterwins on the lead midway on the backstretch, through three-quarters in 1:11.28. They dueled until the eighth pole, where Edenwold began to edge away to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Malakoff stalked throughout and finished four lengths behind Sterwins, a nose in front of a closing Ascot Bill. Shillelagh Slew was another half-length back in fifth, and the Plate Trial winner, Pipers Thunder, wound up sixth in the 13-horse field of Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.

Wanna Runner, the 3-2 favorite trained by Bob Baffert, tracked the early leaders before retreating on the far turn, and finished a well-beaten 10th under Victor Espinoza.

"I think I was empty on the first turn, and I still had a long way to go," said Espinoza. "Sometimes, they feel good. Sometimes, they don't run any good. What are you going to do?"

Ramsammy also had post 1 and a stalking trip in his victory aboard Victor Cooley.

"I didn't mind the one-hole," said Ramsammy. "Going a mile and a quarter, he can put himself where he wants to be. We actually had a nice trip."

Carroll said Edenwold's third-place finish in the Plate Trial set him up beautifully for the Plate.

"I think his last race was a key race," said Carroll. "He was fatigued after the race, but got tremendous conditioning out of it, and bounced back and recovered quickly, which is what you want to see an athlete do."

Edenwold completed the distance in 2:05.30. He returned $34.40, and headed an exactor worth $233.60. The triactor returned $986.90, and the superfecta paid $5,861.50.

It was the first win around two turns for Edenwold, who became the first reigning 2-year-old champion to capture the Plate since Sound Reason in 1977. First money of $600,000 boosted his bankroll to $992,900.

* Marco Be Good ($27) came wide under Justin Stein to take the $200,800 over Kentucky shipper Atticus Kristy. Trained by John Ross, Marco Be Good ran six furlongs on the grass in 1:07.87 while notching his first stakes. Soaring Free was scratched from the Grade 3 race.

* Jambalaya ($5.30) held off Last Answer in deep stretch to take the Singspiel, a 1 1/2-mile turf stakes worth $100,400.

* Seaside Retreat ($3.70), making his first start since his 10th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, won the $101,600 Charlie Barley Stakes going a mile on the grass.