One Bad Boy supplemented to Queen's Plate, possible for James W. Murphy at Pimlico

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The promising California-based ridgling One Bad Boy is one of four 3-year-olds who were supplemented to the $1 million Queen’s Plate on May 1 at a cost of $5,000.

Owned by Sayjay Racing and trained by Richard Baltas, One Bad Boy was a distant second to the future Arkansas Derby winner Omaha Beach at Santa Anita on Feb. 2. In his third and most recent race there April 6, he romped on the front end in a one-mile maiden special, earning an 85 Beyer Speed Figure in his turf debut.

The 160th running of the Queen’s Plate will be contested on Tapeta here June 29, three weeks after the nine-furlong Plate Trial Stakes. The last California-based horse to win the 10-furlong event for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds was the lightly raced Awesome Again in 1997.

Baltas said he’s exploring all options for the next start for One Bad Boy, including the $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes going a mile on turf at Pimlico on Preakness Day May 18. Baltas said he likes to give developing horses six weeks between starts, which rules out the Plate Trial.

“He broke his maiden very impressively,” Baltas said. “I always knew he could ‘grass.’ We’re looking for a prep race now, and then we’re going to maybe look at the Queen’s Plate. We want to see how he ships, too. We might go in the little race at Pimlico. That’s a possibility. We’ve nominated for that.”

Bred in Ontario by Ron Clarkson, One Bad Boy was a $65,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling sale. The son of Twirling Candy is a half-brother to stakes winner Ms Bad Behavior.

The other supplements are the struggling maiden Bitethebulletbro; Suitedconnected, who has been idle since capturing an Ontario-sired maiden special weight sprint here Nov. 16; and Rising Star, who was claimed for $40,000 at Oaklawn by Mike Campbell Racing Stable before trainer Mike DePaulo sent him out to run fourth in a maiden special weight route here last Sunday.

Avie’s Flatter, the Queen’s Plate winter-book favorite, finished a close sixth in last Saturday’s Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill. Plate contender My Silencer won a seven-furlong allowance here last Sunday.

◗ Irwin Driedger has left his position as Director of Racing Surfaces at Woodbine to assume his previous role as executive director of the Jockeys’ Benefit Association of Canada, a job he held for 15 years before going to work for Woodbine 13 years ago.

“I think [this job]) fits me better, at this stage of my life,” said Driedger, who replaced the retired Robert King Jr.

Driedger, 62, was voted the Sovereign Award as Canada’s outstanding jockey in 1981, the year he was Canada’s leading rider.