Queen's Plate hopeful Ironstone kicks off season in Woodstock Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The road to the $1 million Queen’s Plate begins Sunday at Woodbine for Canadian-breds Ironstone and Silent Runner, who are entered in the $125,000 Woodstock Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds.

Ironstone graduated in the restricted Simcoe Stakes in August before doubling up in another impressive front-running performance in the Clarendon Stakes on Oct. 8, when he got an 88 Beyer Speed Figure. He went on to run second in the Display Stakes before a stalking second around two turns in the Grade 3 Grey behind God of Love, who was voted the Sovereign Award for champion male 2-year-old over Ironstone.

Ironstone wintered at Margaux Farm in Lexington, Ky., where he worked three times before a trio of fast breezes here last month. The brilliant worker got the bullet in his last two drills – a half-mile in 46.40 seconds on April 17 and five-eighths in 59 seconds last Sunday.

“He’s going into it good,” trainer Willie Armata said. “We’re trying to teach him to rate a little. That’s what we worked on last year. If somebody wants to go, I don’t want to go head and head with him. I’d rather just sit off him. The jockey knows that. I think he can relax a little. He doesn’t need the lead to win.”

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Armata has mapped out a three-race schedule leading up to the 1 1/4-mile Queen’s Plate on Aug. 21. Following the Woodstock, Ironstone will be pointed to the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes for Canadian-breds on June 12 and the Grade 3 Marine on July 2. He said he likes the seven-week gap between the 1 1/16-mile Marine and the Plate.

From post 4, Ademar Santos has the call on Ironstone, who was the 10-1 fifth choice in the Queen’s Plate winterbook.

Silent Runner was the 14-1 seventh choice in the winterbook. He won 3 of 7 starts at 2, during which he never really blossomed until after his second-place finish in the Clarendon.

Silent Runner won an Ontario-sired allowance in front-running style by six lengths Nov. 12 and then took the restricted Frost King Stakes from a stalking position a mere nine days later.

Silent Runner has been working right along for trainer Mike Doyle, including sub-minute five-eighths drills on April 9 and April 16.

The speedy Larry Rivelli-trained Chicago shippers Nobals and One Timer are drawn in posts 1 and 2, respectively, with Lasix added.

Nobals won his last two starts in a pair of Tapeta stakes at Turfway, with Beyers of 76 and 77.

One Timer made quite a splash here last summer when taking the Victoria Stakes convincingly with an 80 Beyer. He has been idle since ending up two lengths back in ninth in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in November at Del Mar.

Rounding out the field are Unraptured, Victory Jet, All in Sync, Determined Kingdom, and Doctor Jeff.