Queen's Plate comes up too quickly for Weyburn
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Weyburn, the top-ranked contender on Daily Racing Form’s Queen’s Plate watch, will bypass the $1 million Plate at Woodbine Aug. 22 to give him more time between starts, according to Chiefswood Stable’s general manager Robert Landry.
Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Weyburn won the Grade 3 Gotham in March at Aqueduct, where he finished fourth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial in April. Following a two-month layoff, he was a close second to Mandaloun in the June 13 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth. He faded to fourth after a three-wide stalking trip most recently in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 31.
“He’s trained back good and everything,” Landry said. “The biggest hiccup for me is the timing. I’m really concerned about the three weeks. I want to do what’s right by the horse. I want to look at all other options for him.”
Landry said he’s scoping out graded stakes in the United States, including the Sept. 25 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx.
A homebred by Pioneerof the Nile, Weyburn was the Queen’s Plate winter book favorite.