Malibu Mambo the early favorite for Queen's Plate

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Coronation Futurity runner-up Malibu Mambo has been named the 4-1 winterbook favorite for the $1 million Queen’s Plate, which will be run over 1 1/4 miles on Woodbine’s Tapeta on June 27.

The Queen’s Plate winterbook, compiled by Ron Gierkink and Alex Campbell of Daily Racing Form, assigns hypothetical odds to all 92 nominees for this year’s Canadian Triple Crown. The Canadian Triple Crown begins with the Queen’s Plate and is then followed by the Prince of Wales Stakes on dirt July 21 at Fort Erie and the Breeders’ Stakes on turf back at Woodbine on Aug. 15.

Malibu Mambo was a debut winner over seven furlongs in August for trainer Kevin Attard and owner-breeder Stronach Stables. He then finished seventh in the Cup and Saucer Stakes on turf in October before coming from well back to finish second behind Halo Again in the Coronation Futurity on Nov. 23.

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“I was real high on the horse from the get-go,” Attard said. “Before we ever ran him, I thought he was going to be a nice colt and the first time he ran to expectations. I was very disappointed in his race in the Cup and Saucer. I thought going into that race he was doing really well, he breezed really well over the turf and just never showed up that day. I’m still kind of puzzled by that race. He worked good again going into the Coronation, and I was glad to see him come up with a big race. It was a tough way to get beat, but I was happy to see him rebound back into form.”

Attard has nominated four horses in total to the Canadian Triple Crown, including Clayton, the 16-1 eighth choice, and fillies Blessed Truly and Merveilleux, who both sit just outside the top 10 at 25-1.

Recent Gulfstream Park maiden winner Edge of Fire was named the 5-1 second choice for trainer Jimmy Jerkens, who won the 2017 Queen’s Plate with filly Holy Helena.

A total of 14 fillies were nominated to this year’s Canadian Triple Crown, led by Curlin’s Voyage, who is the 6-1 third choice. Trained by Josie Carroll, Curlin’s Voyage figures to be named Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly at the Sovereign Awards in April following a pair of stakes wins last season at Woodbine in the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes and the Ontario Lassie Stakes. Three Carroll trainees were listed among the top 10 choices, including 14-1 seventh choice Auburn Hills and Corsi, who completed the top 10 at 20-1.

Coronation Futurity winner Halo Again was the 8-1 fourth choice, while Famished completed the top five at odds of 10-1.

Trainer Sid Attard had a pair of horses listed in the top 10, including Display Stakes runner-up Elusive Knight (12-1) and Kingarvie Stakes winner Dotted Line (18-1).

Woodbine also announced that 58 fillies were nominated to the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on June 6.

A full list of Queen’s Plate winterbook odds is available at woodbine.com.