My Boy Prince continues path to King's Plate in Queenston

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sunday’s $125,000 Queenston Stakes at Woodbine is a King’s Plate prep with a terrific nine-horse field. Among those contesting the seven-furlong test for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds are reigning Canadian champion male 2-year-old My Boy Prince and Coronation Futurity victor Babbo.

My Boy Prince and Essex Serpent were entered by trainer Mark Casse, who sent out eventual King’s Plate winner Paramount Prince to finish second in last year’s Queenston.

My Boy Prince got the winter off after a bang-up third in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. He was eighth in his April 7 season debut in the Palisades Stakes on the grass at Keeneland and then blew away open company in the seven-furlong King Corrie Stakes here May 19.

My Boy Prince earned a huge 97 Beyer Speed Figure in the King Corrie. Casse believes the son of Cairo Prince remains in peak form.

“He’s doing good,” Casse said. “He didn’t grow a lot. He’s just a plain-looking horse who runs really fast.”

Essex Serpent debuted here April 27 in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special. After tracking the pacesetter through the turn, he turned on the jets and won by 3 1/2 lengths with a 77 Beyer.

“I like that horse a lot,” Casse said. “I think he’s possibly a sleeper for the King’s Plate.”

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Sahin Civaci has ridden both horses and is sticking with My Boy Prince. Patrick Husbands rides Essex Serpent.

Babbo won three in a row to round out his juvenile campaign, most notably the Coronation Futurity. The front-runner hasn’t started since that 1 1/8-mile route for Canadian-breds. Trainer Sid Attard has sent him out to work four times here this spring.

“He was in Florida all winter,” Attard said. “He came up with a little problem. We gave him a month off and we started him up again.”

Trainer Kevin Attard will saddle Pierre, who following a winter layoff earned his diploma in his second career start May 4. He defeated a modest group in the maiden special weight sprint.

“I definitely think he” wants to go long, Attard said. “I didn’t really want to run him in the Queenston, but I don’t have any other options. It was either that or wait until the end of June and I wanted to get a start into him sooner than that.

“He’s shown a lot of talent. I think he has all the attributes of a King’s Plate horse.”

Junior Hot Shot won his Oct. 1 opener on the lead before a front-running third in the Oct. 29 Frost King Stakes. He closed strongly from well back to land his May 10 season opener in an Ontario-sired allowance.

“We had talked about teaching him how to relax,” trainer John Ross said. Justin Stein “did an amazing job with that in his first race this year. He got him to settle and make one nice run.”

Completing the field are No More Options and Roscar, along with the supplements Highland Blue and Western Whirl.

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