Queen's Plate winner makes turf debut

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Queen's Plate winner Not Bourbon will try to rebound from his Prince of Wales Stakes loss when he races on grass for the first time in Sunday's $125,000 Vice Regent Stakes at Woodbine.

Not Bourbon won one of the stronger Plates in recent years, thanks in part to a masterful training job by Canadian Hall-of-Famer Roger Attfield. Attfield, with an assist from jockey Jono Jones, successfully harnessed Not Bourbon's speed in the colt's back-to-back victories in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial and the 1 1/4-mile Plate on June 22.

Not Bourbon was favored over Harlem Rocker in the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales Stakes on the dirt at Fort Erie on July 13, but Not Bourbon ran a dull sixth, while Harlem Rocker dominated.

Attfield said Not Bourbon underwent throat surgery after that race.

"He was in a rank situation when he got boxed in, and entrapped his palate," Attfield said. "I think he did the same thing before in a workout. It threw a curveball at us."

Not Bourbon, by Not Impossible and out of millionaire sprinter Bourbon Belle, is bred for the turf on the sire's side of his pedigree. He breezed five-eighths in a bullet 59.60 seconds over the turf training course Aug. 22.

Attfield believes a mile on the grass against Ontario-sired opposition in the Vice Regent is a no-brainer for Not Bourbon.

"It should be perfect," Attfield said. "He worked well on the turf. He went beautiful. He seems in good shape. We've got to get him back on schedule."

Attfield also entered Sand Cove, who is also making his turf debut. Sand Cove has been very effective in Ontario-sired allowance company at the meeting.

Delaforce is another wild card in his first run on the grass, for which he's bred on the dam's side. He wound up third after making a rail bid and then hanging in the July 16 Deputy Minister Stakes.

Also in the Vice Regent is Piper in the Glen, who upset heavily favored Stuck in Traffic in the seven-furlong Deputy Minster. He was a flat fifth in his lone grass outing against allowance types in June.

Rockglen defeated Ontario-sired allowance opponents in a recent turf sprint, and could be a speed threat.

Cappal Mor beat next-out winner Swinton when winning a seven-furlong allowance on the grass July 18.

Eolos rallied from well back to hit the board behind Cappal Mor and Swinton in his two most recent races.