Queen's Plate decision on Desert Ride still pending
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sam-Son Farm last won the Queen’s Plate in 2009 when Eye of the Leopard surged past Mr. Foricos Two U in the stretch to give the stable its fifth win in the race. In between, there have been eight other Queen’s Plate starters for Sam-Son Farm, including a pair of runner-up finishes from Hotep in 2010 and Up With the Birds in 2013.
This year, Desert Ride could add to that legacy. The 3-year-old daughter of Candy Ride has already won a Canadian classic, having captured the Woodbine Oaks, the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Tiara, on June 8. Trainer Neil Howard said a decision on whether Desert Ride would run in the Queen’s Plate, the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown on June 29 at Woodbine, hasn’t been made.
“[The Queen’s Plate] is going to be the obvious thing that’s on everybody’s minds,” he said. “I know this is cliché, but we’re going to watch her as long as possible. She seems to be doing well, but it’s always good to wait a good week to 10 days to know how a horse comes out sometimes, but so far so good.”
Fillies coming out of the Woodbine Oaks have run well in the Queen’s Plate in recent years. The last two Queen’s Plate winners, Wonder Gadot last year and Holy Helena in 2017, both used strong performances in the Woodbine Oaks to win the Queen’s Plate. Two of Sam-Son Farm’s five Queen’s Plate wins have come from fillies who captured the Woodbine Oaks, including Dancethruthedawn in 2001 and Canadian Triple Crown winner Dance Smartly in 1991.
Desert Ride’s racing career didn’t begin until this past January with Howard at Fair Grounds. Howard has trained a few horses for Sam-Son over the winter the past 10 years, but was given the opportunity to keep Desert Ride into the spring.
“My association with [Sam-Son Farm] is a little more on a seasonal basis,” Howard said. “They’ve left this filly with me and a couple of 2-year-olds. I initially got her when I was down in New Orleans this winter. I think they took their time with her. Candy Rides can be a little on the smaller side sometimes, so I think they wanted to be judicious with her as they always are with that operation.”
Desert Ride made her racing debut in a maiden special weight on the turf at Fair Grounds on Jan. 17. She broke slowly in the one-mile turf event, but unleashed a rally to win by 1 1/4 lengths. A late kick has been a consistent trend throughout Desert Ride’s career, including in the Woodbine Oaks when she was 9 1/4 lengths behind the leader after the opening quarter-mile.
“That’s her,” Howard said. “She’s got that running style. She’s a very patient filly but that’s her demeanor, too. I wouldn’t use the term laid back as much as she’s just a professional about everything.”
Howard added that Desert Ride has been one of the most straightforward horses he has ever trained.
Following her career debut, Desert Ride ran again at Fair Grounds in a one-mile turf allowance where she finished second. She got back to the winner’s circle at Keeneland on April 18. Two months later, she won the Woodbine Oaks, her stakes debut.
In between the Oaks victory and a potential start in the Queen’s Plate, Howard said, Desert Ride would be put through a light training regimen at his base at Churchill Downs.
“Her training is going to be totally uncomplicated going into this race,” he said. “The last two races, especially going into the Oaks, we were on a fairly serious schedule because we knew we were going to come in two months between races. She’s dead fit and she doesn’t need to be overtrained at all. She’ll have a breeze, at least, but nothing complicated going from here to this next race if we do it.”
Although Howard has had only 11 starters at Woodbine, and Desert Ride is his first in more than 12 years, he said he would be honored to have a horse run in the Queen’s Plate.
“It would feel fantastic,” he said. “I know the place that the Queen’s Plate is held in racing in general in the United States and Canada. If we do it, I would be as excited as I could possibly be.”
